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Lord of the Flies [Paperback]

William Golding (Author)
4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (251 customer reviews)
RRP: £7.99
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Book Description

Publication Date: 3 Mar 1997

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.

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Frequently Bought Together

Lord of the Flies + Lord of the Flies: York Notes for GCSE 2010: (Intermediate) + GCSE English Text Guide - Lord of the Flies
Price For All Three: £15.14

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Product details

  • Paperback: 240 pages
  • Publisher: Faber and Faber; New edition edition (3 Mar 1997)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0571191479
  • ISBN-13: 978-0571191475
  • Product Dimensions: 12.6 x 19.7 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (251 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 185 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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William Golding
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Product Description

Amazon Review

Lord of the Flies , William Golding's classic tale about a group of English schoolboys who are plane-wrecked on a deserted island, is just as chilling and relevant today as when it was first published in 1954. At first, the stranded boys cooperate, attempting to gather food, make shelters, and maintain signal fires. Overseeing their efforts are Ralph, "the boy with fair hair," and Piggy, Ralph's chubby, wisdom-dispensing sidekick whose thick spectacles come in handy for lighting fires. Although Ralph tries to impose order and delegate responsibility, there are many in their number who would rather swim, play, or hunt the island's wild pig population. Soon Ralph's rules are being ignored or challenged outright. His fiercest antagonist is Jack, the redheaded leader of the pig hunters, who manages to lure away many of the boys to join his band of painted savages. The situation deteriorates as the trappings of civilization continue to fall away, until Ralph discovers that instead of being hunters, he and Piggy have become the hunted: "He forgot his words, his hunger and thirst, and became fear; hopeless fear on flying feet." Golding's gripping novel explores the boundary between human reason and animal instinct, all on the brutal playing field of adolescent competition. --Jennifer Hubert --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

Review

'Beautiful and desperate... something quite out of the ordinary.' --Observer

'Terrifying and haunting.' --Kingsley Amis

'Beautifully written, tragic and provocative' --E. M. Forster
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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews
37 of 41 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars Disturbing yet brilliantly written 30 Nov 2001
By AmyV
Format:Paperback
This is a compelling novel, despite the content which is disturbing but true. Golding has turned young innocent children into animalistic savages, with stunning imagery and language that we have come to expect from him.

This edition is particually useful for anyone studying Lord of the Flies at school or college. The introductiion is very worth reading, giving background and insight into the book, helping with understanding of the plot and symbolism. The notes in the back are also interesting, explaining Goldings neologism "flinked" as well as most other points of interest in the novel. Highly recommended!

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44 of 49 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars "Ralph wept for the end of innocence, the darkness of man's heart, and ... the true, wise friend called Piggy" 18 Mar 2007
By Me123
Format:Paperback
This novel is an absolutely wonderful piece of literature. It is funny, moving, emotional, and beautifully crafted. Golding's attention to detail here are second to none, and the symbolism he uses in this fantastic novel is extremely complex.

The whole experience can smilarly be described as complex, but not complicated. It is easy to follow and enjoy, but as you look beneath the surface, the novel features surprises, foreshaddowing and religious significance.

As the boys lose their rules they develop and Jack forms his own tribe of terror, events in the book progress from simple bullying to stylised animal rape and even murder. Golding effectively uses these episodes to explore the darkness of man's heart, and the novel can show us what we are capable of in a similar situation.

The characters range from the Christ-like figure of Simon to the Satanic symbol that is Roger, and the opposite extremes provide a great contrast to create the tensions Golding has in the novel.

The effective conclusion is very pessimistic as is Golding's outlook on the subject:

"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".

