Flowers for Algernon: Student Edition | Daniel Keyes

Flowers for Algernon: Student Edition | Daniel Keyes | For all the haters out there

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Flowers for Algern...

	Flowers for Algernon: Student Edition Daniel Keyes Harvest Books, 2004 - 320 pages average customer review:based on 437 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

With more than five million copies sold, Flowers for Algernon is the beloved, classic story of a mentally disabled man whose experimental quest for intelligence mirrors that of Algernon, an extraordinary lab mouse. In poignant diary entries, Charlie tells how a brain operation increases his IQ and changes his life. As the experimental procedure takes effect, Charlie's intelligence expands until it surpasses that of the doctors who engineered his metamorphosis. The experiment seems to be a scientific breakthrough of paramount importance--until Algernon begins his sudden, unexpected deterioration. Will the same happen to Charlie?
An American classic that inspired the award-winning movie Charly.

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Flowers for You by Johanna Ramm

Charlie Gordon is a mentally retarded man. He doesn't realize how broad life can be. Working in Donner's Bakery is all Charlie knows. When Charlie is chosen as the first, along with a mouse named Algernon, to have an operation to increase hi IQ, his eyes open wider to see that life is as big as you make it. He learns all about the world and his scarring childhood.
Charlie soon learns that he is surrounded by narcissistic people, and even though it was Charlie who had made a breakthrough, those people were still going to take credit for his newfound purpose. So Charlie decides to go out on his own in New York City, housing Algernon. His IQ becomes high, but emotionally Charlie is trailing behind.
When his IQ reaches to a level that is above those who taught him, Charlie ends up isolating himself. While Charlie becomes one of the smartest men in New York, he still isn't wise enough to see life outside of his own little window. But what will become of Charlie when it's time to hand his body back to the original Charlie Gordon?
Charlie experiences all of growing up, getting out on your own, experimenting with your sexuality, finding out who you are, dealing with incompetence, and finding it in yourself. Charlie must learn who he is before his hourglass empties.
Flowers for Algernon is a fabulous book. One to five, I give this book a six. It is recommended for anyone and everyone over the age of 12, because there are some explicit scenes. This book taught me what it's like to be an outcast, and in a quick changing environment. Also, I learned that who you are, is who you are. You can't change that, so don't even try. Daniel Keys is phenomenal at describing each scene. You'll think you're sitting in the laboratory or on Charlie's couch the entire time! Flowers for Algernon is good for both educational reading, and it's great for pleasure.

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For all the haters out there

I read this book as required reading the the 8th grade and I never did stop loving it. My classmates loved it too but to be fair, a lot of them wouldn't reread it.

So when I came to Amazon, I was overjoyed that Flowers for Algernon received so many 5 stars. But at the same time, I was incensed that there were actually people who hated it. I know everyone's entitled to their opinions so I decided not to judge them till I understood why they hated the book.

Apparently, the biggest beef they had with the story was that it "didn't have enough action." WHAT THE HECK. This book is not meant to be an adventure story where the suddenly smart protagonist is going to become a superhero and beat up villans. It shows the raw emotions of Charlie and how the people around him are like. It shows the ordinary, mundane, every day life of a normal man, depsite his unusual circumstances. People, even if something big happened in your life, you'd eventually get used to or over it and spend your days doing the same things. That's what the story's like.

And another thing - the sexual confusion is natural. After becoming more intelligent, the protagonist is of course going to experience the emotions he didn't during puberty.

Also, many of the reviews seemed to be written by kids who just resented the fact that they had been required to read it. Who'd rather play video games or read "great" literature such as Breaking Dawn (which has way more sexual content, to no one's surprise).

There, rant over.

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A moving story

If you have never read it, you will never understand some of the truest aspects of life.

For book clubs or teens

It was a provocative and well written book. Both my teens also read and enjoyed it. I cringed at the look into how society treats mentally challenged individuals. The main characters have to make incredibly difficult and thought provoking choices. I cried at the end. It is short but has enough meat to be a great book club choice.

reviews: page 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10

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