Hi everyone! I've decided to start a new little weekly feature on here, where I'll say a little bit about a book I've read recently and really enjoyed. I think I may do this with songs as well, to cover different mediums!
This week's book is a golden oldie, and one I'm ashamed to say I only read two weeks ago. It's LORD OF THE FLIES by William Golding.
If you don't already know, the book depicts the aftermath of a plane crash which finds a group of school boys trapped on a remote island. The thing that I really liked about the opening was that it begins AFTER the crash, which is given no direct narrative but just referred to. I think this is a really good way of building up mystery and allowing the reader to work out what's happened for themselves. It also makes the narrative believably from the perspective of children, as they don't necessarily understand everything that's happening.
But above all else, the main thing I love about this novel is how well Golding builds the tension throughout, as the boys slowly start to lose their sense of humanity and morality and revert to a primal state of hunting and killing, even each other. One death in particularly had me completely on edge, though I won't reveal any spoilers! But the vulnerability of the character in question makes the scene all the more tragic.
All in all, this a fantastic novel. The careful balance of children as hunters and children as victims really makes one question their own moral stance and their reliance of a system of laws and rules. It's harrowing, gripping but really enjoyable. I can see why it's a classic!
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