Everyone, it seems, has read Lord of the Flies, but that was not the case for me. So I made a decision to read Lord of the Flies in my senior year of high school to find out why it is considered to be a renowned piece of literature. 

 At first, the book was slow for me and it was difficult to keep on reading. This doesn’t mean that it wasn’t interesting, just that the events happening were progressing slowly, which isn’t the kind of book I personally like. But once I got past the first few chapters, the plot picked up, getting increasingly more interesting and action-packed. Soon, I was completely immersed in the story, getting shocked at each turn. At the end of the book, I was quite satisfied and rather enjoyed the experience.

Lord of the Flies, as I’m sure the majority of you know, explores a scenario in which children are left to their own devices on a deserted island without any adults. The scattered children come together and become organized, but that organization breaks apart and becomes riddled with death, murder, and craziness.

I believe that this can be compared to how human society is. We start off civilized, enjoying our society, but eventually, our inherent greedy, primal selves come out and sabotage all order. We hate to listen to the voice of reason, outcasting them, even disposing of them. Then we choose to follow those who are immature just because they allow us to listen and follow our instincts without reason. This underlying message added to the depth and complexity of the novel.

Overall, I give Lord of the Flies a 7.3/10 on the Raymond Scale (literature edition).

I understand why some people may have not enjoyed the novel, although it is pretty good. The majority of people read it because they are forced to for school, and reading a book for educational purposes is extremely different from reading a book of your own volition. So I urge you all to read Lord of the Flies by your own choice so that you may truly appreciate it without rushing to finish it by a deadline. You wouldn’t have to force yourself to find the deeper meaning in the text, which can distract you from the actual reading, just read it and enjoy the chaos that ensues in this wondrous novel.