The book Lord of the Flies by William Golding is one of Golding's best books. It is about a group of British boys who get stranded on an island. At first the boys have good intentions, but as time passes those intentions change and they break up into 2 groups the fire-watchers which are led by Ralph and the hunters led by Jack. Ralph who becomes good friends with Piggy thinks more about being rescued and setting up sort of a community. Jack and the hunters on the other hand think more about getting meat and themselves. This book not only tells an exciting adventure story, though, it also describes on a deeper level, the thin line between civility and insanity, and how young children can become insane without some amount of authority and discipline.

Lord of the Flies is, without doubt, one of the greatest tributes to literature and human nature ever. Golding craftily weaves symbolism and other literary devices into the plot to make a stunning novel. Not only did this book change my life, but it has given me a different way in which to perceive others. Some may find it sickening, some may find it boring, some may find it confusing; I found it beautiful. Some people may not like it because Golding is saying something about human nature that they do not want to hear, but truth is truth. The themes are extraordinary and the symbolism complements the plot and themes perfectly.

After reading Catcher in the Rye, I was on the lookout for similar kid adventures with more meaning than say, Harry Potter. This tale about a band of lost boys marooned on a remote island while the adults wage war across the human civilisation is very entertaining and a swift read.

A small novel, it starts off with how a bunch of disorganized kids install a council for the safety and sufficiency in their island refuge and the unanimous leader Ralph is envied but accepted by a better behaving marching troop's leader - Jack.

The conch is the symbol of power and authority vested in Ralph. The conch is passed to whoever wishes to speak and everyone listens. With such a good start you would expect them to get better. But these are human children with their innate savage instinct. And now with an island to explore and rule on they get initiated into barbarism with the hunt for a pig, supported by a hunting song, killer's dance and more.

There is lot more to it than children's games here. There might be a monster on the island. Ralph and Jack will of course compete in this new hunt to prove bravado.

Deaths of kids are mentioned with good subtlety in this novel and mystery is created with simple scenes/words. With the eventual break up of the council and savagery rampant in the island it is up to Ralph to restore normalcy and his rightful place as the leader. The mindsets of different kids is shown through their actions.

A great parable for human wars and human nature, this book may leave you depressed even though the ending is safer than the kids' island adventure.

Until Lord of the Flies I had NEVER left a book unfinished. Flies was excruciatingly dull, and uses way too much advanced vocabulary making it impossible to understand. The plot was horrible, and the characters under developed. I had trouble keeping the characters straight. They just seemed to blend together and had no distinct personality. I pity anyone sucked into reading this. It was one of the worth things I have ever read and I absolutely despise it. I would just like to know what the heck Golding was thinking when he wrote this! If it was possible I would have given this book a negative ten. A one is much too high for such a poor excuse for literature.

Ever fantasize that you are on an island free from the restraints of society? William Golding has taken that scenario to the nth in this story of a bunch of English boys, plane wrecked on an island during WWII.

We see the fabric of society slowly and most assuredly ripping as the rules are discarded one by one. Golding is very graphic in his description of the demise of pigs and plants.

One will never look at fun and games in the same way.