Flowers for Algernon (Bantam Classic)

Rating:
Summary: On my list of favorites
Review: "Flowers for Algernon" is one of my favorite books. I am in 10th grade, and I first heard of this book in 8th grade when I read the excerpt version of the book. Later I purchased the book, thinking it would be much the same as the excerpt, but was very pleasantly surprised to find many issues and plot developments that were not included in the excerpt. The book is about Charlie Gordon, a mentally retarded adult who undergoes an operation that triples his IQ, and what happens to him and his life and those surrounding him as this process is carried out. Definitely a tearjerker, but also very believable, though the plot itself is as yet unlikely as far as I know! I think what makes it believable are the emotions that Charlie goes through as he becomes a genius - rejection and fear among them - emotions that all of us have dealt with at some point in our lives. I also enjoyed the writing style of this book - it starts out with spelling, grammar, and usage errors to show Charlie's innocent way of thinking and his moderate retardation, and progresses into extremely advanced language and ideas as his IQ triples. There have been two movies based on this book, but as is usually the case, I have to say the book is far far better and more complex. I can hardly say a bad thing about "Flowers for Algernon"; it is simply the ideal book for all those who think on a higher level.

Rating:
Summary: Flowers for Algernon
Review: Buy this book! I recently finished Flowers for Algernon and I was blown away. It is a very strange but successful mix of science and human relations. Charlie is a mentally retarded man who works in a bakery and greets life with a positive attitude despite his restrictions. Having a chance to "better" himself and become smarter, Charlie takes place in a scientific experiment along with a mouse called Algernon (hence the title). As his knowledge becomes enhanced he also learns new adversities that creep up such as the realization of the cruelty of others. Soon after Charlie gains brain power, he falls in love and learns to deals with life on his own. Charlie's experience is told through a series of progress reports he was told to make by the head scientists.
This novel gave me a smack in the face about the reality that people are constantly prejudiced against for things beyond their control. Open this book and the interesting writing style the author uses just compells you to find out more. And you'll have to read the book, because I'm not giving away any more!

Rating:
Summary: Fascinating and very original
Review: I'm not a big fan of science fiction. Although this is classified as science fiction, it isn't the type of book that could easily fit into one specific genre. It raises philosophical questions about the nature of knowledge,genetic engineering, and the human spirit.
The plot is fairly straightforward. Charlie is a mentally challenged man who works in a bakery and remembers little about his real family. He attends classes at a special education center for adults. Through this center he meets Professor Nemur and Dr. Strauss. They preform an operation that alters his cpacity to abosrb and understand information, giving him a "super genius" I.Q.
The book is written from Charlie's perspective and follows his mental state from an eager, well-meaning, mentally challenged man, to a cynical, super-intelligent observer of human folly. The transformation in Charlie's emotinal state as well as his overall capacity to understand the world is what makes Flowers for Algernon so fascinating. I also found Charlie's recollections about his family very revealing. Through his memories, the reader is able to witness how a strugging family deals with having a mentally challenged child. His mother was an especially interesting character. I thought one of the best scenes in the book is when he goes back to confront her after "becoming smart". I had one image in my mind of what his mother would be like, but then when he met her in person I was amazed at just how frail and utterly human she actually was. The role reversal between Charlie and his mother and sister after his transformation is astounding. The ending of the book brought me to tears. I was really moved by the author's ability to capture the delicacy of the human mind as well as the stregnth of the spirit.

Rating:
Summary: sad but ITS A great book!
Review: this is a great book it teaches a great life lesson.. i had to read for my english class and i don't regret it. i recomned it to people who like a sad stories with a more or less happy ending.

Rating:
Summary: MOVING AND THOUGHT PROVOKING...
Review: This is a wonderful and highly original novel about a mentally challenged man named Charlie who wanted to be smart. One day, his wish was granted. A group of scientists selected him for an experimental operation which would to raise his intelligence to genius level. Suddenly, Charlie found himself transformed, and life, as he knew it, changed.

His story is told entirely through Charlie's eyes and perceptions in the form of progress reports. The reader actually sees the change in Charlie take place, as his progress reports become more complex, well written, and filled with the angst of personal discovery and growth, as well as with his gradual awareness of his amazing and accelerated intellectual development.

The progress reports are a wonderful contrivance for facilitating the story, and the reader is one with Charlie on his voyage of self-discovery. What happens to Charlie in the long run is profoundly moving and thought provoking. It is no wonder that this author was the recipient of the Nebula Award which is given by the Science Fiction Writers of America for having written the Best Novel of the Year. This is definitely a book well worth reading.