Charlie’s story is very tragic but the biggest thing I pulled from the book and from Charlie is the power of acceptance and I think that’s what a lot of the characters realized by the end like >! the ones at the bakery. !<
The way Daniel Keyes was able to assimilate Plato’s allegory of the cave into the very life blood of the narrative was impressive and made the story all the better. The book also has many very memorable iconic lines like
! “I passed your floor on the way up, and now I’m passing it on the way down, and I don’t think I’ll be taking this elevator again.” !<
All in all Charlie’s story was very touching and impactful one I’ll never forget.
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Consider picking up Richard Powers’s Bewilderment - he leans heavily on Flowers for Algernon, and unabashedly quotes it. Solid story.
And here I was thinking it was nearly Sunday and nobody had made a flowers for Algernon post this week yet.
Not everyone lives on Reddit. If you’re seeing similar posts over and over, consider taking a break.
I read it just a few weeks ago. Balled my eyes out. It is one of the best books I’ve ever read.
Are you ok? It’s alright to take a moment.
Planning on reading it soon.
I thought it was really good. What stuck out to me was how subtly the author progressed Charlie’s intelligence. You don’t really notice until about halfway toward the peak of his intelligence when you realize, hey when did he stop saying that? I just think it’s difficult to make things gradual, but he did really well at gradually increasing his intelligence.
Have you seen the movie Awakenings? Robin Williams and Robert DeNiro? It’s not the same but you might appreciate it.
I’ll check it out
After reading this novel you will begin to see this in so many places, this story has been retold so many times
The movie is actually well done. The book is better, but it is a good film.
Not that novel. Many people have read it.
I appreciate your word play, even if others didn’t haha
Just fyi, your spoiler tags don’t work on mobile. (I think you need to get rid of the spaces.)
That being said, ya, great book. I think he really captures that theme of the importance of social acceptance
We all live Charlie’s story, his is just compressed, we start off dumb, we got through puberty and eventually reach the peak of our powers and then slowly the mind and the body deteriorates until we are just babes again needing simple attentions and not quite the sharp tool we once were. That’s what I love about the story, and why it resonates with us all.
I seriously thought this book was so overrated, but I know I’m in the minority
I’m with you. All it did was make me want to smack the Dr. (And earn a fb ban for saying so)
I strongly disliked it myself. It felt gross to read and made my skin crawl.
I recently read Flowers For Algernon, and I completely agree with your thoughts on Charlie’s tragic yet powerful story. The theme of acceptance resonated deeply, especially with the characters at the bakery. I was also impressed by how Daniel Keyes integrated Plato’s allegory of the cave into the narrative, adding depth to the storytelling. The memorable lines, like the one you mentioned, added another layer of impact. Charlie’s story is indeed touching and unforgettable, and I’m grateful for the profound insights it offered.