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

From School Library Journal
Grade 10 Up?A solid tool for the study of William Golding's classic novel. Sixteen critical selections from both journals and books are arranged in chronological order by date of publication from 1961 to 1993. The examined topics, length and completeness of entries, and depth of analysis present a wide range of material. Articles selected by Bloom have not previously appeared in works easily accessible to most readers. There is little duplication with "Contemporary Literary Criticism" (Gale) or with "British Writers" (Scribners); both cover less ground. Clarice Swisher's Readings on Lord of the Flies (Greenhaven, 1997) includes two of the same critics, but Bloom's book has complete articles rather than excerpts. While some readers may struggle with these selections, the book is an excellent resource.?Gail Richmond, San Diego Unified Schools, CACopyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From AudioFile
A plane crashes on an uninhabited tropical island during wartime. A group of schoolboys--the sole survivors--form their own society, an experiment that quickly descends into chaos and death in Golding's classic allegory. Listening Library recently rereleased this historic 1976 recording, and the timing could not be more apt. As CNN keeps viewers on edge with the latest military overtures in the real world and the reality TV show "Survivor" offers escape in the form of backstabbing, bug-eating "tribal" rituals, LORD OF THE FLIES gives the reader a lucid and chillingly objective mirror to our modern society. William Golding's narration is as impartial as his work, yet his grumbly, grandfatherly voice, complete with mid-sentence sniffs and swallows, is intimate. Included on the tapes is background on how he came to conceive the book and a brief rebuttal to critics about its meaning. M.M.O. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2003, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine

Book Description
Read by the author
6 hours, 52 minutes
6 cassettes

William Golding's classic novel of primitive savagery and survival is one of the most vividly realized and riveting works in modern fiction. The tale begins after a plane wreck deposits a group of English school boys, aged six to twelve on an isolated tropical island. Their struggle to survive and impose order quickly evolves from a battle against nature into a battle against their own primitive instincts. Golding's portrayal of the collapse of social order into chaos draws the fine line between innocence and savagery.

Card catalog description
Includes a brief biography of William Golding, thematic and structural analysis of the work, critical views, and an index of themes and ideas.

From the Inside Flap
Read by the author
6 hours, 52 minutes
6 cassettes

William Golding's classic novel of primitive savagery and survival is one of the most vividly realized and riveting works in modern fiction. The tale begins after a plane wreck deposits a group of English school boys, aged six to twelve on an isolated tropical island. Their struggle to survive and impose order quickly evolves from a battle against nature into a battle against their own primitive instincts. Golding's portrayal of the collapse of social order into chaos draws the fine line between innocence and savagery.

About the Author
Sir William Golding was born in Cornwall in 1911. He started writing at the age of seven, but following the wishes of his parents, studied natural sciences and English at Oxford. He served in World War II and following the war, returned to writing and teaching. By the time Lord of the Flies was finally accepted for publication in 1954, it had been turned down by more than twenty publishers. The book became an immediate bestseller. In 1983, Golding was awarded the Nobel Prize for literature, largely based on this book. He was knighted in 1988 and died in 1993.

ANNOTATION

The classic tale of a group of English school boys who are left stranded on an unpopulated island, and who must confront not only the defects of their society but the defects of their own natures.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

When Lord of the Flies appeared in 1954 it received unprecedented reviews for a first novel. Critics used such phrases as "beautifully writeen, tragic and provocative... vivid and enthralling... this beautiful and desperate book... completely convincing and often very frightening... its progress is magnificient... like a fragment of nightmare... a dizzy climax of terror... the terrible spell of this book..." E.M. Forster chose it as the Outstanding Novel of the Year. Time and Tide touched upon perhaps the most important facet of this book when it said, "It is not only a first-rate adventure but a parable of our times," and articles on this and subsequent Golding novels have stressed these twin aspects of Golding: a consummate control of the novel form, and a superb all-encompassing vision of reality which communicates itself with a power reminiscent of Conrad.

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly

William Golding's Lord of the Flies is now available in a newly remastered, re-released audiobook edition from Listening Library, performed by the author. This audio update of the classic YA novel about the struggles of a group of British schoolboys stranded on a desert island comes 48 years after the print version first appeared in 1954 and 26 years after Golding was first recorded reading the book. Copyright 2003 Cahners Business Information.

Library Journal

Here is another 50th-anniversary hardcover reprint. This edition sports the full text, plus notes and critical analyses. Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.

AudioFile