Writing style
Atmospheric · Descriptive · Direct
Apple BooksLord of the Flies
Literary fiction · Allegory · Tragedy
- First published
- 1954
- Print length
- 315 pagesBerkley, 2003
Description
After a wartime plane crash strands a group of British schoolboys on an uninhabited island, Ralph is elected chief and tries to build an orderly community. With Piggy’s practical advice, a conch shell for assemblies, and a signal fire lit through Piggy’s glasses, the boys establish rules intended to keep them alive and visible to rescuers. Their fragile cooperation weakens as daily work loses its appeal and fear of a mysterious beast spreads. Jack offers hunting, protection, and a more forceful kind of leadership, drawing support away from Ralph. The conflict turns survival into a struggle over what authority should rest upon. William Golding’s novel tests civilization, morality, and collective responsibility under the pressure of fear and the desire for power.
Reading profile
About this profile
Collected’s assessment, not reader ratings. Complexity runs from 1 (least demanding) to 5 (most demanding).
- Writing
- How much attention the sentences and language require.
- Ideas
- How much interpretation or abstract reasoning the book asks of you.
- Structure
- How much you need to keep track of speakers, timelines and connections.
- Background knowledge
- Prior knowledge needed to follow the book, beyond what it explains.
- Emotional intensity
- Emotional pressure, from gentle (1) to intense (5). Separate from difficulty.
Pace
Moderate
Tone
Bleak · Dark · Tense · Unsettling
Structure
Linear
Focus
Character · Ideas · Plot
Emotional intensity
5 / 5
Reading complexity
1–5 · higher means more demanding- Writing
- 3 / 5
- Ideas
- 4 / 5
- Structure
- 2 / 5
- Background knowledge
- 1 / 5
Themes
Book details
For the print edition listed above.
- Publisher
- Berkley
- Language
- English
- ISBN
- 9780399529207
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