It is a wonderful novel that everyone should read; as a good story, as beautiful literature and as a dire warning.
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28 of 32 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful - a true masterpiece. 18 May 2005
By A Customer
Format:Paperback
What genre could you slip a book into when it just seems to be in a genre of it's own? And even when you've found that genre, it contradicts itself and you can see it is something else, entirely different. Lord of the Flies is such a book. Trying to slot it into a pigeonhole has proved impossible to me. Just when it seems as if it fits into 'action' it wiggles free and shows me how it is, in fact, a thriller. Immediately disagreeing with itself, it tells us how it is a mere social commentary. Wait, is it a horror book? It's scary, but not in a 'ghosts and ghouls and nightmares' sort of way. Yes, it is thrilling and action-packed, but not in a 'car chases and bombs and guns' sort of way. It's even quite romantic, but not in a 'boy meets girl and falls in love and elopes with her' sort of way. It is much subtler than that. Reading this story is similar to looking at one of those optical illusion drawings. Look at it one way, you can see a horse looking over fence. Looking at it from a different light, it shows a frog sitting on a lily pad. However, this is not the type of book that simply cannot decide what it wants to say, so keeps switching and hopping around in a desperate bid to seem interesting. Lord of the Flies is a book that knows exactly what it wants to say to you, how it's going to phrase it and, child, you shall listen and you shall not forget that message. That sort of book, that forces you to sit up and listen, that lingers at the back of your mind for weeks, months, years after you've read it, should only ever be called a masterpiece. That is simply what it is. This book will change the way you think, the way you see yourself, other people and how society is organised. That is what a true masterpiece is.... Read more ›
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8 of 9 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Lord of the Flies+ educational edition 28 Jun 2009
By Heidi Baumgarten
Format:Paperback
This edition of the book includes 15 pages of notes to help the reader with language and insinuations. The notes also include a question to discuss in the classroom for each chapter. Very useful material for teaching the book, but also helpfull to the average reader as well.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars An enduring classic 10 Jun 2009
By Tottie Limejuice
Format:Paperback
I selected this book for my English language students here in France because despite the somewhat dated language it remains a formidable piece of English literature.

This edition provides them with useful notes to facilitate their study of the book. They were particularly delighted by the extremely fast delivery time from UK.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars "The world, that understandable and lawful world, was slipping away." 14 May 2008
By @GeekZilla9000 TOP 100 REVIEWER VINE™ VOICE
Format:Paperback
It's difficult to write a concise review for a book which touches so many issues and represents so many different ideas.

There are definite religious and political parallels drawn in Lord of The Flies, and the idea of how a society thrown together in a loose semblance of democratic order can quickly break down and become savage has since (and indeed before) provided a good spine for a story.

The real strength of this book however is the human story. A novel dealing with young boys stranded on an island was always going to be emotive - and Golding seems to have steered away from making the book over sentimental. This maybe takes away some of the raw emotion the reader ought to feel, but it also makes the book feel more authoritative - strengthening the underlying political messages.

Central to the book is the relationship between Ralph and Piggy. Ralph being the broody leader of the group; the nearest thing to an adult mind. And Piggy being his aide, albeit not officially - him being the only boy able to unite the group, even if it is a union of mockery. There are some tense moments in the book, particularly towards the end where there is a struggle for power between Ralph and choir-boy-turned-bad, Jack.

Golding manages to use subtle devices to convey a wider meaning with only a few words, or a simple gesture. The way the boys simply deny an event happened to ignore the horror of their actions. The way the conch shell seems to symbolise power, and how an innocent uttering can be loaded with vitriol.

It's the power-struggle and the desire to know the ultimate fate of the boys on the island which compel the reader to read on. This is a fascinating read and it plays on your mind for a while afterwards.... Read more ›
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars Great.
A very harrowing tale told beautifully. Explores child psychology in a completely unique way- no wonder it is a modern classic.
Published 22 hours ago by Ellie
5.0 out of 5 stars A real classic!
Bought for my eleven year old son after reading book myself as a teenager. He absolutely loved it! A thought provoking story, which we enjoyed discussing.
Published 3 days ago by H C
4.0 out of 5 stars These kids are CRAZY!
Lord of the flies is a great novel. I felt that the kids in this story were great. Thay all had their own personality and views. Read more
Published 14 days ago by Keith Bruton
4.0 out of 5 stars my opinion
Very good service the book was a good read I have read it before it just shows what can happen if kids are let loose
Published 15 days ago by Kevin W Anson
5.0 out of 5 stars Classic
An interesting sociological analysis of a society in microcosm. This was my third time of reading and picked up on things I didn't on the last two readings.
Published 19 days ago by Pepperdew. TJS
5.0 out of 5 stars set book
This is a set book.= for GCSE. It is well written but a complex book. Hard for kids to understand.
Published 23 days ago by Ms. S. Bagenal
4.0 out of 5 stars Shy Liking
I'm reading this novel for the second time and it still has the power to grip me in the way it first did. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Val Kyrie
2.0 out of 5 stars Struggling
The version is cheap paper and small text so I'm finding it difficult to get into. I really do want to read it though so may purchase another version.....
Published 1 month ago by Quin
5.0 out of 5 stars Fabulous read for anyone - not just GCSE students.
I loved this book! William Golding is a superb writer. I was a little disappointed that this e-book didn't contain as much information as the educational edition, ie with a... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Mary Mayhew-Lewis
5.0 out of 5 stars brill
I would suggest every young person read this book at least once. Its up there with the classics as far as Im concerned
Published 2 months ago by zidan101
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