Flowers for Algernon: In this beloved novel-the basis for the

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Summary: Flowers for Algernon
Review: Imagine that you are retarded. Retarded, but still cognizant of that fact. You don't want to be retarded. You yearn to be smart. You try to be smart. You go to a school for special people, people like yourself. But you don't get any smarter. One day a man gives you the chance to change your life. You accept and he performs an operation. Poof! Your IQ skyrockets and you learn everything you can. You're finally smart. But there's a catch. Your mind has developed, but not your maturity level. You still act like a child. This is the story of "Flowers For Algernon", the compelling novel of a startling human experiment.

"Flowers For Algernon" is an excellent novel, with its share of love, science, friendship, and a bit of adventure. The 1966 book has become a timeless classic, and with good reason. Upon reading the novel, it's hard to believe "Flowers For Algernon" was written almost 40 years ago. For a 39-year-old story, it seems very real and relevant. The scientific breakthrough at the heart of the story seems no different from the many scientific breakthroughs being made today.

A good book allows readers to know the characters inside and out. "Flowers For Algernon" is no exception. During the course of the book, you get to know the characters. You feel for them. You're sad when they are unhappy. You're thrilled when they are happy. Instead of two-dimensional cardboard cutouts, the loveable characters seem like three-dimensional people.
"Flowers For Algernon" takes place mainly in a small town outside a big city. By being vague about the specific location and name of the city, the author makes it seem as if it could be anywhere. This adds to the book's realism. The book is written in the form of a journal kept by the main character, Charlie. This allows the reader to see how Charlie writes (i.e. spelling, grammar, mechanics) as he goes from retardation to genius and back again.

"Flowers For Algernon" is a deep, heavy book that takes a while to get through. It has its fair share of sad and touching moments. Be prepared to be unable to put the book down. The book was so well-received after its publication, it was made into a movie. The main character, played by Cliff Robertson, won an Academy Award for best actor. All in all, "Flowers For Algernon" is a truly interesting book that will continue to be read for many years to come.


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Summary: An absolutely heartbreaking story.
Review: The first time I read "Flowers for Algernon", I needed to find a good book for my 9th grade first quarter book report. When I told my mom that "all the good books" were taken, she told me to find "Flowers for Algernon", and she guaranteed that I would love it. And I did. Since then, every person who has ever asked me for a reccomendation of a good book, I always tell them they need to read this book. The story is so beautifully told, and you really feel Charlie's emotions with him as you get into the story. I also love that it's not a book that makes fun of Charlie as a mentally challenged person, but it shows what it might be like to be mentally challenged.
Anyone who hasn't read this book needs to. It will change your life.

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Summary: Incredible.
Review: This is one of my favorite books. It is not an easy read, although it is exceptionally written. Charlie's voice is so authentic and clear it is heartrending; I am brought to tears or near to it each time I re-read the book, and it can be hard to continue without being overwhelmed by compassion and sadness (and even fear from harm and abuse) for all people who are like Charlie. Because Keyes executes his concept so intelligently, the book is not sentimental - it rings raw and true. It is essential reading for anyone desiring to develop a love for humankind.

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Summary: One of The Worst Books Ever Written
Review: Okay, I bought this book yesterday after reading the million positive reviews on amazon saying that this book was heartbreaking, moving, profound, etc. And at the bookstore the clerk even said "Great Book," as I bought it. So I came home to read it and had high hopes and for the first pages, I was actually fooled into thinking it was a good book because it kept my attention and was not boring. But... if you think about it, this book is written from the point of view of a retarded man and so it is almost impossible not to be interesting at first. This is because the voice is so new and weird, and you get interested for novelty value. See also, catcher in the rye, the bell jar, and the curious incident of the dog at nighttime. these books all have basically insane or retarded main characters and are okay for the first few pages. But then you keep reading and it gets annoying. As soon as Charlie starts speaking smartly the book turns to sentimental dreck, like Nick hornby or Nick Sparks. And you can probably see that the writing goes down in quality too. I think Mr. Keyes should have stuck with writing like a retard because when he doesn't, he just sounds even more retarded. Here is a line: "Each step forward was caution. At what point would the ground give way and plunge me into anxiety?" that is supposed to be smart. So I guess when someone turns smart he starts using obtuse metaphors and overgeneralized words like "anxiety" to describe emotions?
I guess it's kind of sad, for the rat, but I have shed no tears over the fate of Charlie. He was unlikeable as a retard and even more hateable as a smart person. Who needs him? He should have been the one to die and the mouse should have got the job at the bakery.

