Il Signore delle Mosche

by Aimée de Jongh (Adapter, Illustrator), William Golding

Πριν από το THE STAND και τους αγώνες πείνας, πριν από το BATTLE ROYALE και το YELLOWJACKETS, υπήρχε ο ΑΡΧΟΝΤΑΣ ΤΩΝ ΜΥΓΩΝ. Ένα αεροπλάνο πέφτει σ’ ένα τροπικό νησί. Οι επιζήσαντες, μικροί μαθητές από την Αγγλία, διαπιστώνουν σύντομα ότι το νησί είναι ακατοίκητο. «Δεν υπάρχουν πουθενά μεγάλοι». Οργανώνονται μόνοι τους, αποκτούν αρχηγό και κανόνες για να επιβιώσουν. Στην αρχή, μοιάζει με ονειρεμένη περιπέτεια. Αλλά τα παιχνίδια της μέρας τα διαδέχονται οι εφιάλτες της νύχτας. Κάποιοι αρχίζουν να πιστεύουν ότι ένα θηρίο στοιχειώνει το νησί. Ο φόβος και η βία κάνουν την εμφάνισή τους... «Τι είμαστε; Άνθρωποι ή ζώα;» Για πρώτη φορά, το κλασικό αριστούργημα του νομπελίστα William Golding, που το BBC συμπεριέλαβε στα «100 Μυθιστορήματα που Διαμόρφωσαν τον Κόσμο μας», διασκευάζεται σε graphic novel, από τη διάσημη δημιουργό Aimee de Jongh.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Comics, Classics, Bande Dessinée, Fiction, Young Adult, Graphic Novels Comics

Kindle Edition

First published September 12, 2024

About the author

Aimée de Jongh (b. 1988) is a comic author, animator and illustrator from the Netherlands, with a large variety of drawing styles. Aimée received her degree in Animation at the Willem de Kooning Academy Rotterdam, KASK Ghent and at the Gobelins Summer School Paris.

She debuted with Snippers, a humorous daily comic series for the Dutch newspaper Metro. Her first graphic novel The Return of the Honey Buzzard won the Prix Saint-Michel and was adapted to film. After this, Aimée decided to focus on graphic novels and animation. Her recent graphic novels are Taxi!, an autobiography about taxi rides, and Blossoms in Autumn, about love after 60, written by the Belgian comic author Zidrou.

In 2017, Aimée made her first graphic journalism work after visiting the refugee camps on Lesbos. This trip resulted in the drawn report Europe's Waiting Room.

Aimée has been involved in the animation industry for several years. She directed and animated the short film Aurora, she created storyboards for Amazon Prime's Undone, and animated a series of music videos for the television show De Wereld Draait Door. Aimée's biggest animation project was Behind the Telescopes, a 71-minute theatrical film with harpist Lavinia Meijer, which she directed and animated. Aimée has also taught various classes about comics, graphic journalism and animation.

Reviews

[La loca de los libros · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Y en medio de todos ellos, sucio, con el pelo revuelto y moqueando Ralph lloró por el fin de la inocencia, la oscuridad del corazón del hombre y la caída al vacío de un amigo sabio y leal llamado [...]"🤐

Magnífica 🖤

Esta novela gráfica es el complemento ideal para esa obra maestra de la literatura inglesa por la que William Golding recibió el premio Nobel de literatura en 1983 y que ya leí a comienzos del pasado año.
Las imágenes de la presente edición son poderosísimas y captan a la perfección la esencia de esta imperecedera historia.
La novela está considerada una de las fábulas morales más importantes de la época, abordando la violencia y la condición humana tras la posguerra y considero que esta es una opción perfecta de hacer un primer acercamiento a la obra si es que no lo has hecho ya.

No me voy a extender mucho más, solo decirles que hay que leerla, que es una obra que saca a relucir esa parte salvaje y oscura del ser humano, donde prima el más puro instinto de supervivencia sobre la racionalidad de unos pocos.

