My Review for Lord of the Flies by William Golding, read by Martin Jarvis
July's read for #classiclitbookclub was Lord of the Flies. This was a book I'd heard of but hadn't read, and I had no idea what it was about. The BBC have recently produced a TV adaptation, so I opted to watch this before it was time to read the book and thoroughly enjoyed it. 📺
I chose to listen to an audiobook version rather than physically read it, and Martin Jarvis as the narrator was brilliant - as he is with everything he puts his hand to. His portrayal of Piggy, Ralph and Jack in particular was something I loved listening to. He takes on the part of each character and really runs with it. Brilliant! 👏🏻🎧
I found Lord of the Flies a very eye-opening insight into what kids might get up to if left completely to their own devices. From the dictatorship-like Jack, as he commands a bunch of impressionable younger boys to follow his lead, to Piggy, who likes rules and can't abide anyone who isn't prepared to stick to them.
I know a lot of people have issues with the story and subject matter, including the bullying and discriminatory behaviour, but we have to remember that this was released in 1954, when times were different and poor behaviour wasn't necessarily challenged in the way it would be now.
This is a book I will read again, I think, and I'll probably take more from it the second time around. 📖💭
About the Book
At the dawn of the next world war, a plane crashes on an uncharted island, stranding a group of schoolboys. At first, with no adult supervision, their freedom is something to celebrate; this far from civilization the boys can do anything they want. Anything. They attempt to forge their own society, failing, however, in the face of terror, sin and evil. And as order collapses, as strange howls echo in the night, as terror begins its reign, the hope of adventure seems as far from reality as the hope of being rescued. Labeled a parable, an allegory, a myth, a morality tale, a parody, a political treatise, even a vision of the apocalypse, Lord of the Flies is perhaps our most memorable tale about “the end of innocence, the darkness of man’s heart.”
About William
William Golding is one of the most influential writers of the 20th century. Awarded the prestigious Nobel Prize in Literature in 1983 and the coveted Booker Prize in 1980, Golding’s novels continue to reach audiences all around the world. His first novel, Lord of the Flies, is a literary phenomenon, selling over fifty million copies. All his books explore diverse imaginative worlds, spanning across time, reality and genres.
At the dawn of the next world war, a plane crashes on an uncharted island, stranding a group of schoolboys. At first, with no adult supervision, their freedom is something to celebrate; this far from civilization the boys can do anything they want. Anything. They attempt to forge their own society, failing, however, in the face of terror, sin and evil. And as order collapses, as strange howls echo in the night, as terror begins its reign, the hope of adventure seems as far from reality as the hope of being rescued. Labeled a parable, an allegory, a myth, a morality tale, a parody, a political treatise, even a vision of the apocalypse, Lord of the Flies is perhaps our most memorable tale about “the end of innocence, the darkness of man’s heart.”
About William
William Golding is one of the most influential writers of the 20th century. Awarded the prestigious Nobel Prize in Literature in 1983 and the coveted Booker Prize in 1980, Golding’s novels continue to reach audiences all around the world. His first novel, Lord of the Flies, is a literary phenomenon, selling over fifty million copies. All his books explore diverse imaginative worlds, spanning across time, reality and genres.
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