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Summary: RU smart?
Review: It is a human quest to search for what we are, what makes us what we are. In Daniel Keyes' "Flowers for Algernon", Charly, the main character, is in search of these things -- with that, the writer pose a simples question: what makes us what we are? Charly is a mental disabled thirty something who accepts to go through a surgery that is expected to improve his intelligence and make him a `normal person'.

The very same procedure has been successfully done to a white mouse, named Algernon. After Charly meets the hamster he is impressed of how smart the animal is, and believe that he can be even smarted than it. And he (and his doctors) is right. After the intervention, the man's IQ is skyrocketed. He starts to learn contemporary and dead languages, understand economy, geopolitics, and science... anything. Charly is a sponge that absorbs as much information as he comes across.

But, like everything in life, there is an on-the-other-hand. Charly past memories -- that seemed to be lost somewhere in his mind -- start to arise and they are not pleasant. Most of them are related to how their parents dealt with his inabilities when he was a child. Both of them weren't able to deal with a special kid. And, while the father tried to seek for some help and loved his son, the mother pretended he was normal, at first. After another daughter is born, his mother starts to avoid Charly until she forces the father to commit him to mental facility.

As these facts are remembered, Charly's mind starts to play tricks on him. What was real? What was a dream? What has he made up? There aren't simple answers for that. But he wants to clarify these points. At the same time, Algernon, the mouse, starts to show the first sings of deterioration. He is not as bright as he used to be. Moreover, Charly becomes a sort of celebrity in the medical world. His doctors want to show him in a convention as the living proof of how their methods can increase intelligence and help everybody -- not only disabled people.

Everything is told by Charly, who writes compulsively reports about his evolution. One of the most interesting things about "Flowers for Algernon" is its language. At first it is like an illiterate child, with many grammar and spelling mistakes. As Charly's mind starts to evolve, so does his language and ability to express himself.

But, little did Charly know that mankind is more complex and difficult than he could imagine. He starts to realize that the people he thought to be his friends are not really friends, and when love comes up, the man realizes that it is a complex feeling and no matter how bright you are, it is always difficult to deal with this feeling.

Keyes has created a magnificent cast of characters. From the believable Charlie to his teacher and lover Alice, everyone is very human. His parents are beautifully developed. And however much you may hate the mother for how she treats her son, you can't blame her. The doctors, mostly Nemur --who is believed to have done something important for the mankind-- are part humanist, and part mad scientists, like Dr. Frankenstein -- and at one point, the creation surpasses the creator.

"Flowers for Algernon" is considered science fiction. But this is one those books that makes you think and consider a many ethical and moral issues, when you try to bring the plot to real life. This is kind of science fantasia that we should encourage to be largely explored in movies and books, so that in the real world we would never take such a dangerous step.


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Summary: A Simple Wish
Review: Flowers For Algernon is a very emotional book. I am not a real emotional person, but I liked this book about a mentally handicapped man trying to become smarter. It uses a unique format, journal-like, making it from his point of view. A cool thing is, him being dumb, he misspells the words.
I liked this book because it was fun to see the man's progress. It was interesting to see how people reacted to him; it really changes your point of view of those people! The book is nice because it shows his emotions from his own view.
There are a few down sides to this book. One is in the middle of the book. He begins writing down the actual dialogue, which confuses you, `cause most journals don't have written dialogue. Also, all the misspelled words get confusing, but it makes sense having them. The final downside is the lack of description. This book would be better if it had more, but since it's a journal from a mental guy's point of view, I understand.
All in all, I would recommend reading this book. It's only 218 pages, so it's a quick read, though the font's small. It gives a good view of a mentally handicapped person's life, because it's from his point of view. I give this book 4 stars and believe anyone who wants to know about that, should read this!


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Summary: the Forgotten Quest
Review: This extraordinary book used to be required in better schools for the importance of its sensitivities. Sadly, today it is unlikely to be found on reading lists or in classrooms. Bringing back these "classics" would be an effort to maintain the gentler design of teaching students how their behavior can make a world of difference in a world which requires them to survive. If schools are not offering it, parents should examine it for the values taught for their own budding geniuses, and even for those who aren't.