William Golding

Brian Phillips

A study guide to the popular novel offers a plot summary, a review quiz, and an examination of important quotations, along with analysis of the key themes, motifs, characters, and symbols in the work.

Lord of the Flies

William Golding’s unforgettable classic of boyhood adventure and the savagery of humanity comes to Penguin Classics in a stunning Graphic Deluxe Edition with a new foreword by Lois Lowry As provocative today as when it was first published in 1954, Lord of the Flies continues to ignite passionate debate with its startling, brutal portrait of human nature. William Golding’s compelling story about a group of very ordinary boys marooned on a coral island has been labeled a parable, an allegory, a myth, a morality tale, a parody, a political treatise, and even a vision of the apocalypse. But above all, it has earned its place as one of the indisputable classics of the twentieth century for readers of any age. This Penguin Classics Graphic Deluxe Edition features an array of special features to supplement the novel, including a foreword by Lois Lowry, an introduction by Stephen King, an essay by E. M. Forster, an essay on teaching and reading the novel and suggestions for further exploration by scholar Jennifer Buehler, and an extended note by E. L. Epstein, the publisher of the first American paperback edition of Lord of the Flies. For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.

(Penguin Classics Deluxe Edition)

༺ kat ༻

he found himself understanding the wearisomeness of this life, where every path was an improvisation and a considerable part of one’s waking life was spent watching one’s feet

Lord of the flies

Hannah DCamp

"Fancy thinking the Beast was something you could hunt and kill!"

William Golding's compelling story about a group of very ordinary small boys marooned on a coral island has become a modern classic. At first it seems as though it is all going to be great fun; but the fun before long becomes furious and life on the island turns into a nightmare of panic and death. As ordinary standards of behaviour collapse, the whole world the boys know collapses with them—the world of cricket and homework and adventure stories—and another world is revealed beneath, primitive and terrible.

Emily

tianna

The pile of guts was a black blob of flies that buzzed like a saw. After a while these flies found Simon. Gorged, they alighted by his runnels of sweat and drank. They tickled under his nostrils and played leapfrog on his thighs. They were black and iridescent green and without number; and in front of Simon, the Lord of the Flies hung on his stick and grinned. 

Avarni B

There was a sudden bright explosion and corkscrew trail across the sky; then darkness again and stars. There was a speck above the island, a figure dropping swiftly beneath a parachute, a figure that hung with dangling limbs

"We'll have rules!" he cried excitedly "Lots of rules!"

They knew very well why he hadn't: because of the enormnity of the knife descending and cutting into living flesh; because of the unbearable blood.

Elene

great, shuddering spasms of grief that seemed to wrench his whole body. His voice rose under the black smoke before the burning wreckage of the island; and infected by that emotion, the other little boys began to shake and sob too. And in the middle of them, with filthy body, matted hair, and unwiped ose, Ralph wept for the end of innocence, the darkness of man's heart, and the fall through the air of the true, wise friend called Piggy

A plane crashes on an uninhabited island and the only survivors, a group of schoolboys, assemble on the beach and wait to be rescued. By day they inhabit a land of bright fantastic birds and dark blue seas, but at night their dreams are haunted by the image of a terrifying beast.In this, his first novel, William Golding gave the traditional adventure story an ironic, devastating twist. The boys' delicate sense of order fades, and their childish fears are transformed into something deeper and more primitive. Their games take on a horrible significance, and before long the well-behaved party of schoolboys has turned into a tribe of faceless, murderous savages.First published in 1954, Lord of the Flies is now recognized as a classic, one of the most celebrated of all modern novels.

madeleine

Rachel Stratton

Maureen

heavy symbolism; a skillful depiction of the savageness of man

It was ok. Not the best book and there were times where the plot was good. I liked the subtle foreshadowing things but it can be better.

Ryan Mateyk

I read this book mostly in the airport and at the pool of my hotel, so either it's not a great beach read or it's just a bad book. Too close to call.