✨🏝️Un grupo de niños solos en una isla sin ningún adulto que les recuerde esas normas que creían tener tan interiorizadas.

¿Qué podría salir mal? 😏

No les puedo decir más.
Hay que leerla.
Punto 👌🏻😁

https://www.facebook.com/LaLocadelosL... 🖤✨📚

[Juan Naranjo]

Es muy difícil darle una vuelta a un clásico de la literatura tan presente en la cultura popular como lo es «El señor de las moscas». Sin embargo, Aimée de Jongh consigue que su visión plástica de la historia aporte contenido, ambientación y sensibilidad a esta narración inmortal.

La historia es redonda: una profunda reflexión sobre la naturaleza humana, sobre los horrores que habitan en nuestro corazón, sobre los límites de las estructuras sociales, sobre la imposición social y la aceptación de lo inaceptable movido por la presión de grupo y las ansias de sentirse parte de algo… Y la parte gráfica es apabullante, sobre todo en lo relativo al color. Así que la combinación es espléndida. Cabe señalar que la autora no ha adaptado los textos, sino que ha elegido exclusivamente fragmentos de la obra original, lo que me parece una apuesta interesantísima.

En conclusión: la novela es perfecta, y la adaptación al cómic es estupenda. Ojalá sirva para que muchos lectores vuelvan a aquella isla y otros muchos la descubran.

EDITO: Por si queréis verlo por dentro https://www.instagram.com/reel/DHECvh...

[Joe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Need to read this real book

[Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 stars...

This was a much better experience for me than the original novel with all its wordy and dry imagery. Very well done. 👍👍

[Jeroen Decuyper · Rating 5 out of 5]

Na Taxi: Stories from the Back Seat en Dagen van zand, gaat het crescendo met de graphic novels van Aimée de Jongh. Deze 'Heer van de vliegen' is een juweeltje, alhoewel het verkleinwoord niet echt op zijn plaats is om deze schitterend uitgegeven klepper van meer dan 350 pagina's te omschrijven. Een stevige hardcover om u tegen te zeggen, ingebonden en met mat papier, in tegenstelling tot heel wat beeldverhalen die inzetten op glanzende pagina's.

Anders dan 'Dagen van zand', vol met geel-, bruin- en grijstinten en waarin het blauwe en groen nagenoeg volledig ontbraken, is deze graphic novel een overdadige explosie van groentinten. Enerzijds creëert dat rust en mysterie, maar anderzijds zorgt het voor behoorlijk wat intensiteit en expressieve beelden die wonderwel passen bij het originele verhaal van William Golding. Sommige scènes zijn op één of twee bladzijden opengetrokken en zorgen voor overzicht, maar op de meeste pagina's ligt het verteltempo hoog. Zo hoog dat je als lezer hier en daar bewust moet vertragen: te snel lezen en kijken doet afbreuk aan het opbouwen van de sfeer van de verstripping.

De Jongh volgt nagenoeg volledig het oorspronkelijke verhaal van de Britse Nobelprijswinnaar, maar bij mij kwamen bepaalde scènes iets harder binnen dan bij het lezen van de roman, lang geleden. Een tweetal van die scènes, meer naar het einde van het verhaal toe, krijgen toch een andere dimensie en hebben iets meer impact met de beelden erbij. Wat mij betreft een meer dan geslaagde adaptatie, die ik met plezier een ruimere plek geef in het boekenrek met de graphic novels.

[Urbon Adamsson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Aimée de Jongh had already secured a spot among my favorite authors, and this might just be her best work yet—certainly her longest.

Before reading this, I didn’t know much about Lord of the Flies beyond its reputation as a highly praised and popular novel.

It tells a gripping story of a group of children stranded on an island, where the lack of civilization causes them to gradually revert to their most primitive instincts. The pacing is perfect—despite its length, you’ll find yourself flying through the pages.

