Books: Flowers for Algernon

Comment by Bake Town (Guest)

Bake Town (Guest) — Mon, 14 May 2007 12:28:39 +0000

I didn't read it in high school, but I did read it a few years ago. I liked it. It made me cry.

I recommend The Heart is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers if you haven't already read it. Very well written - great book.

Comment by Phil (Guest)

Phil (Guest) — Mon, 14 May 2007 02:20:34 +0000

I loved this book when we read it in 8th grade English (a rare case of the NC public schools being ahead in anything, if we read this in middle school, not high school?). When our English teacher introduced it and mentioned that the movie version had starred Cliff Robertson, she was honestly shocked when the class had no idea who she was talking about. Looking back at his IMDB listing, I'm not sure she should have been. I don't recognize any of the titles of his movies between 1968 (one year after most of our class was born) and 1980 when we read the book. We might have recognized some of his flix from the 80s and 90s, though (including the Spider Man series), though we might not have known who he was.

Two enduring things from my reading that book: (1) My mind still says "Raw Shock test" almost any time someone talks about the Rorschach. And (2) I almost always think "Progris Riport" when someone says "Progress Report."

For a completely enduring (and funny) read of a man-child with idiot-smarts, read Winston Groom's "Forrest Gump" which frickin' kills.

Comment by JohnC (Guest)

JohnC (Guest) — Sun, 13 May 2007 22:12:57 +0000

despite your middling review, I just requested this book from bookmooch.com

Books: Flowers for Algernon

Ken — Sun, 13 May 2007 11:55:50 +0000

Another in my "catching up on the classics" series.