|
|
Reviewed by: Kim
Rating: 9/10
Genre: Fiction
216 pages/1966
|
Flowers for Algernon
by
Daniel Keyes
This is the story of a man named Charlie who suffers from phenylketonuria (PKU) back in the days before much was known about the disorder and before babies were routinely tested for this at birth. As a result, he is brain damaged and left with a very low IQ. At the age of 32, Charlie becomes the first human to undergo an experimental procedure that will slowly increase his IQ to genius level. Previously the experiment had only been done on mice, and one mouse, Algernon, was showing very promising results. As Charlie becomes more and more intelligent he sees the world through different eyes. And then Algernon begins to show signs of regression...
This entire story is told by Charlie through a series of progress reports, like a daily journal. At the beginning of the book Charlie can barely read and write and this shows through his spelling and grammar. By the time Charlie is a genius his writing has morphed into something very much more complex. The changing writing style in itself was enough to make the book interesting.
Charlie himself is a very likable character. Through it all he just wants to be loved and to do good. What's interesting is how the way he goes about these things changes as his intelligence level changes. More than anything this is a book about what makes us human. What makes a person a person? What makes us who we are?
This book is an easy read and I recommend it.
Five most recent reviews:
The Bondwoman's Narrative by Hannah Crafts (Carmen)
Eon by Greg Bear (Cath)
Assassin's Quest by Robin Hobb (Carmen)
Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom (Carmen)
Legends 2: Short Novels by the Masters of Modern Fantasy edited by Robert Silverberg (Cath)
000030
|
