Lord of the Flies by William Golding

Must Read
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Lord of the Flies was written by William Golding in 1954. He has written other great books like Free Fall, Fire Down Below, The Paper Men, and many others. After retiring from his job of being Lieutenant in command of a rocket ship, he was awarded the ‘Booker Prize.’ His works are lucid, realistic, symbolic, and all around beautiful.
Lord of the Flies takes place on a deserted island, and follows the view of a group of British schoolboys who were the only survivors of a plane crash. The main characters Piggy, John, Ralph, and Simon are the oldest of the group and decide to form a tribe as a way to survive. John and the littler kids are hunters, Simon adventures around the island, Piggy comes up with ideas to get them found, and Ralph is the leader.
As the tribe slowly dips into inhumanity and hostility, Piggy and Ralph become the only ones left who actually want to be rescued. John begins to have sick visions of creating a tribe , hunting for meat and even killing each other if necessary. One night, he even sacrifices the head of a boar to a beast believed to live on the island. Piggy struggles to help keep him and Ralph away from the animalistic and barbaric actions, even though nobody but Ralph has respect for him.
Ralph and Piggy are left to keep a fire going atop the mountain in order to attempt to get attention from any kind of passing vehicle. Jack and the rest of the tribe have abandoned it, going hunting instead of keeping it lit. Simon continuously disappears into the forest alone, and one night he doesn’t come back, but only Ralph notices.
What will happen to the group? Will they finally drive themselves into insanity? Will they be rescued? Is Simon alive? Is there actually a beast? You won’t know until you read it.
Lord of the Flies is an amazing book, although it is quite confusing and complex. It is hard to follow, so I do not suggest it to younger readers, but it is a book that must be read at least once. Almost every character symbolizes something, and they can symbolize many different things to each person. Piggy supposedly represents hope, Jack represents temptation and greed, while Ralph represents man.
This book is perfect for readers of a high level. It has a great storyline, and each chapter ends with a cliffhanger that just makes you want to read more. It may take a couple of reads to understand, because of the complex writing style and long words. William Golding has a beautiful way of describing the boys, the scenery, and the beast. It truly makes you question yourself and the world around you.