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BOOK REVIEW⁠
[Flowers for Algernon] Read the progress reports of Charlie Gordon as he undergoes an operation to increase his mental prowess.⁠
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WHAT I LIKED⁠
Flowers for Algernon is an intimate conversation with the changing mind of Charlie Gordon. Readers know they live right next to his prefrontal cortex through the first words “progris riport 1 match 3.” Keyes ingeniously uses words as form to reflect Charlie’s slow mental change. Each progress report differs in length and ends anywhere on the page. There’s no true chapter divide (no matter how many times I told myself 'I’ll just read one more chapter').⁠
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Charlie is incredibly motivated to read and write like a ’normal person.’ Above all, he is innocent. Along with reading and writing comes the knowledge that his friends aren’t exactly who he thought they were. Yet, not even Charlie is perfect. He makes mistakes and mistakes and mistakes. Not even perfect intellect can prevent someone from messing up.⁠
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WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE⁠
The middle half of the book was a bit onenote for me. I think the jump between Charlie’s problems in the middle and end (keeping it spoiler free, y'all) could have been accomplished with less detail. ⁠
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Flowers for Algernon (by Daniel Keyes) ⚡️⚡️⚡️3/5⁠
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Favorite Pages: 5,9, 16, 23, 25, 37, 59, 71, 113, 122, 124, 126, 153, 193, 195, 199, 211, 230, 249, 252, 278⁠
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Recommended for Lovers of: Lord of the Flies by William Golding, Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest by Ken Kesey⁠
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