Are you freakin' kidding me? or "The Lord of the Flies"

Sandra's perspective: 
While The Lord of the Flies is #41 on the ML list and #25 on the RR list it is number zero on my list.  This is also one of those books I've been avoiding and now with good reason I can also tell you to continue to avoid it.  It was not great, it was not even good.  Maybe it's a guy thing and Ernie will have some insight for you but all I can say is I'd like the time I spent reading it back now, please and thank you.

I'm pretty sure you can't go through life not having heard something about this book and many of you may have been forced to read it in school.  Mostly what I've heard about it is:  proper British school boys marooned on an island turn into lawless savages.  That pretty much covers it so I'm not sure why I had to bother reading it.  I didn't find any real insight into why this happened.  We are all pretty much one missed bath or meal away from all turning into savages most of the places I go on a regular basis.  It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that people are motivated by fear and act accordingly.  Those of us who (think we) have sense don't understand why other people (who do not have sense) do stupid things that are bad for them. 

As far as writing style the only insight I got from the author was about Ralph.  He is constantly having trouble getting his thoughts together and out of his mouth successfully.  I think it was because of his poor diet, so without explicitly stating it the author did get this point across.  And what's the deal on being so obsessed with killing pigs and getting meat?  THEY ARE ON AN ISLAND SURROUNDED BY AN OCEAN FULL OF FISH!  Did someone forget to tell them that fish are meat and that each and every one of them could catch some fish instead of waiting for some idiot hunters to kill a pig so they could have meat?

I'm at a loss to tell you anything I found "great" about this book and I'm sure if I went out into internet land I could find lots of people who loved it and could extol its virtues to me.  But life is short and I'm afraid I don't have any more time to waste on this.  If you love this book, please comment and tell me why, if you are so inclined!

Ernie's perspective:
This isn't a terrible story but it is certainly not a great book.  Thankfully, it's a short read so I don't feel like I wasted too much time on it but there really isn't that much too it.  Lord of the Flies has the feel of one of those stories from the 1960's TV anthology series.  I could see this as an episode of "The Alfred Hitchcock Hour."

The plot is pretty simple and there's very little character development but that's okay since all the characters are very annoying.  Basically, a group of schoolboys stranded on an island try to make their own perfect society only to see it fail and fall into anarchy.  The author seems to point out that the failure of society on this little island is so much more dreadful since these are British schoolboys.
So why does this book make the lists?  I have no idea.  None.  The writing is mediocre at best.  The premise has been done to death in books, movies and reality TV.  I assume that parts of the book were shocking in its day but it does not age well.  For entertainment value, you would be better off with two episodes of "Man vs. Wild" followed by a first-season episode of "Gilligan's Island."

Gilligan, the Skipper too, the millionaire and his wife, the movie star

Mrs. Howell, Mary Ann and Thurston Howell III - Any idea on the episode Mrs. Howell is dressed for?

Why is it required reading in schools?  Maybe because of its length?  Perhaps some educators feel that kids can identify with the boys in this story?  I certainly hope that no one identifies with any of these brats.
I do not recommend that you read Lord of the Flies unless you have to.