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Summary: A #1 Book!
Review: This book is absolutely wonderful. I own it and will never get tired of reading it. I shall only tell you the exposition of the book because I fear I will give away the ending. The book is about a mentally challenged man who is 32 years old and lives in New York City. He goes to the Beekman School for Retarded Adults to learn how to read and write. He was chosen for an operation which will increase his intelligence. I will not tell you anymore because the slightest detail will give away the ending. Even if you like other types of books you'd love this book. The whole storyline is unique and you'll be able to put yourself in the shoes of Charlie Gordon.The book is at a wonderful price too. I overpaided when I saw this price. Charlie Gordon is the person to read about. It isn't just one of those regular novels, it's a masterpiece!
Rating:
Summary: Fantastic
Review: Flowers for Algernon brings out the true spirit of humanity and its neverending quest for knowledge and learning. This story is told through fascinating journal entries submitted by a man named Charlie Gordan. These accounts help to give the reader a more personal glimpse at the progress and setbacks he suffers from. Romance is eventually entwined into the plot, carefully drawing out emotions that Charlie has hidden all his life. This novel delves into questions that many have wondered, but that no one has proved: Is it possible to dramatically increase a person's intelligence? If so, is it ethical? Full of subtle suspense and intertwined complexities, it is an awe-inspiring read. It tugs at the heart strings and continues to do so long after the last page has been turned!
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Summary: Charlie's struggling for I.Q.
Review: This book is most impressive and very unique. I haven't read book like this before. This book is extraordinary science fiction because this story is told as a real autobiography of Charlie Gordon.
Rating:
Summary: One of the best books I've ever read.
Review: I am writing this review when I have just finished reading the book about 1hour ago. I have the feeling that if I don't write this now, I'll never get down to writing it and it will simply be forgotten and stuffed away in another part of my memory. (Whoops, am I beginning to sound like Charlie nearing the end?) Which is quite a pity for such a wonderful story.If I were to describe the story in one word, that word would be "poignant". This book has aroused my emotions and stimulated my thoughts in the span of what, 2 days? Although it is not to the extent of making me cry (no book has done that to me before), I keep getting this funny tingling sensation at those especially emotional scenes. I have experienced this at least 7 times throughout the reading. In my opinion, David Keyes did an extremely good job in employing the use of the first person view, journal style writing where the main character, Charlie, narrates the events to the reader. More than once have I marvelled at the way Keyes writes about the range of feelings and emotions that Charlie goes through. Keyes has portrayed them in an extremely realistic manner. I'm willing to bet that for Keyes to have achieved that, he must have thought about how he himself felt in certain situations and applied them to Charlie's character. Why? Because some of the feelings that Keyes describes are almost exactly the same as what I have experienced. That's what makes the story even more grippingly realistic. The darker side of human emotions such as anger, hatred, frustration and fear are shown more in the story. More than halfway through the story I was already feeling that the story was starting to become quite frightening because of its realism. It thoroughly explores the world of human emotions. To all psychology students, don't miss this one. I think the most prominent theme being discussed throughout the story is that of intelligence. The story questions whether intelligence is really a good thing. Before the operation, we see Charlie Gordon the moron with an I.Q. of 70, the honest, trusting, good-natured and likeable Charlie Gordon. After the operation, we see the super-intelligent Charlie Gordon, highly knowledgeable in many fields, master of 20 languages, and yet arrogant and unable to connect with and relate to ordinary people. He begins to see, but not tolerate the inadequacies of the normal human being. Charlie's only salvation comes from the fact that he once experienced life with an I.Q. of 70. That is why at the end he finally realizes his mistake. He says, "Intelligence and education that hasn't been tempered by human affection isn't worth a damn." This is a contrast to the scientists, Professor Nemur especially, who has the benefit of education but is almost incapable of sensitivity and feeling emotionally. Somebody once told me that there is greed and ambition in this world because of education. That's something worth thinking about. Hmm...now I've come to the last part: why the Flowers for Algernon is so beautiful. To me, the story is basically about the psychological journey about a man, a man who has lived at the two extremes of intelligence. Some people have commented that the story is a dark and depressing. I disagree. The final part of the story where Charlie is losing his intelligence and he has to face it is indeed heart-wrenching, as we see how he slowly becomes the old Charlie again, and how he has to painfully let go of certain things. Yes, the story is full of ups and downs, and the downs are indeed more than the ups. In fact, isn't there only one "up" in the story? The part where Charlie finally realizes what intelligence really means, and the Charlie of the present finally learns to live with the Charlie of the past. In my opinion, that is the very pinnacle of the story. He discovers how to truly live life to the fullest, he learns about using intelligence not just for himself, but for the world, and he conquers his fear to experience the joy of love. However short-lived it may be, I feel that it overshadows all other parts of the story, even if he loses everything at the end. Good things cannot last forever, and perhaps that's what makes them even more beautiful. There is true beauty in Charlie's words when he says, "Alice knows everything about me now, and accepts the fact that we can only be together for a short while...It's painful to think about that, but what we have, I suspect, is more than most people find in a lifetime."