I loved every moment of it. It’s a must-read and yet another standout release this year by ASA.

[Matthieu Wegh · Rating 4 out of 5]

?Een mooie graphic novel die ik lang geleden al in de etalage van een boekhandel in mijn stad zag staan...en ook al lang geleden op mijn (online) verlanglijstje voor mijn bieb zette; op de middelbare school las ik dit boek voor mijn lijst in het Engels.
🤔De vertaalde schrijfstijl was prachtig (en dat bij zo'n gruwelijk boek) en de tekeningen waren zo mooi dat ik het verhaal niet in 1 keer tot me kon nemen en er maanden over gedaan heb.
MW22/2/26

[Sherry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Closer to 4.5 A very good adaptation of the book. I thought the original text was stunning and it broke my heart so this had mighty shoes to fill and I think it succeeded within its format. The art was good and conveyed a lot of the story very well. Appreciated the opportunity to revisit this beloved modern classic as a graphic novel and I’m so pleased to have received it as a birthday gift from my son who just seems to really get me when it comes to books.

[✔️ JAVI ®️ · Rating 4 out of 5]

8/10 🌟🌟🌟🌟
Una edición de diez. Tapa dura aterciopelada, de las que son agradables al tacto. La serigrafía del título con relieve, bueno, mejor dicho con fondo. En la cubierta una imagen con acuarelas compuesta por diferentes tonos de verde donde destacan los efectos de luz. Una edición preciosa.
En su interior, 352 páginas con el arte de Aimée De Jongh, autora completa de "Días de arena". Un dibujo con aire infantil donde las expresiones de los personajes consiguen transmitir.
La parte donde pierde frescura, que no calidad, es que el guión es la adaptación de un clásico muy popular y la historia es conocida aún no habiendo leído el libro original de William Golding. Siendo así una muy buena edición para rememorar la historia y para añadir a las estanterías de cualquier colección de libros que se precie.

[Matti Karjalainen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Englantilaisia koulupoikia mukanaan kuljettanut lentokone putoaa liekeissä maahan ja eloonjääneet saavat huomata olevansa autiolla saarella, ilman ensimmäisenkään aikuisen valvontaa. Jotenkin on tultava toimeen, ja niinpä pojat pistävät pystyyn yhteisön, jonka demokraattisesti valittuna johtajana toimii kaveri nimeltään Ralph. Sääntöjä luodaan yksissä tuumin: merkkitulta on pidettävä yllä, kylpypoukaman takana oleva kivikko toimii käymälänä, metsästäjät hoitavat lihanhankinnan ja yhteisissä leirikokouksissa äänessä saa olla vain kotiloa kädessään pitelevä poika.

Vaikka alku näyttää hyvältä, pääsee käärme ryömimään paratiisiin. Sääntöjä ja vallitsevaa järjestystä haastamaan nousee etenkin metsästäjien johtajana toimiva Jack. Lisäksi poikien hermoja kiristävät tarinat metsässä asuvasta pedosta, jonka olemassaolosta ei kuitenkaan ole mitään varmuutta. Saarella tunnelma muuttuu synkeämmäksi, eikä aikaakaan, kun pahaenteinen messuaminen "Tapetaan peto, katkaistaan kurkku, vuodatetaan veri" täyttää ilman. Ja sitten veri vuotaa ensimmäisen kerran...

Vuonna 1954 ilmestyneestä William Goldingin Kärpästen herrasta on tehty vuosien saatossa muutama elokuvaversio, mutta hollantilaisen Aimée de Jonghin samanniminen sarjakuvaversio (Like, 2024) on tiettävästi ensimmäinen lajiaan. Lopputulos tekee kunniaa klassikkoteokselle, eikä ihmekään, sillä sarjakuvan jälkisanoissa de Jongh tunnustautuu teoksen elinikäiseksi faniksi. Lieneekö siinä syy siihen, että vapauksia ei ole pahemmin otettu, vaan teoksen jokainen lause on peräisin alkuperäisestä romaanista.

