halle krom

Lord of the Flies is my favorite book - interesting and well-done in many aspects. You can enjoy this book both literally and symbolically, still being an amazing story even if you don't understand the allegory it's trying to portray (but it is FILLED to the brim with symbolism, so it's hard to miss). However, it is kind of an "acquired reading taste." Many complain about focus on little details or "less important" things, the story being a slow build, the writing style being too vague, or even a too heavy focus on the characters. However, in my not-so-humble opinion, the little details and less important things are essential to understanding the story as a whole. Knowing the characters like the back of your hand and how they'd react really helps understand the downfall of everything in the book and create a good comparison. The slow build helps to focus and dive into parts of the story that may seem unimportant but will play an important part later on. I'd say just be aware that Golding's writing is really pretty difficult and obscure and if that, slow builds, or anything else I mentioned isn't your cup of tea, then maybe the book isn't for you. But in my opinion, I love LOTF and was greatly affected emotionally, mentally, and spiritually once I read the book and was able to fully understand and piece together everything I had learned.