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challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Mentally-disabled bakery worker Charlie Gordon is recruited to be the first human test subject in an experiment designed to increase intelligence. Through his progress reports, he describes his growth as the treatment causes his intelligence to grow beyond that of the scientists who came up with the procedure. But when Algeron, the prize animal test-subject shows signs of a breakdown, Charlie begins to follow the same path.
This book is an impressive achievement in its ability to gradually shift the voice of the protagonist as he changes. The use of language is excellent.
Charlie himself, however is not a very appealing character. The book has a strong incel vibe to it, and takes a lot of the joy out of the learning and discovery that Charlie embarks on, as he discovers that his growing awareness creates its own sets of problems. Moments of happiness are fleeting, and the victories that Charlie achieves are glossed over in favor of the problems he encounters. The story is also based on some fairly outdated ideas about the nature of intelligence.
I enjoyed the complexities of the characters, but found the story overall to be frustrating mostly hopeless.
This book is an impressive achievement in its ability to gradually shift the voice of the protagonist as he changes. The use of language is excellent.
Charlie himself, however is not a very appealing character. The book has a strong incel vibe to it, and takes a lot of the joy out of the learning and discovery that Charlie embarks on, as he discovers that his growing awareness creates its own sets of problems. Moments of happiness are fleeting, and the victories that Charlie achieves are glossed over in favor of the problems he encounters. The story is also based on some fairly outdated ideas about the nature of intelligence.
I enjoyed the complexities of the characters, but found the story overall to be frustrating mostly hopeless.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Bullying
Moderate: Animal death
challenging
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Medical content, Dementia, Abandonment, Alcohol
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Bullying, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Dysphoria
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Panic attacks/disorders, Abandonment
Minor: Excrement, Dementia, Medical trauma, Gaslighting
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Beautiful and sad. This book pulled me in and broke my heart. Obviously the language around intellectual disabilities has changed quite a bit since this was written, but the themes are still very relevant today.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Toxic friendship
Moderate: Alcoholism, Animal death
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Well, that wasn't particularly lighthearted.
~
In fact, Flowers for Algernon was actually somewhat devastating: it was moving and tender, but also deeply unsettling. I've been wanting to read this book for at least a year, so I got it for my birthday and have finally gotten around to it now. I'd read the first few pages last year when I found it on my English teacher's shelf before class began, but I didn't really know anything about it. And I certainly wasn't expecting it to be so sad, but I guess it's ✨ sad book season ✨ now anyway, so maybe this was a fitting choice.
I have quite a few thoughts about this book, but it's late and I'm tired, so I'll try to condense them down into a few manageable bullet points:
- Relationship between intelligence and kindness-- is it possible to be both incredibly smart and incredibly kind? Does intelligence lead to self-centeredness? Does lower IQ = higher EQ? Is there a reason why I'm so antisocial?
- Are a lot of the quotes in this book extremely cliche, or is it just so old that they were new ideas when this book was published? I felt like a lot of the general ideas and topics were somewhat unoriginal, but it's also entirely possible that they were new and unique in 1959.
- "Please... please... dont let me forget how to reed and rite..." Ouch. I feel that. The premise of this book is absolutely terrifying and although I know that I won't wake up tomorrow suddenly unable to read or write like I can now, it's still mildly horrifying. So much of myself is based on those two things and I'm not entirely sure who I would be without them. At least Charlie had a life and personality before he could read and write well, and towards the end of the book, that personality seems to reappear a little.
I was just told to go to sleep, so I'll leave you with my rating (5/5 stars because I was about three seconds away from completely sobbing at that final sentence) and a favorite quote. Happy reading!
~
"'I've learned a lot in the past few months," I said. "Not only about Charlie Gordon, but about life and people, and I've discovered that nobody really cares about Charlie Gordon, whether he's a moron or a genius. So what difference does it make?'"
~
In fact, Flowers for Algernon was actually somewhat devastating: it was moving and tender, but also deeply unsettling. I've been wanting to read this book for at least a year, so I got it for my birthday and have finally gotten around to it now. I'd read the first few pages last year when I found it on my English teacher's shelf before class began, but I didn't really know anything about it. And I certainly wasn't expecting it to be so sad, but I guess it's ✨ sad book season ✨ now anyway, so maybe this was a fitting choice.
I have quite a few thoughts about this book, but it's late and I'm tired, so I'll try to condense them down into a few manageable bullet points:
- Relationship between intelligence and kindness-- is it possible to be both incredibly smart and incredibly kind? Does intelligence lead to self-centeredness? Does lower IQ = higher EQ? Is there a reason why I'm so antisocial?
- Are a lot of the quotes in this book extremely cliche, or is it just so old that they were new ideas when this book was published? I felt like a lot of the general ideas and topics were somewhat unoriginal, but it's also entirely possible that they were new and unique in 1959.
- "Please... please... dont let me forget how to reed and rite..." Ouch. I feel that. The premise of this book is absolutely terrifying and although I know that I won't wake up tomorrow suddenly unable to read or write like I can now, it's still mildly horrifying. So much of myself is based on those two things and I'm not entirely sure who I would be without them. At least Charlie had a life and personality before he could read and write well,
I was just told to go to sleep, so I'll leave you with my rating (5/5 stars because I was about three seconds away from completely sobbing at that final sentence) and a favorite quote. Happy reading!
~
"'I've learned a lot in the past few months," I said. "Not only about Charlie Gordon, but about life and people, and I've discovered that nobody really cares about Charlie Gordon, whether he's a moron or a genius. So what difference does it make?'"
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death
challenging
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Excrement, Dementia, Grief, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Bullying, Abandonment
Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Medical trauma
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Bullying, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Abandonment
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Excrement, Alcohol
Minor: Homophobia, Suicidal thoughts
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Moderate: Ableism, Animal death, Bullying, Child abuse, Dementia
Minor: Confinement, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Excrement, Grief, Alcohol
challenging
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I remember reading this as a kid and not completely understanding everything that happened. Rereading as an adult hits different... It's hard to describe this book...
You have to keep in mind that it was written in the 50's, so depictions of women are either Madonna or the whore, thiugh definitely not as bad as it could be. Charlie is a very sympathetic character and it's very interesting to see the world through his eyes going from one end of intelligence to the opposite and back again. This book brings up the moral complications of animal testing/human testing and informed consent. Charlie didn't really know what he was getting into when he went in for the operation in the first place, though really it was hard to know where it would end up in the end.
All he wanted was to be smart and accepted by society and those he called his friends.
It's a hard book to read emotionally, but it's very interesting as well.
You have to keep in mind that it was written in the 50's, so depictions of women are either Madonna or the whore, thiugh definitely not as bad as it could be. Charlie is a very sympathetic character and it's very interesting to see the world through his eyes going from one end of intelligence to the opposite
All he wanted was to be smart and accepted by society and those he called his friends.
It's a hard book to read emotionally, but it's very interesting as well.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Bullying, Child abuse
Moderate: Animal death, Suicidal thoughts