A plane crashes on a desert island and the only survivors, a group of schoolboys, assemble on the beach and wait to be rescued. By day they inhabit a land of bright fantastic birds and dark blue seas, but at night their dreams are haunted by the image of a terrifying beast. As the boys' delicate sense of order fades, so their childish dreams are transformed into something more primitive, and their behaviour starts to take on a murderous, savage significance. First published in 1954, Lord of the Flies is one of the most celebrated and widely read of modern classics. Now fully revised and updated, this educational edition includes chapter summaries, comprehension questions, discussion points, classroom activities, a biographical profile of Golding, historical context relevant to the novel and an essay on Lord of the Flies by William Golding entitled 'Fable'. Aimed at Key Stage 3 and 4 students, it also includes a section on literary theory for advanced or A-level students. The educational edition encourages original and independent thinking while guiding the student through the text - ideal for use in the classroom and at home.

New Educational Edition

Luke Harkness

A very interesting tale that discusses the human psyche 

I went into this book know that it was celebrated throughout recent history for some reason. Now I understand why a little better.

This story essentially covers what would happen if a group of boys whose intelligence and knowledge of the world was slightly lesser than an adult's would deal with being left on an island by themselves. It goes through the ideas of making rules, breaking rules, rebellion and more. It's a great and likely realistic look at what may well happen.

maitha mana

I can definitely see why Stephen King was inspired by this book.

britt

my first reaction to the ending of this book was ‘i wish jack had died’. and then because i read the book, i proceeded to actually think and re-evaluate that. i did. and i still want jack dead. 

anyways, after being forced to read this for english 12, i will say that it is not the worst i’ve ever had to read for school. was it the best? no. but it did make me feel terror at the end and the same grief and anger at the unfairness ralph experienced. not many authors are capable of that, but golding was. if i wasn’t so bored in some parts this book would have been a 4 stars for me. 

also after reading the note, i’m so glad i wasn’t crazy for thinking the killing of the sow was written somehow erotically.

the first half of the book felt a bit stale in its repetitiveness but the slow start to action and gradual relationship building was absolutely necessary to offset the intensity of the final 60 pages…that was rough

chloe rae

This book is incredibly dark and intense. I’m not quite sure how I feel about it. I found the first 150 pages to be a bit boring, but the last 50 pages were just insane. What these children go through is simply horrific and deeply upsetting. I understand why this is a classic; it definitely made me think and the author poses a lot of questions and comments about humanity and war. But did I enjoy this book? I simply don’t know.

So...this book is just about how people are basically terrible, right?

There was some interesting symbolism, and I'm sure there was some political messaging that went over my head. I think the level of nervous energy (and not that good nervous energy, you know?) I had while reading this was too high for me to glean any enjoyment from it. And I get that maybe enjoyment isn't the purpose of this story, but if the point of literature is to give us some insight into the beauty of God's creation,* then maybe this story isn't "literature" worth reading. I'm sure there's value in shining a light on the darkest parts of humanity, but to what end? If we ignore redemption, mercy, or forgiveness, what is there? Perhaps the naval officer rescuing them at the end is a kind of mercy, and the tears that Ralph sheds are a kind of healing (although for what I'm not sure, since he didn't really commit any wrong), but if this is the case, it's glossed over and the spotlight lingers on the young men's violence and animalistic natures. This was disheartening and violent and bleak - just not for me. Good thing I was reading 

 at the same time, or I'd probably have gotten stuck in a pit of despair somewhere.

*This is a very personal definition, so if you disagree it's probably best to just ignore my super hot takes. I said what I said. You don't have to agree.

So...this book is just about how people are basically terrible, right?

There was some interesting symbolism, and I'm sure there was some political messaging that went over my head. I think the level of nervous energy (and not that good nervous energy, you know?) I had while reading this was too high for me to glean any enjoyment from it. And I get that maybe enjoyment isn't the purpose of this story, but if the point of literature is to give us some insight into the beauty of God's creation,* then maybe this story isn't "literature" worth reading. I'm sure there's value in shining a light on the darkest parts of humanity, but to what end? If we ignore redemption, mercy, or forgiveness, what is there? Perhaps the naval officer rescuing them at the end is a kind of mercy, and the tears that Ralph sheds are a kind of healing (although for what I'm not sure, since he didn't really commit any wrong), but if this is the case, it's glossed over and the spotlight lingers on the young men's violence and animalistic natures. This was disheartening and violent and bleak - just not for me. Good thing I was reading One Piece at the same time, or I'd probably have gotten stuck in a pit of despair somewhere.

*This is a very personal definition, so if you disagree it's probably best to just ignore my super hot takes. I said what I said. You don't have to agree.


