On... Lord of the Flies by William Golding

I should have finished this book many years before. I went to a local public high school for one day my junior year. In English we were assigned Lord of the Flies to read but I never returned and thus never returned the book. (I didn't steal it intentionally of course). The book sat on my shelf for many years before I finally donated it somewhere I can't remember.

Thus, when I started adding books to my visual bookshelf application on facebook I added this book.

To be honest, I never really got a handle on the book. Golding drops the reader down into the middle of the story--boys shipwrecked or planewrecked (Golding never really clearly says) on some Island in the Pacific. Now, I appreciate a technique like that...if the backstory is gradually explained throughout the story. Unfortunately, the story continued to develop from the point at which the reader was introduced to the characters with absolutely no looking back to find out the rest of the story.

In addition to that, Golding never clearly names his characters and somethimes alternates between names for a few characters. Actually, I never really understood the Lord of the Flies character...I believe that it was a pig's head that talked to the poor boy like an English schoolmaster.

Also, the boys (the hunters specifically) turn into utter savages rather quickly...too quickly for believablity for my sake.

I would not recommend this book to anyone simply because I didn't enjoy it. Unfortunately, I will most likely be teaching this book to my students (or at least be required to do so) once I become certified.