Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of Flowers for Algernon
Book Review: interesting premise for a story, makes for a so-so read
Summary: 3 Stars
this book is about a young mentally handicapped man, charlie gordon, who opts to have an experimental surgery to `make him smart'. algernon is the mouse that shows successful results, and with high expectations, charlie develops quickly into a genius. written from a journal perspective, we can see the mental and emotional changes that charlie undergoes. a touching story, with a clean and simple writing style.
i mostly liked the story line and character development, although the midpoint of the book made me feel like the author was reaching beyond his own intellectual means and it sounded forced, at times.
definitely worth reading, but it didn't blow me away.
Book Review: one of my favs
Summary: 5 Stars
Years ago I had to read this in high school, and I've read it several times since--I'm now 40. In addition to reading this book I've worked with developmentally disabled individuals such as Charlie, and it makes me always grateful for everything I have, mentally and physically. I think what makes this book one of my favorites is that it shows how someone like Charlie is actually just like a lot of people--he wants to be happy, he wants to better himself, he wants others to like him, he wants to be good at what he does. After all, when it comes down to it aren't we all alike more than we are different?
The hardest part of the book for me wasn't the end, but the point where he starts to become arrogant as a result of his acquired intelligence. I'm not saying I prefer the retarded Charlie, but I know many highly intelligent people who have no social skills, are obnoxiously arrogant, and think they are better than others. It's ironic that we live in a society which pushes excellence (no less than straight A's on a report card)--does this really equal happiness? We are always searching for more, more, more. Perhaps it's just better to BE.
For those of you who are reading some of the lower star ratings which are affecting your decision as to whether to read this book beware: most of those readers are high school students who have been forced to read this book for a class. Don't let it sway your decision to read this great book.
Book Review: so good
Summary: 5 Stars
I found the book Flowers for Algernon to be one of the best books I have ever read in my life. I deeply touched by the characters and events that happened in this book. I was very interested to see how Charlie Gordon reacted with his newfound unknown world. It was interesting to see how Charlie changed as he gained knowledge from the experiment, and to see how he treated his superiors as he far surpassed them in intelligence. One thing I did not like in this book, was the pace at which it began. I found myself rather bored, and confused during the introduction, but it redeemed itself very fast once the book sped up. I would recommend this book for any reader who has developed basic reading skills and is also mature enough to handle a book amount a mentally retarded person without finding the things he does funny. If I could change one part of the book, I would rather it have a happy ending rather then the sad downfall which the author so choose.