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Summary: a real and tingling novel
Review: i read "flowers" as the novel first; i've never read the short story and feel the lesser for it. but i do feel that it's one of the best books i own, and i own quite a few. i think of it on the same level as "nineteen eighty-four" which i hope is saying a lot. charlie did exactly what i would have done in his position and i am so happy that he did. his ephemeral life was rich in emotion, love, and sacrifice. he is a beautiful man, and i bless the day daniel keyes sat down and made him.
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Summary: A fabulous and original story
Review: This is a poignant and wonderful novella about a man's metamorphisis from retarted worker to genius and his slow and painful transformation back to his original state. It is a powerful work because it somehow makes us question how we view people with intellectual disabilities, and ask is Charly, the main character, any "better off" with his new found intellect? It is sad, it is warm and funny, and it beautifully written and conceived. It is well worth a read.
Rating: 
Summary: Catching But Dissapointing....
Review: I recently read Flowers For Algernon, and I was undoubltly satisfied. The plot was great, yet the climax was very dissapointing. This book is about a mentally retarded boy's (Charly) insight on being normal or mentally handicapped. He and a mouse named Algernon are used by an experimentalists as guinei pigs. Charly's hopes are raised because he becomes a genius from a brain surgery he undergoes. His IQ is raised sky high, but his emotional self doesn't change much. He becomes emotionally disturbed with bad memories and feels lost in his thoughts all the time. In the end, Charly sadly turns back into his original retarded state. The ending is very upsetting and sad, because you feel very bad for Charlie. In conclusion, Flowers For Algernon is a very good book to read and educating as well as interesting.
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Summary: One of my Favorites
Review: This was the first book I had to read for a class and I loved it. The way the book was written through Charlies journels made it very interesting because you can see how he gets smarter. I thoughs it was very sad. Espicially the way the retarted people were treated. And the ending was really good. I hope you buy this book and enjoy it!
Rating:
Summary: A Book To Touch Your Heart
Review: I recently read the short version of 'Flowers for Algernon' and now I'm currently reading the novelized version. Never in my life has a character touched my heart as much as Charlie Gordon. Daniel Keyes' style of writing in this novel really makes us empathetic towards Charlie's feelings. Simple little things that everyone takes for granted really touch you in this story. Charlie's determination is very inspirational for us all and teaches us to make the best of what we have and do the best at what we can do. Everyday when I read there is always some small thing that makes me cry, whether it be some little remark he says or something he does. I remember after finishing the short story I could not stop crying, and being at school i was left in an unfortunate situation. Even when I think about little things that happen or that he says I get a little misty.
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Summary: Simple and Wonderful
Review: This book is about a simple man, by the name of Charlie Gordon. He cares for nothing very fancy for he is mentally retarded and he is likable for his childish simplicity. He also thinks the world is perfect. Then he receives surgery that turns him into a scholarly, intelligent man. Now, we see him viewing the world differently. The world isn't so friendly anymore. He realizes what it means "to pull of a Charlie Gordon." All he wants to do now is to refamiliarize himself with his earlier days. The book being written as a diary gives it a great effect. The emotions and atmosphere of the book are portrayed beautifully.
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