Luullakseni otan sarjakuvan mukaan ensi syksyn kahdeksasluokkalaisten vinkkauksiin.

Jos pidit tästä, niin tutustupa myös toiseen klassikkoromaaniin perustuvaan sarjakuvaan, eli Janne Torisevan Valaaseen.

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wat graphic novel-talent Aimée de Jongh doet met deze klassieker is niet alleen wonderlijk mooi, ze blijft ook vrij trouw aan het origineel (dat ik een half jaar geleden herlas). Haar visuele ingrepen tillen niet alleen het genre naar een hoog niveau, maar versterken ook de essentie van de roman.

Zowel de personages als bepaalde landschappen kwamen heel dicht bij mijn eigen verbeelding, wat altijd fijn is en bewijst dat de originele auteur het allemaal goed weet te beschrijven. Elke bladzijde die je omslaat is een pareltje, zowel compositorisch als qua sfeer en kleur. Alleen al de manier waarop Aimée de Jongh het zonlicht laat spelen tussen het oerwoud-gebladerte is betoverend, maar zo kan ik nog wel wat noemen.

De dromen van de kinderen bijvoorbeeld, over hun gelukkige tijd voor de crash en over de monsters die ze in hun verbeelding zien. Die culmineert tenslotte in de prachtig verbeelde, duistere gruwel van de zwijnenkop op de staak die de titel verklaart in bloedmooi rood, zwart en wit. Zoveel extra zeggingskracht maakt van deze 'Lord of the flies' een onweerstaanbare klassieker om door een nieuw en breed publiek (her)ontdekt te worden. Dankjewel Aimée!

[Robert Lambregts · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. This was so good. Aimée de Jongh brought Lord of the Flies to life in a whole other way. Of course it's a classic, but the images tell even more than the words in the original.
I highly recommend anyone who loves the story to readthis book. It's gorgeous and very well done.

[Annadwolf · Rating 5 out of 5]

Uit het nawoord: ‘beelden maken het verschil tussen weten wat er aan de hand is en voelen wat er aan de hand is’

[Rod Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

A superb reminder of how creepy, brutal and powerful William Golding's novel is.


FOR REFERENCE:

Contents: Chapter 1. The Sound of the Shell -- Chapter 2. Fire on the Mountain -- Chapter 3. Huts on the Beach -- Chapter 4. Painted Faces and Long Hair -- Chapter 5. Beast from Water -- Chapter 6. Beast from Air -- Chapter 7. Shadows and Tall Trees -- Chapter 8. Gift for the Darkness -- Chapter 9. A View to a Death -- Chapter 10. The Shell and the Glasses -- Chapter 11. Castle Rock -- Chapter 12. Cry of the Hunters

[Simone Bais · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wauw

[Amélie Bracke · Rating 4 out of 5]

4,5⭐️

Om een van mijn favoriete klassiekers als graphic novel te lezen, was sowieso echt al geweldig maar Aimée de Jongh bracht met de tekeningen het verhaal naar een nieuw niveau. De graphic novel bracht nog meer gevoelens naar boven en voegde extra benadrukkingen en symboliek toe die het verhaal enkel maar verrijkten!

[Vinicius · Rating 4 out of 5]

Com uma narrativa tranquila, e desenhos incríveis da Aimée de Jongh, que destacam muito bem a inocência das crianças e a disparidade entre a grandiosidade da floresta e a “insignificância” das crianças perto da magnitude do ecossistema, O Senhor das Moscas engana os desavisados que não conhecem a trama e batem o olho e pensam que será uma história ingênua sobre crianças.

De maneira resumida, a obra vai contar sobre um grupo de crianças que sobrevivem a queda de um avião, a qual nenhum adulto sobrevive. Essas crianças agora, sem supervisionamento e sem regras, precisam sobreviver em uma ilha desabitada.

