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Summary: Terrific Experience
Review: For such a short and simple book the emotions it stirred were incredible. Fragility and the lack of unconditional love are the central themes of this story. A kind but mentally retarded man is rejected by his own mother, sister, and reguarly ridiculed by everyone. He is, however, blissfully unaware of this until an operation is performed in which his IQ skyrockets to super genius. Once again, he is rejected by everyone but in a completely different way. They cannot relate to him as he cannot discuss topics comprehensible or interesting to even so called "smart" people. One reveiwer said he thought this book was about the unimportance of intelligence or the corruption caused by education. I disagree. I thought it was about our selfishness. Smart or stupid we reject each other because of the expectations we have for others. These expectations are geered towards boosting our own little egos.
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Summary: The cost of miracles through science
Review: Curious that "Flowers for Algernon" has apparently always been billed as a sci-fi novel since its publication in the 1950's. Instead, it is a powerfully human story about an extraordinary scientific achievement put to the test and what it costs its participants. Key among them is Charley Gordon, a bakery worker with an IQ of 68 that qualifies him for the title "retarded" and the vicious jokes of coworkers. Charley comes to be selected as the first human trial of a scientific-medical procedure hoped to increase the intelligence levels of subjects with low levels. It's already been proven successful in a lab mouse named Algernon. Charley, in the early stages of testing to assess his eligibility as the first human trial, has no real sense of the reason for the tests and instead has as his only purpose to beat "that real smart mouse" in such things as maze racing. Deemed an appropriate candidate, Charley has "the operation" and soon achieves has an IQ that gives him intellectual superiority over even his experimenters. But with the higher IQ comes a keener awareness of humanity and the fragility of the human heart, stirred by a lab assistant, and the painful and fleeting quality of love. All too soon, however, Charley's artificially induced intelligence begins to break down, and his preparation for it is nothing less than heartbreaking. In brilliant prose, author Daniel Keyes utilizes a personal diary technique written by Charley, and we are privileged to see his rise from mentally challenged to intellectual giant and back again. That, then, qualifies this true literary masterpiece as a human, not a sci-fi story, and its pure, unbridled power will leave you numb. Promise. The book later was turned into the film version titled "Charley" with actor Cliff Robertson, in the title role, nailing a richly earned Best Actor Oscar.
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Summary: The day a man became smart
Review: This book is one of the most get to your feelings book I have ever read. It goes into such detail about things and how a person with disabilities can be treated. the book starts out telling you about a man in his thirties and how people treat him with his disability. His name is Charlie Gordon and he has his own apartment in New York. He has friends as it seems to him at the bakery he works at. He goes to a school for the challenged and is going to have a surgery to help make him smarter and make him understand things in his life. After the surgery he ends up falling for his teacher Ms.Kinnian who doesn't know this and treats him like a friend. This book is the book to read if you need a challenge.
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Summary: Banned Book List? NO WAY!
Review: I read Flowers for Algernon, which is on the banned book list. I was intrigued to find out why. When I finished the book, I still couldn't figure out why it is on that list. The book is about a man in his thirties named Charly who is mentally challenged. He undergoes an amazing operation to try to raise his I. Q. Well, it works, but perhaps it wasn't such a good idea. He begins to realize that the people who he thought were his friends were actually very cruel to him because of his disability. You don't have to dig very deep to notice that the book is about self-realization and knowing yourself. This tear-jerking novel inspired me to try to be a better person and make sure that I keep track of myself.
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Summary: Flowers for Algernon!
Review: I really liked this book!! It's about a young man named Charley , and he is mentally challenged. In the book, their is also a mouse named Algernon who once had an operation to make him smarter. Docters wanted to perform this operation on humans, but first, they had to test it on an animal. Algernon was the one picked for the operation, and it did make him smarter! The docters asked Charley if he wanted the operation and Charley said yes. The operation also made him smarter, and so he lived a normal life, until the operation backfired and Charley discovered that something bad was slowly going to happen to him; he was going to go back to being mentally challenged.
Rating: 
Summary: Flowers for Algernon
Review: Having read Flowers for Algernon I wouldnt recommend this book to anybody unless you like slow and not exciting books. The human expirement that the doctors do is really not interesting at all. Personally I can not stand any books that dont have any adventure or are interesting and this book falls in this catagory. At first when reading this book it I was hoping it would start getting interesting, but of course it didnt and never had a good part. So unless you have tons of patience and like boring books you dont want to read this book.
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Summary: Flowers For Algernon
Review: This book was one of the best books I have ever read. It was amazing the way Daniel Keyes communicated the message that just because you are different doesn't mean its going to be any better when you try to change it. This book was about a 37 year old man named Charly with a learning disibility. He is considered to have an operation that will make him smarter. They have only tried it on a mouse. After he gets it done, everything changes. Some good and some bad. When Charly realizes that his mentallity is going to decrease once more, he tries to stop it. If you want to know the details read this book! If you are into tragedie, and/or interested in disibilities you should definatly read this book. My brother has cerebral palsy and this book taught me to honestly try to understand my brother more.
Rating:
Summary: Great
Review: This could be one of the most heart warming and lovely stories that I have ever read. It tells the amazing story of a retarted man and his troubles. If you ever want to read possibly one of the best books written than I know that you will look towards the book Flowers for Algernon
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Summary: Flowers For Algernon
Review: Flowers For Algernon is a very powerful book about a mentally challenged man named Charlie. Charlie had dreamed of being smart his whole life. Charlie's dream came true when scientists from a university selected him for an experimental operation. After the operation his intelligence increased greatly and a whole new world opened up to him. He explores the wonders and the horrors of a world that has just been opened up to him. He found the hardships and the qualities of a regular life. The ending is surprising and sad but it makes you appreciate your life more. I liked this book because of the ending and if you don't read it you're missing out on a great story.
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Summary: A very emotional and touching book
Review: I first had to read Flowers for Algernon as a school project, but as soon as I started to read the book, I was hooked. The story is beautifly written, despite all the spelling errors. Flowers for Algernon takes place in New York, around 32-year-old Charlie Gordon. But Charlie is not ordinary, Charlie is mentaly disabled, with an IQ of 68. Despite his low intellegence, Charlie is happy with the way he lives his life. He goes to night school with the beloved teacher Ms. Kinnian. But soon all this changes, when Ms. Kinnian, suggests that Charlie be part of an experimental surgury that is supposed to triple a person's intellegence. In spite of Charlie's low IQ, he qualifies for the experement. The experiment dose increase Charlie's IQ to a level of beyound a genious. Soon Charlie becomes awhare of his position in life, and how he was always teased and taunted before the sugery. Yet is having a high IQ really all it is cracked up to be. With his increased IQ, Charlie also begins to learn the lesson of life. This book is by far one of my favorites. The story is written in Charlie's point of veiw, and the author really gives the reader a peak at what Charlie thinks in his head. All the spelling errors, and grammar mistakes all add up to how Charlie's life changes with the surgery. After I read this book, it gave me a whole new out look. This book gave me an idea of just what mentaly challenged people think, and how they long to be like average people. To have the gift that most people take for granted. This book is very heart warming and touching. I cried at the end of the book, and of how Charlie dose what he can, with his limitaions. This book is a wonderful read.
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