I just finished reading this book, (Yes, I know I'm very very late) and I think it kicks ass. I love how there was some politics mixed in, near the end Jack was running something like a dictatorship and Ralph had some democracy mixed in with his semi-dictatorship.

I liked Simon the best. He was the person who tried to keep the group together. Simon always seemed to think about the greater good of others and not himself. (Like how he gave the piece of meat to Piggy when it was apparent that Jack wasn't going to give Piggy any meat).

I didn't like Ralph very much. He was able to lose his train of thought while he was talking. How the hell you can do that, is still a matter I can not figure out.

I liked and disliked Piggy at the same time. The paradox of Piggy is that he couldn't keep his mouth shut to save his life, but if others listened to him, they're lives could have been saved. (Like how nobody listened to him when he tried to take names and keep track of how many people there were on the island. The end result was that the boy with the birthmark on his face is presumed dead.) Another sad thing about Piggy is how he is smart, but his ideas are not valued just because he is fat, wears glasses and has asthma. In short, his ideas are not valued because he looks differently from others.

I disliked Jack. All he ever cared about was hunting, and I compared that to the fact that how the littluns on the island were always playing; Jack was always hunting. Jack was also too egotistical. (Ever wonder why most dictators have such big egos and ambitions? Jack had that in him.)

Roger was a bitch. That's all there is to it. He seemed to be a quiet kind of guy who always ends up doing something you don't expect. Kind of like...a wallpaper kid. A kid that blends into the backround and doesn't talk to anyone and one day when you piss him off he punches you right in the face.

One thing I didn't understand is how they could "accidentally" kill Simon. Didn't they notice that that was him?

It was because they were so caught up in their hunting game. Haven't you ever done something stupid/weird because you were so involved in something else? That was the impression I got, anyway.

I don't think you were supposed to like Jack.

About Piggy, he was completely devoid of social skills (he was the geek who stands in the back of the room being a smart ass whenever anyone talks to him), but I really liked him and felt horrible when he lost his glasses. When he died, too, but the thought of not being able to see stranded on an island really frightens me.

Simon was my favorite, also. Have you seen the movie? They're very...liberal in adapting the book, but I liked it on its own. Anyway, Simon has this pet lizard and one of the boy stabs it for hunting practice. The look on his face says everything about him, I think.

The only time I really, really liked Ralph was when he started crying on the beach at the end.

A lot of people object to the fact that it portrays all these "cute, innocent little kids killing eachother," but I don't think kids are necessarily all that innocent. I know this seven-year-old who derives great pleasure from poking me with a stick. he laughs, and pokes me more. My point is, kids can be absolutely vicious. I'm not sure if it's society, or basic nature like the book was (I think) saying, but they can be.

This is quite a remarkable book that everyone should read at least once.

Simon is an amazing character. He particularly stands out with me because I've seen his part focused on in adaptive plays several times.

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Originally posted by Euda:
This is quite a remarkable book that everyone should read at least once.

Simon is an amazing character. He particularly stands out with me because I've seen his part focused on in adaptive plays several times.

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I found that Simon was a symbolic representation of a Christ-figure.

The essay I wrote for this book sophomore year was about Christ and devil allusions in the book.

I didn't really like this book(especially since the other two books I had to read for summer reading were Jane Eyre and 1984, and I LOVED both those books). I did remember thinking the ending was a bit anti-climatic(which I still think it is).

I did remember becoming depressed when Piggy was killed, because he was far and away my favorite character.

It's been a while since I read this book, but I remember some symbolic significance between the smashing of the conch and the death of Piggy - kinda marking the end of any sense and order and the descent into chaos. Always thought that was very cleverly done.

Im on the last chapter of this book. so far its kickass!

They killed him because they were so crazy that they had problems with recongnizing the rules of society and grasping realization. They thought that Simon was the beast.

Indeed, far from being an abstract look at "children" the book allows a huge insight into the workings of basic society and where it leads to...

great book, full of ideas, read it.

I always disliked the idea of it, because I felt it was implying that children are incapable of taking care of themselves, and I found that offensive. But I think that's probably because I was the type that would have gotten killed if I was in the book.

Anyways, I didn't read it, but I liked the Simpsons version. "And then they were rescued by... oh, let's say Moe."

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Originally posted by ChickenOfDoom:
I always disliked the idea of it, because I felt it was implying that children are incapable of taking care of themselves, and I found that offensive. But I think that's probably because I was the type that would have gotten killed if I was in the book.

Anyways, I didn't read it, but I liked the Simpsons version. "And then they were rescued by... oh, let's say Moe."

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What the fuck? Stfu unless you actually read it. Rofl at basing your opinions off the Simpsons version.