Com o desenvolvimento da história, acompanhamos as crianças, de começo, lidando bem com a organização das tarefas. Elas arrumam um sistema de prioridade de fala - para que todos sejam ouvidos, se dividem em grupos para caçar, fazem fogueira para sinalizar que estão ali – caso um barco passe por ali – e até arrumam um local para usarem de banheiro. No entanto, essa organização não dura para sempre, e algumas crianças começam a ignorar as tarefas, querendo apenas brincar e se divertir, afinal são crianças. Além disso, conflitos entre as crianças começam a aparecer, separando-os em grupos diferentes com objetivos distintos, gerando ainda mais caos entre eles.

Nesse ensejo, o quadrinho possui diferentes reflexões que podem ser feitas com base nesse status quo que as crianças se encontram. Assim, durante a leitura, refleti muito sobre a organização social das crianças. É possível identificar elementos de anarquismo, pensar sobre modelos de organização, por exemplo, as crianças buscaram dar voz a todos os presentes por meio de uma concha, que simbolizava quem deveria falar no momento, bem ao estilo de parlamentarismo e/ou uma república.

Além disso, vemos a tentativa dos indivíduos em organizar uma sociedade sem leis, regras e instituições, é literalmente os indivíduos realizando suas vontades, sem ter alguém para puni-los ou controla-los dizendo o que é certo ou errado, tudo depende de um pacto social entre eles mesmos, confiando que todos irão seguir esse combinado. Isso me remeteu muito a organização social pensada por Durkheim, que de maneira bem resumida, vê a sociedade como um organismo social, sendo que cada individuo faz sua parte, por meio da solidariedade, que levaria a coesão social, em que cada individuo teria suas funções sociais, simbolizada pela divisão do trabalho e a especialização dos indivíduos.

Outra perspectiva que acho valida destacar, é pensar na contribuição que Hobbes poderia dar para analisar essa obra, tendo em vista que há um momento de ruptura entre os indivíduos da ilha, que antes organizados, agora se revoltam e buscam outra maneira de se organizarem, utilizando inclusive de violência. Em contrapartida, a figura de Ralph – a criança incialmente líder e que preza por manter a organização do grupo – pode ser vista com uma perspectiva da análise de Rosseau, que o homem é bom em seu estado de natureza, e os vícios dos indivíduos por viver em sociedade que o corrompe. São reflexões que tive durante a leitura, mas lembrando que todas as crianças tiveram a experiencia previa de viver em sociedade.

Outro ponto relevante que pode ser destacado dessa leitura é a questão da perda de inocência dessas crianças e a necessidade de assumir um papel de adulto para sobreviver diante ao cenário de escassez. Segundos dados do Sistema Nacional de Adoção e Acolhimento, até julho de 2023, o Brasil registrou 2.414 casos de abandono no país, o que me faz pensar: quantas dessas crianças não tiveram que amadurecer precocemente para conseguir sobreviver? Quantos dessas crianças não possuem irmãos e não tiveram que assumir o papel de pai e mãe para criar os mais novos? É uma reflexão que acho pertinente e que a HQ consegue levantar de maneira interessante.

[John Blacksad · Rating 5 out of 5]

Muh-te-şem!

Son zamanlarda en heyecanlandığım iş. Daha açılıştan vuruyor. Tam sayfa, boşluksuz bir resim, arkasından bir kaç sayfa daha ve sonra künye giriyor araya. İlk andan sanatçıya hayranlık duyuyorum. Nasıl bu zamana dek rastlamamışım diye hayıflanıyorum. Böyle kült bir eserin daha önce grafik romana uyarlanmaması da ilginç. Ama çarçur edilmemiş olması ve böyle ustaca bir “ilk”e layık olması da güzel olmuş.

Kitap tam bir görsel şölen. Uyarlama başarılı. Mutlaka öneriyorum. Aimee de Jongh “ne yapsa alırım” listesine hızlıca giriyor.

