presidentcarter 's review for:

Lord of the Flies by William Golding

0.25

dark tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Mercifully, I never had to read this book for school because it would have likely ruined my love of reading permanently. Unfortunately, I read it by choice with a fully developed frontal lobe, and it is the worst thing I have ever read by a wide margin. 

Holding’s greatest sin is being objectively and morally wrong. His entire thesis boils down to two main ideas: humanity is fundamentally barbaric and destructive, young men are inherently violent and antagonistic, or both. To blindly propose that the constant downward spiral of events were inevitable and that there was no chance of salvation from within the group on the island is insulting. It completely disregards humanity’s ability to unite, to adapt, and to overcome obstacles. Reducing young men to only one singular facet and claim it as a monolithic destructive force is lazy and dangerous.

If this pathetic narrative was not insulting enough, the book ends

by having the representation of “society” looking down on the boys in disgust for their actions, as though this supposed society would not have been the one instilling them with these virtues and would not be guilty of far worse atrocities. Building up this false truth over the course of an entire novel just so you can look at the audience and say “isn’t this shameful,” as if your fabricated moral superiority is worth anything.

If I was stranded on a deserted island, I would rather freeze to death in the night than look at this book long enough to throw it on the campfire.