Rating: 
Summary: Beautiful
Review: This is a truly touching, yet often overlooked novel. It follows the progress of a mentally retarded man who is given an operation to increase his IQ. The entire book is written through Charlie's progress reports, written by Charlie himself, as a sort of diary. As Charlie's IQ increases, his spelling improves, he starts to become aware of people's attitude towards him, and he begins to learn how to love. Soon, Charlie's IQ skyrockets. He learns several languages in a matter of days. He composes sonatas, without ever having a music lesson. He understands human emotion more than any other average person. Yet, tragically, the effects of his operation start to wear off. The reader sees Charlie's grammar slowly start to decline. Soon, Charlie is right back where he was when he started, but the reader is certainly not. The first-person writing in this novel truly connects the characters to the reader. I would definitely put this amazing novel on any bookworm's top 10 list. It's on mine!
Rating: 
Summary: A fine story, very well written and bittersweet
Review: Charlie Gordon has an IQ of 60 and can't even beat a lab mouse named Algernon in races through mazes (the mouse in the maze, Charlie tracing with his hand). It turns out that Algernon has been surgically "enhanced" by a special procedure to increase his intellegence. The scientists want a human subject, and Charlie is their choice, mainly because his immediate family is no part of his life, and because Charlie has always had a dim desire to "become smarter," noted by a teacher at his special school.The novel is the story of Charlie, told in his own words through "progris riports" as a type of diary. His story is mirrored by that of Algernon. The scientists treat Charlie as little more than a lab animal, proclaiming at a conference that they made him into a real human being. It's only slowly that Charlie starts to gain intellegence, and this is the heart of the book - his rapid strides forward in intellegence and knowledge, but unfortunately not in emotional development. Memories of childhood abandonment and abuse come back to haunt him which severely hinder his ability to love and grow emotionally. When Algernon starts to decay - he becomes erratic and starts to grow stupid - no one knows if it will also happen to Charlie. This tension lends the narrative a tension that adds poignancy to the second half of the book. This is not a traditional science fiction story - nothing is told of the details of the operation or the science behind it. Why it won the Nebula is a bit of a mystery. However, it is a very good story, well written and heartfelt. A story like this must be written in the first person, and it's done very effectively here - you get into the head of Charlie and care for him and the people he cares about. Some of the minor characters are stereotyped - for instance, all of the scientists (in fact, all the university professors) are pompous and arrogant. But the vast majority of the book is very good, and recommended.
Rating:
Summary: Review for Flowers for Algernon
Review: Fantastic!!! Flowers for Algernon pulls you in from the start. Charlie, a thirty-year-old man, is mentally challenged in both reading and writing. He attends a special institute where doctors decide to perform a delicate operation for the first time on a human. The story is told through Charlie's eyes as he writes in his diary. After the operation, Charlie becomes considerably smarter. Now not only can Charlie read, but he is bilingual. He forms a bond with a mouse named Algernon that has had the same operation as him. Mysteriously, Algernon's intelligence starts to fade. He can't run through the mazes like it's a walk in the park anymore; he struggles considerably. Everyone's life must come to an end, as well as Algernon's. Charlie decides to bury Algernon in his backyard. He puts flowers there everyday, therefore giving the name of the book Flowers for Algernon.
Rating:
Summary: excellent story; excellent writing
Review: one of the best books i've read. amazing how the author creates the acension of the character, gradually giving us so many verisons, so many levels of charlie, shows how his intelligence reaches a level that makes all others seem mentally-challenged,(sic?) then takes charlie back to down, showing all the fears and frustrations along the way.
Rating:
Summary: juz wundlefool...
Review: Never have I read such a book that is written from such a 'realistic' view of a retarded person. When I read the first part of the story, it was as if for the first time I could actually feel myself being Charlie, being retarded (of course I didn't become retarded!). Sometimes I wonder, was Keyes retarded before? The book possesses both 'retarded English' and 'professional English' and I really have to compliment him for that. I preferred the part when Charlie was retarded, it was only then did he have happiness. But I guess, without him going through the operation, there's won't be such a great story and lesson learnt. The moral of the story? No one can have everything. You are either smart and sad or retarded and happy. Knowledge and Truth is many times... not that wonderful after all.
Rating:
Summary: Unforgettable
Review: Charly is a touching movie that I recommend, but the book about the rise and fall of Charlie is far better, in part because of the stunning second half that the movie does not address. I did not want to let go of this book anymore than Charlie of his intelligent life. We go through the awareness, love and sadness of Charlie, and it isn't obvious what he and we are left with.
Rating:
Summary: Very Powerful
Review: I read this book last year in 8th grade and absolutely loved it! It was so sad how charlie loses what he gained so quicky. It's a Great commentary on the treatment of the mentally disabled too.
Rating:
Summary: Poignant and powerful!
Review: When I came across and read this book when I was in my early teens. I found it to have a huge impact in my life. I think it was the first book that I had read and understood the philosophical aspect of it! I was forced to think about the issues regarding technology in the realm of medicine---and I'm still contemplating it. More so every time I reread this novel. And, believe me when I say that my copy is well worn. Mr. Keyes is a treasure and a great writer. I commend him! Since they reissued this book in the 80's and I was able to get my hands on one, I've actually gotten my hands on many to give to my children and friends. It's a keeper for a lifetime as we will always run into these kinds of things we need to think upon and take a stand. It's message is timeless! Which are the best ways of life and who is to play God and decide?
Rating:
Summary: Memorable
Review: I read this book when I was in high school, about ten years ago, and I've had flashbacks ever since. Keyes gives insights to society's treatment of the mentally disabled, and its respect and fear of the very intelligent. Even more fascinating, he lets us explore the emotions that would follow a sudden increase in intelligence, and then its just-as-sudden loss. One part that stick out in my mind is near the end of the book, when the main character looks at his foreign language books. He had formerly read them fluently, but now he can't make heads of tails of them... "All gone." I've identified with this phrase more times than I can count!
Rating: 
Summary: horrible
Review: I picked up this book because my friend said it was her faverite and oor teacher agreed with her. When I went to the store the person who helped me find it said it was a great book and at home my dad said that it was great. So I was expecting a wonderful complex deep book when I took on my trip to NY. I was in for a big dissapiontment. From the very first entry I found my self staring out the plane window bored out of my mind. I kept reading waiting for the book to become intersting. It never did. It wasnt just that I was expecting a fabolous book and it didnt come up to what i thought it was going to be, It was just plain bad! Not every one agrees with me and I dont expect them to. But check out the bbok for your self and see what you think.
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