[Zizeloni · Rating 5 out of 5]

Μια παρα πολυ καλη μεταφορά του βιβλίου, που αφορά μια ομάδα αγοριών ηλικιας μεχρι 13 περιπου, που βρίσκονται μονα τους σε ενα νησί. Η κατάληξη δεν ειναι καλη, καταλήγουν σε πρωτόγονα ένστικτα και βία.

Το έδωσα και στο 12χρονο ανιψιό και του άρεσε πολυ, ελπίζω να τον έβαλε σε σκέψεις.

[Zane B. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesanta pieredze atgriezties pie skolas laiku literatūras šādā formātā. Aimē de Jongas ilustrācijas ir patiešām skaistas un notur uzmanību, kas palīdzēja stāstu izlasīt vienā elpas vilcienā.
Tomēr sižets joprojām izraisa divejādas sajūtas, jo, bērnu nežēlība, šajā stāstā un attēlotās situācijas šķiet pārāk nereālas, lai tām noticētu. Skaists izpildījums, bet stāsta skarbais tonis neuzrunāja.

[Olena Brazhnyk · Rating 4 out of 5]

Це дуже красиво промальовано, проте для мене книжка ще більше виграла б, якби лишити лише зображення.

[George Ilsley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some books are so disturbing you don't want to see the contents up close. This graphic novel is beautifully done, but is an adaptation of William Golding's famous novel (all the words are straight from the novel).

Sometimes a prose work enables the reader to only visualize a little bit, to keep horror at a distance. Give us pictures and the situation can be too disturbing.

That is the situation with this adaptation. The content is disturbing, and no matter how well the graphic adaptation is done, it becomes even more disturbing.

Perhaps if you don't know the novel, Lord of the Flies, this adaptation will be a discovery. I just couldn't shake the feeling of dread reading it.

[Samantha✨ [reads everythinggggg] · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received Lord of the Flies: A graphic novel through a Goodreads giveaway and I just want to say THANK YOU! Having already read Lord of the Flies, my thoughts on this edition are based mostly on the artwork—and it was absolutely incredible. I’d give the story 4 stars, but the illustrations a full 5 stars.

The artist did an amazing job. I was blown away by the sketches shown at the end and how they evolved into the final panels throughout the book. The artwork is beautiful, vibrant, and added a completely new depth to the story—very different from how I originally pictured it while reading the novel.

I’m definitely going to look for more graphic novels by this artist, because their work truly transformed the entire reading experience for me.

[Ana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Devo dizer que gostei muito mais desta adaptação gráfica do clássico de William Golding do que do livro original.
Nesta narrativa visual, consegui perceber melhor alguns dos pontos do livro que não tinha conseguido compreender e que me deixaram um pouco confusa.
O desenho é muito bonito e apelativo e acho que, para alguém, como eu, que poderá não ter achado o livro tão cativante, está novela gráfica vai sem dúvida agradar.

[Marjan · Rating 4 out of 5]

4,5*

Het origineel las ik nog nooit, maar daar wil ik nu verandering in brengen. Mooi in beeld gebracht! Leuk om aan het einde ook enkele schetsen te zien zodat je een idee hebt van het tekenproces. Zeker een aanrader!

[Δανάη Ιμπραχήμ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ομολογώ ότι δεν έχω διαβάσει το original, αλλά μετά από αυτό έχω σκοπό να το κάνω.

Πόσο εύκολα μπορεί να γίνουμε κτήνη; Πόσο εύκολα χάνουμε την ανθρωπιά μας ακόμα και σε μικρή ηλικία; Μια ιστορία που δείχνει ότι η απουσία ορίων και κανόνων μετατρέπει και τους πιο αθώους σε θηρία.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stay curious and remain open to change. Although, in my case, being open does not translate into characteristics of an early adopter. Because this is the first graphic novel, for me.

It practically goes without saying that I learned something about boys, years ago, from reading the original novel by William Golding. This graphic novel reminded me of how boys can be good AND bad. And that the nature of boys is a template for humankind.