24 Classics in 2024: 1/24

Annika Arguemore

It was very entertaining and well-written. One of the things I liked most about it is that it was so vivid. The scenery was written so intricately that I felt as if I were there myself. I also liked that the scenery, rich in detail, was also very relevant to how it all plays out or while the story's still playing out. I love how it emphasizes the humanity, the innocence of the characters. It was all very natural. It was a nice read... in spite of my flawed copy (I don't know if it's just my copy or if he really writes that way. By that way, I mean he doesn't write who said that particular line and it's really confusing most of the time and you have to really figure out who said that. At times it could be fun figuring it out but it gets old, you know?).

Ciel Zero

[ BOOK IG: @clumsyciel ]

overall rating: 3/5 ⭐️
time taken to read: ~6 days
number of notes: 13 

"Ralph wept for the end of innocence, the darkness of man's heart and the fall through the air of the true, wise friend called Piggy." (page 202)

a plane crashes onto an uninhabited island, stranding a group of schoolboys, ranging from ages six to about sixteen. without any adult supervision, the boys cheer for their freedom and realise they can have fun to their hearts' content.
as disputes occur and order collapses, the hope for rescue seems to get further from reach. 

LOTF by William Golding is loved and praised by many, for his amazing writing and metaphors to portray problems we face in our modern world.

i must say that Golding's language and usage of metaphors is simply a 5/5. i absolutely loved the way he described the setting of the island, it was easy to visualise it, as well as how they boys acted. there were many new words i learnt as well!
Golding's usage of metaphors relates to many of the current issues, such as racism and how we treat one another. 

the only reason why i gave it a 3/5 was because the book was rather.. how do i say this? lacking, per se. i never liked using the b-word (boring) for describe any book, but i was genuinely felt that way for the first half of the book. i was so tempted to leave this book and mark it as DNF so many times, just because i never felt an "obligation" to finish it. that's why i took so long to read the entire book. however, i did finish it because i never liked leaving any books at DNF. 
the book gets rather interesting in the last quarter though! 

i read this in early june and had the pleasure to discuss this with the lovely yuki (@simmerinwords on IG), who had asked for my thoughts. thank you for putting up with my mini-rant! i appreciate you always <3

*side note: this review is based solely on my experience on reading it. just because i didn't like the book so much, doesn't mean you'll have the same experience. you might enjoy it!

Bianca Layog

A classic, so I'll give it 4 stars. I don't really like the things Golding implies throughout the novel, but it was a decent read.

Ivy Vatsala

Absolutely brilliant! Wish I'd read it sooner.

Geetika 

2.5
Dark. (just one word)
Why have I been reading such dark novels this year? Gonna pick something lighter now.

Samantha 

** spoiler alert **
           I'm sorry, but I just don't get it. The link of the title with the book seems forced, almost as if the author felt compelled to put it in the book in some way, shape, or form.

In the beginning, there are so many characters, names, and switchbacks that we lose track of who is where and doing what. Eventually, as a reader, we tend to grasp onto the two leaders and piggy, and mesh all the rest together as side characters. It gets to the point that it doesn't matter who of these characters are doing what. We just know someone somewhere is doing something. Is it the same side character as we talked about a few pages ago? I'm not sure, and it doesn't matter.

The whole ending to me was also absolutely ridiculous, as if in the event of asking how many people were killed, someone would respond? "Only two were there?" And transport them home with little to no consequence.

I'm sure it's up to us to decide how the children acclimate back into society – but still, the ending was a total drag.

Definitely doesn't live up to the hype or the expected literary novelty.

Geoffrey Froggatt

“Maybe there is a beast… maybe it’s only us.”

