Golding depicts in a nasty and disturbing way a group of "civilized" youngsters morphing into animals (not literally). One has to question that if our laws and societal rules were somehow taken away, would we digress to survival of the fittest? Although not the quickest read, this book will certainly cause you to think about societal constructs we create and how willing we are to uphold them in a time of crisis. Recommended for those who appreciate classics and those who want a little something more to think about.

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Human nature is evil! Want a classic book on what man does without law and authority? Want a classic book on what is in the heart of a man? Want a classic book that makes a powerful statement on what little kids will do to each other if not taught to be good and to love? Want a classic book on what man continues to do and will continue to do each other til' the good Lord comes back and makes things right? Read this book.

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One of the books I was forced to read in school that I ended up loving so much I read it again as an adult!

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Most certainly NOT a "feel good" story, but still (or perhaps in spite of that fact), Lord of the Flies is one of my all-time favorite books. Golding's characters are so vivid and the storyline is eerie and haunting. It absolutely deserves its title as one of the great classics of all time.

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A classic story of the beasts that live within. Fiction doesn't straddle the line between Art and Life any better than this story.

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A very thought-provoking read. Sobering. But still great literature. It offers keen insights into nature of human beings.

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"Maybe there is a beast....maybe it's only us."

Lord of the Flies is a tragic exploration of unrestrained human nature and the "beast" inside. The novel uses a group of school boys as an allegorical representation of human society. Stranded on a deserted island, the boys begin as a civilized society and the lure of power and dominance gradually leads them to savagery.

The characterization was brilliant, each character representing a place on the spectrum on human nature -- from the civilized member of society to the savage, unrestrained side of human nature.

I found the book a little slow, I was about 60% of the way through the book before it really picked up for me. Some of the dialogue was difficult to follow, even in a two-person conversation as the speaker wasn't always specified.

I didn't read Lord of the Flies in school, and I'm glad I didn't. I'm not sure I would have understood it. Even now, I think there are lots of symbolic messages in the first half of the book that I failed to pick up on. It's definitely a book that I'll be re-reading to get the full effect.

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I had to read this book for school and I did not like it. I thought it was really weird.

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Six tapes - (12 sides)! Read by Sir Golding with comments by the author - very well done!

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I had to read Lord of the Flies for English in high school, and for most of the book I didn't think I liked it that much. At the very end of the book, though, when I read the last scene, all of a sudden it hit me how amazing it was, and I just sat there for a while thinking about it. I won't give away what happens at the end, but to me it was just a sudden reminder that these kids were still just little boys, despite all the horrible things they had seen and done.

I've never had this happen to me with any other book - where I didn't really care for it until the very end, and though it's still not my favorite book ever, I definitely plan on reading it again sometime. I think this is one of those books that it's important for people to read, and it will certainly leave you thinking. Just don't look at it as a book to read only for entertainment, because it's much more than that.

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Great classic!

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an amazing classic. If they didn't make you read it in school you need to read it at least once in your life.If you did read it in school you may wnt to read it again with an adult perspective.

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This book was required reading for my 15 year old son and he did not enjoy it.

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A classic must read that will change your life and be a reference for so many relationships. Who are you in the story?

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This is the controversial novel that tells the tale of a group of English schoolboys, aged 6 to 12, stranded on a lush but deserted Pactic island. It is a story of the descent into savagery, and the confused attempts to make sense of a terrifying situation. Many people found this book disturbing, and attempts to explain and disect this book swirled in the press for years. As this edition includes much analysis from many sources following the conclusion of the story, it is particularly valuable for a person interested in the impact it made in its time.

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