This adaptation is noteworthy for its gorgeous color and stunning art style, which effectively captures both the beauty of the island and the horror of the boys' descent into savagery.

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing graphic novel!! Sick

[Célia Gil · Rating 5 out of 5]

Opinião no meu blogue em https://wwwescrevinhados-cantarinha.b...

[Realini Ionescu · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lord of The Flies by William Golding

“If there are no rules, you have nothing”

Ralph and Jack have counterparts in our presidential elections



This might the fifth encounter with the lord of The Flies. I have read the magic book twice, in the unabridged format. Then I saw a documentary on the book and at least part of a film version, if not two. The last version is an adapted play for the National Radio, which is nothing to compare with the original but still helpful.

Some books lose everything when placed on stage, others cannot make it there and for most of all I can say that they help me in a few ways:

They remind me of the plot, characters and other aspects that have slipped away. Then, for the favorite books it would be ideal to read them again and again, but having only so much time and so many worthy books, one cannot read all of them at the same time.

At least not for the moment, but once the drugs from Limitless are invented, we would be able to use much more than the 10% of the brain available now and we would engage in Maugham and Proust at the same time, learn ancient Greek and read some classics in the original- all within hours, if we are to believe the premonitions made in some of the SF movies.

“If there are no rules, you have nothing”

I have listened to William Golding talking about his masterpiece, Lord of The Flies. He was saying that the main message of the book refers to the necessity of rules and what happens when rules break down and with them the whole fabric of society. The fabulous author mentions other aspects, such as the absence of girls. If I remember well, he mentioned the fact that sex will have to come into the frame and he did not want that.

As I listened to the adapted play this morning, I was thinking that a great book is wonderful because it gives you so many ways to interpret messages, there are so many venues that you can explore.

With the latest reading I thought that we have added rules, but the moral, “civilized „man has been around for a much shorter time that the animal, the brute, the savage from which we have evolved.

Lord of the Flies makes this point very well. In the book, we are dealing with children, but they may also represent a kind of an early age of man, who has framed some rules, but is basically still an animal, when he arrives to an island, when he is not constrained somehow.

I live in a society which is still recovering from the breakdown of “modern, civilized” rules. Under the communist regime, the law was that of the jungle or the one described in Animal Farm:

- “All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.”

In a communist society, the main concern is to have food, because that is scarce and the pigs and dogs, placed at the top of the food chain, grab it almost all for themselves. Once we escaped formal communism, we have started to change the rules, but they are still ignored and you can see that just by looking at how people drive and how leaders steal. Not with the mattress full of dollars, but wiping out forests which they take from the people they are supposed to guide and protect.

This brings me to another parallel I saw between the Lord of the Flies and life around me. In the book there is a life and death dispute between two leaders: Ralph and Jack.

Ralph is the voice of reason, a boy with fears and shortcomings, but concerned and caring for others, worried about the fire which needs to stay burning in order to let passing ships know that they are on the island. He is wise, brave and compassionate.

Jack is the evil personage, causing havoc and mayhem, responsible for at least one death, violent and brutal. He leads a gang of boys who have turned into a cruel mob.

We have presidential elections in a couple of weeks and Ralph and Jack have equivalents in the race:

Jack is Ponta, the head of a gang of good fellas, wise guys bent on getting obscenely rich by stealing, willing to do anything to get the power and stay out of jail, by means of creating the above mentioned laws: all animals are equal, but they are more equal and therefore above getting in prison, no matter what they do.

Johannis is Ralph. He makes mistakes, but overall he represents a chance for a better future. Johannis is different, with his calm and dignified presence, he does not talk much but that is for the better. Like in Lord of The Flies: one leader is aggressive and leads a pack of killers and spoilers and the other represents reason, decency and hope.

Finally, a short description of the book out of the comedy series Two and a Half Men:

Survival with kids