Rating: 
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!
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: Hello my nam is charly gordon I live at the the waren state home for sl-l-l-l-l-low adults. I talked with prof neemur today and I sed prof nemur I want to writ a book revew and prof nemur sed dont be absurd charly you cant writ a book revuew your eye Q is far too low for a task which requirs a much higher menta** than yors. In fact yew can hardly spel yoor own nam so why bother at all I was so sad but I just sed okay prof nemur. I wish prof nemur would stop being such a grouch. then Prof Neemur sed charly if you reely think yew can writ a revew i strongly advise yew to wryte lik yew tak but whatever yew do dont sey progris report at the top of eech payge cause that could yeeld catustrofic risults
Anyway, I deecided to writ a book revue, evn thew its hard to writ a book revue when yur eye Q is so low like mine.
Flowers for Algernon, by daniel keys is a real good book about a ment**** ratarded adult with a sixty eight Eye-Q who has a brain operashun which makes him smirt. After he gets smart, and can spel corektly, he comes to the terrible realization that the world is a dreary, cruel place, and that his so called,"friends", have in fact, been making a mockery of him his entire life.
At the beginning of Daniel Keyes absorbing, pathos evoking tale, Charlie is so dumb that he can't even beat the lab mouse ALgernon at a simple maze.
However, Charlie's "motivashun" is so powerful that he is ultimately selected as the ideal participant in the monumental operation.
As Charlie's intelligence gradually increases, and! shotly: after, he learns! proper, punktuation and spelling? from the diktionary! he falls deepky in love with Alice Kinnian, his former teacher.
Charlie soon realizes that superior intelligence is scarcely as ideal as he had envisioned it. Furthermoe, he is forced to contend with a seemingly endless list of tribulations, particularly the fact that he has surpassed both Professor Nemur and his envious "friends" in intelligence. He is also forced to confront the inevitable reality that his intellect is gradually deteriorating, and that he will soon be as foolish as he was before.
All the while Charlie maintains a fragile balancing act as he desperately struggles to prevent his lovely tenant fay and Alice Kinnian from discovering they are in love with the same man.
Charlie basks in his intelligence, but, before he knows it he is dum agin. Well, flowers for algernon is a reel good book and evrybody shud reed it- well I admit i didnt aktually reed it but i tryed reeding an exert on Amason dot com which all my friends like. Pleese tell prof.nemur to stop being such a grouch and please put some flowers in Algernon's grave.
Rating:
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.
Rating: 
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.
Rating:
Summary: Always classic!
Review: Severely retarded Charlie's heartbreaking journey to genius, and, sadly, back again can't help but inspire, especially in this day of genetic engineering. Can we change a person, what will happen if we do, and should we do it at all? What is the cost to the individual? This book still makes me cry every time I read it. Highly recommend for sci-fi fans and anyone else
Rating:
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.
Rating:
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.
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.
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