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A review by samanthaardenlockheart
Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes
5.0
There may be spoilers in this review. Proceed with caution. ♥️
Flowers for Algernon was an exceptional book. It is no secret that Daniel Keyes has mastered the art of storytelling. I loved all of the characters in different ways. However, I loved Charlie Gordon the very most (and of course his lab pal Algernon)—but this should come as no surprise.
He is a unique, innocent, and loving man who lives with an intellectual disability. Because of this, he is given the opportunity of being part of a study at Beekman College supervised by Professor Nemur, with the operation being carried out by Dr. Strauss. They found success in their lab mouse, Algernon, and through Charlie was an excellent candidate. Fortunately, the operation is an enormous success and his intelligence surpasses everyone around him, including those who are the reason for his transformation. Charlie begins to go through life, experiencing everything as he always dreamed.
The story is structured through Progress Reports told through his perspective which helps the story feel very real. As a reader, you feel very connected to Charlie as you see everything through his eyes. There are many funny moments in this book from beginning to end, but there are also heartbreaking moments. Since there was no way for Professor Nemur and Dr. Strauss to know this, before the operation, Charlie Gordon ultimately began regressing back towards his original state. Algernon had been declining in the lab, unable to go through the maze nearly as fast as he once could after his operation. Towards the last 10 pages, I felt myself getting extraordinarily emotional because Charlie knew exactly what was happening to him, and that only made it sadder. He ended up experiencing a very beautiful intimate connection with Alice (Miss Kinnian) even in the midst of this regression, and she stayed with him as long as he would have him. For once in his life, he experienced love-making with another woman that went beyond physical dimensions. The last few lines of this book were so profound that it is likely they will be with me forever.
One thing that does comfort me is that in this story, the operation was not for nothing. Charlie contributed himself to science selflessly, all in the hopes that he would be helping someone else just like him. He was a loving person with an I.Q. of 68, he was still loving with an I.Q. of 175, and he was once again a loving person when his I.Q. went back to 68. He loved making people smile through every part of his love, and most assuredly, Charlie Gordon loved Algernon.
As I write this review, I am listening to "Without You Without Me," by Matt and Hansen and it's completely fitting the bittersweetness I am feeling after finishing this story.
Flowers for Algernon was an exceptional book. It is no secret that Daniel Keyes has mastered the art of storytelling. I loved all of the characters in different ways. However, I loved Charlie Gordon the very most (and of course his lab pal Algernon)—but this should come as no surprise.
He is a unique, innocent, and loving man who lives with an intellectual disability. Because of this, he is given the opportunity of being part of a study at Beekman College supervised by Professor Nemur, with the operation being carried out by Dr. Strauss. They found success in their lab mouse, Algernon, and through Charlie was an excellent candidate. Fortunately, the operation is an enormous success and his intelligence surpasses everyone around him, including those who are the reason for his transformation. Charlie begins to go through life, experiencing everything as he always dreamed.
The story is structured through Progress Reports told through his perspective which helps the story feel very real. As a reader, you feel very connected to Charlie as you see everything through his eyes. There are many funny moments in this book from beginning to end, but there are also heartbreaking moments. Since there was no way for Professor Nemur and Dr. Strauss to know this, before the operation, Charlie Gordon ultimately began regressing back towards his original state. Algernon had been declining in the lab, unable to go through the maze nearly as fast as he once could after his operation. Towards the last 10 pages, I felt myself getting extraordinarily emotional because Charlie knew exactly what was happening to him, and that only made it sadder. He ended up experiencing a very beautiful intimate connection with Alice (Miss Kinnian) even in the midst of this regression, and she stayed with him as long as he would have him. For once in his life, he experienced love-making with another woman that went beyond physical dimensions. The last few lines of this book were so profound that it is likely they will be with me forever.
One thing that does comfort me is that in this story, the operation was not for nothing. Charlie contributed himself to science selflessly, all in the hopes that he would be helping someone else just like him. He was a loving person with an I.Q. of 68, he was still loving with an I.Q. of 175, and he was once again a loving person when his I.Q. went back to 68. He loved making people smile through every part of his love, and most assuredly, Charlie Gordon loved Algernon.
As I write this review, I am listening to "Without You Without Me," by Matt and Hansen and it's completely fitting the bittersweetness I am feeling after finishing this story.