2012年12月17日 星期一

"Lord of the Flies" by William Golding


"Lord of the Flies" was first published in 1954.  It has been adapted into a movie three times.  Two of these movies were Western productions, while the third was made in the Philippines.

I assume that most people are familiar with the story.  A planeload of young boys crashes on a remote tropical island, and the boys struggle against both the elements and their own fears.  These fears are embodied in Simon's "Lord of the Flies," a creature that he hallucinates into existence halfway through the book.

Most of the action revolves around the triangle of Ralph, Jack, and Piggy.  Ralph is the oldest boy, and is elected Chief early on, but his lack of intelligence often works against the best interests of the tribe.  Jack is the hunter, and is not above using violence and intimidation to achieve his aims.  Piggy is the the brains of the tribe, but his awkward physical appearance often make his rational advice ineffective.

Anyone reading this has probably seen one of the film versions, but the book is still worth reading.  Due to the fact that any film based on "Lord of the Flies" features children, certain parts of the book are invariably omitted, or at least glossed over.  This is unfortunate, because many of these parts are what make "Lord of the Flies" so real, so essential, and so continually popular.

It's a good book.  I am just surprised it took me so long to read it!

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