Out of all the books that were circulating my English classes in high school, this is the one that always caught my attention. The story is also the inspiration for a lot of my favourite survival horror stories. Despite this, I never got around to actually reading it until now. In the midst of a nuclear war, a group of British boys find themselves stranded without adult supervision on a tropical island. They develop rules and a system of organization, but without any adults to serve as a civilizing impulse, the children eventually become violent and brutal. Lord of the Flies explores the dark side of humanity, the savagery that underlies even the most civilized human beings. William Golding intended this novel as a tragic parody of children's adventure tales, illustrating humankind's intrinsic evil nature. He presents the reader with a chronology of events leading a group of young boys from hope to disaster as they attempt to survive their uncivilized, unsupervised, isolated environment until rescued. It may look as if Lord of the Flies is just a twisted version of a children’s adventure story. However, there is also a truth concealed deep inside the novel where Golding makes reader conscious of certain issues. The issues it concerns are: society, human nature, good vs. evil, ecological balance and cooperation. This is an allegorical novel where Golding employs the scene of a deserted island and a group of English school boys to serve as a framework, through which he explores the theme of his book. William Golding uses this deceptively simple setup to question just how civilized we really are and how quickly we can descend into a mob of crazies. The question for the reader is whether these are but immature children or an allegory for the adult world and how quickly mob rule can take over and how few dare to go against the herd. This story is a powerful depiction of human nature and its role in the rise and fall of democracy. Central to this story is the theme of fear: how it can be used as a means to control people and how it chisels away at our humanity. I loved the depiction of The Lord of the Flies and how it represented the primeval instincts of power and barbaric nature that take control of Jack’s tribe. This book leaves you feeling uncomfortable as you start to realize that man in a “civilized” society may not be any better. Golding reminds us that we all have the capacity for darkness and cruelty. This story stays with readers long after they have turned the last page because it is so savage, and it’s haunting because it’s clear that this could so easily happen in the society we live in today. This book is so simple and so effective. What makes this book so effective is the realization that our civilization is just one bad set of circumstances away from devolving into warring tribes, and given one bad day, any one of us could regress into our most primal and savage selves.

Meagan Fischer 

A disturbing vision of humanity through the eyes of a 20th century Brit. Says more about the culture in that time and place than humanity as a whole, as the author seems to think.

Melissa Palmer

The people in my school thought that this book was quite a let down and that the ending was bad. I was actually pleasantly surprised by this book. I thought we’ll it can’t be that great because it’s an assigned reading. It definitely wasn’t the type of book I normally like reading but it was still an entertaining read. 

First things first, the ending. Did they or did they not save SamnEric? They didn’t mention them in the group while they were found. They were my second favorite. Golding better not have killed them off. The already killed off everyone’s favorite. 

Simon was the most relatable and the kindest in the entire book. And yet they tortured him before killing him off. Like ok. Rude much? also the way Piggy died was a bit brutal. Rodger is something else. 

The characters were not terrible but also not good. They didn’t have diverse personalities at all. They thought one thing and didn’t try to see other peoples views. That was kinda annoying to me. 

I did like the general message and themes in this book, which we talked about in class. I wouldn’t reread it, but I’m not mad I read it. 

Alice Perelta

The people in my school thought that this book was quite a let down and that the ending was bad. I was actually pleasantly surprised by this book. I thought we’ll it can’t be that great because it’s an assigned reading. It definitely wasn’t the type of book I normally like reading but it was still an entertaining read. 

First things first, the ending. Did they or did they not save SamnEric? They didn’t mention them in the group while they were found. They were my second favorite. Golding better not have killed them off. The already killed off everyone’s favorite. 

Simon was the most relatable and the kindest in the entire book. And yet they tortured him before killing him off. Like ok. Rude much? also the way Piggy died was a bit brutal. Rodger is something else. 

The characters were not terrible but also not good. They didn’t have diverse personalities at all. They thought one thing and didn’t try to see other peoples views. That was kinda annoying to me. 

I did like the general message and themes in this book, which we talked about in class. I wouldn’t reread it, but I’m not mad I read it. 

Mia Caven

It was written well but I was so bored. And I hated that every fucking sentence was incoherent… they continued to interrupt each other literally on every. single. page. it was not for my brain my ocd couldn’t take it. good story but couldn’t read again because of its structure.

Andrew John Kinney

I read this book first when I was about 13, and loved it. A couple of years ago, I thought, hey I ought to re-read that, and so I picked it up, and.......it was not nearly as good as when I read it as a teenager. A much better book by William Golding, IMHO, is Rites of Passage, for which he won the Nobel Prize. By the time I read Rites of Passage, I had read Moby-Dick and some other sea-faring literature, so Rites of Passage was a good next book for me, but I would recommend it to anyone.

“Maybe there is a beast… maybe it's only us”

“I think women are foolish to pretend they are equal to men, they are far superior and always have been.”

Roisin Ramdhayan 

“Maybe there is a beast… maybe it's only us”

“I think women are foolish to pretend they are equal to men, they are far superior and always have been.”

Lord of the Flies

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