Friday, April 18, 2008

Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes

Originally published in 1966.
Co-winner of the Nebula Award for Best Novel in 1966.
Audio book performed by Jeff Woodman.


Although I remember friends reading Flowers for Algernon in high school, for some reason, I never did. But earlier this year, I decided to put it on my What's in a Name? challenge list. Because I recently had to make a three-hour-plus drive to do some training, I decided to get the book on tape from the library so I'd have something to listen to while I drove. I ended up listening to the other six hours a little at a time while commuting, traveling to my dentist (about 30 miles from my home), and driving the "mom taxi" to pick up my kids.

If you are not familiar with the premise of the book, the plot is basically that a 32-year-old retarded man named Charlie Gordon undergoes a surgical experiment to increase his IQ, as it has for the lab mouse, Algernon. Charlie keeps a journal of progress reports to record the changes this experiment creates in my mind and in his life.

I'm very glad I've now "read" this book. I think it's an important one, and I would recommend that everyone read it. It made me incredibly sad, however. This was both because of the treatment Charlie receives from his family when he was a young boy and from his co-workers now that he is an adult and because of the difficulties his new-found intelligence brings and the ultimate outcome of the experiment. A review at amazon.com summarizes my response well: "Flowers for Algernon is a timeless tear-jerker with a terrific emotional impact."

Flowers for Algernon is on the American Library Association's list of the 100 Most Frequently Challenged Books of 1990-2000. The most frequent reason for the challenges relates to Charlie's sexuality. For a thoughtful review of the book by a mom who recommended it to her twelve-year-old daughter despite the "distasteful sexual scenes" (in the words of some censors), click here; even the title of the review is terrific: "Flowers for Algernon, Stinkweeds for the Censors!"

2008.25

15 comments:

  1. I never had to read it either, but now you make me want to! :-)

    Have a great weekend!
    Lezlie

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  2. I heard of it before but I haven't read it yet. I think I will now!

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  3. I saw the movie when it first came out and absolutely loved it. Just read the book for the first time last year. Then I watched the movie again, still enjoyed it even though it was dated. Very nice review, Alison and thanks for the link to the other review.

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  4. I ended up swapping out this book for another because the copy from the library was a ratty, old, smelly thing. Yuck. Needless to say, I hope to read it sometime. It's good to know you liked it.

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  5. This is one of those books that I did read in high school and has stayed with me for more years than I care to count:) I've never reread it but can still remember sitting in a chair and crying at one point. It's one of my strongest reading-related memories.

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  6. This is one of those books that I did read in high school and has stayed with me for more years than I care to count:) I've never reread it but can still remember sitting in a chair and crying at one point. It's one of my strongest reading-related memories.

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  7. This is one of those books that I did read in high school and has stayed with me for more years than I care to count:) I've never reread it but can still remember sitting in a chair and crying at one point. It's one of my strongest reading-related memories.

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  8. I picked this one up at a booksale last summer but haven't read it yet. Thanks for the review--I think I'll have to pick it up sooner rather than later.

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  9. Like you, I remember seeing a lot of people reading this book in high school but I never did. It was around so much that the cover is very familiar to me. I have now added it to my TBR list.

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  10. I had to read this one in eighth grade. One of those ones that I didn't even complain about having to read. I loved it! But for some unknown reason, in all these many years since, I've never reread it. But Annie and I are doing this one next month for school...and I'm really looking forward to it! Glad you enjoyed it, Alison!

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  11. I loved this book. It was required reading in high school english class as a Junior. So, that means it's been about 25 years since I've read it. Maybe I'll have to read it again.

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  12. I haven't read this since junior high, but I think I should read it again. It sounds like I'll need a box of kleenex nearby?

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  13. This is such a wonderful book, I'm glad you enjoyed it!

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  14. I read this book for this challenge too... I loved it so much, but you're right, it's so incredibly sad. Not only the ending, but also the fact that Charlie seems more alone as a a genius than as a retarded man.

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  15. It's me again... I've decided to link to your post at the bottom of my review for this book. Hope this is okay for you!

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