Lord of the Flies by William Golding (4/5)

Lord of the Flies, by William Golding, is a timeless classic in which a group of boys who are being evacuated from war-ridden Britain are stranded on a deserted island after their plane is shot down. Following the group reunion, it is decided that a boy named Ralph would be elected as chief. Ralph then appoints another boy named Jack as the leader of the hunters, in charge of providing food for the group. Several different duties are assigned to different boys. After some sense of order is confirmed, sightings of a beast are reported to the leaders of the tribe. These rumors fuel the already chaotic situation. The origin of this beast is discovered, but before the truth can be revealed, the bearer of this news is killed by the barbaric mob of boys. The feral children mistook one of their own as the creature that was to be resolved. The situation spirals out of control as boys turn on each other and divide into two groups, Ralph being the leader of one group, and Jack leading the other. Before long, all of Ralph’s allies have either turned on him or died off. Ralph takes refuge in the forest but is forced to the beach after Jack and his clan set fire to the entire woodland area. Ralph collapses on the beach, expecting to be spotted and killed at any moment in time. Ralph is rescued just before his demise when he encounters a British naval officer on the beach. Jack and his tribe find Ralph and the officer which causes the untamed children to break down into tears and forget their ferocious instincts. The remaining boys are rescued from the island by the officer, which concludes the book. Lord of the Flies is an exhilarating book, the book is beautifully written and causes readers to become immersed in the story. The plot was a rollercoaster of events, consisting of adventure, murder, betrayal, savagery and more. The story concluded abruptly and rather fortunately for the protagonist. Nevertheless, I enjoyed this book and would read it again. If you are looking for an exciting yet quick read, Lord of the Flies would suit you.