Lord of the Flies is a classic. One of those wonderful books forced down your throat in either junior high or high school. The result: It often takes young people a while to realize what a gem this book is. Somehow books we're required to read don't seem as beautiful as novels we have to sneak past our parents. But, in my opinion, this one ranks up there with Catcher in the Rye. It's wonderful. Like Catcher, the true darker nature of childhood is captured. Guardian has posted news that Stephen King has written a new introduction to Lord of the Flies. Alison Flood writes that the new introduction is "part of celebrations later this summer to mark 100 years since Golding's birth." She says that when King was approached by publishers, he "jumped" at the chance to write the introduction. In fact, he turned in his work early! It has been described as autobiographical -- which is in line with the way King usually discusses books. They are part of his story.
Lord of the Flies has played a role in King literature before. Flood notes that King's fictional town of Castle Rock is named "after the area that Jack makes his fort in Golding's novel." She also points out that a copy of Lord of the Flies "plays a role in King's novel Hearts in Atlantis."
Even without King's introduction, this is a book you should own and read! http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2011/apr/11/stephen-king-william-golding-centenary
I don't own a copy of "Lord of the Flies"; this seems like a good opportunity to fix that.
ReplyDeletefunny thing, just glanced at my books shelf. . . no Lord of the Flies! I'm with you, good time to buy a copy.
ReplyDeleteSad to say, I've never even read it...! I was never assigned it in school. When I read "Hearts In Atlantis," the way Ted Brautigan talked about "Lord of the Flies" made me want to get a copy, but I never got around to doing it.
ReplyDeleteThis, I suppose, is why publishers are keen to have authors like Stephen King write introductions for books. It'll undoubtedly cause a few copies to get sold that might never have otherwise.
Wouldn't the "Stephen King Literary library" be cool? Classic books, similiarly bound, with introductions by King.
ReplyDeleteYep; I'd sign up for that, no doubt.
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