Discussion of Flowers for Algernon

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How do you rate Flowers for Algernon?

1 star - Poor, Bad
0
No votes
2 stars - Okay, Fair
0
No votes
3 stars - Good, Like
10
25%
4 stars - Excellent, Love
30
75%
 
Total votes: 40

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mauriziopietrantuono
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Re: Discussion of Flowers for Algernon

Post by mauriziopietrantuono »

Ohhhh sweetest and saddest thing ever!
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mariahcpeck
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Post by mariahcpeck »

I was originally intrigued to read this book because I wanted to reread books I didn't have the time to appreciate when I read them in school, and I remember reading parts from this book in middle school. I was not expecting to be so captivated by this book but I was immediately enthralled in the story and the life of Charly. I was absolutely blown away by the first-person narrative that evolves into so many meaningful layers when the reader is challenged to explore the two versions of Charly and the implications of newly-discovered parts of oneself as a function of newly-acquired knowledge. The applications of this book range from self-exploration of the neurotypical mind to the acceptance and humility for individuals with all kinds of physical, intellectual, and emotional impairments or disabilities. I agree that this book can even speak to people's frustration with their memory or physical ability as they age. I think the narration of Charly's decline provides a tangible exploration of how others may feel dehumanized and disrespected when experiencing a similar decline.

As someone who works very closely with individuals with autism, I felt pulled toward the narratives that seemed to speak the words with which my clients may someday identify. The reader gains an entire appreciation of the way the narrator reveals himself to be fully human both before and after the changes he undergoes. The reader can recognize that all individuals experiencing similar disadvantages are still harshly judged in society. This book is an excellent example of the way empathy can be considered an acquired human skill through reading fiction.
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ems2
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Post by ems2 »

My mother has Alzheimer's and I see a very close connection to the way Charly
and my mother minds are divesting themselves of memory and meaning. I think it must be horrendous to know when you start to not remember, and you are losing more and more every day.

I do think you are right that it depicts everyman only in a much shorter span of time.
_Delly_01
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Post by _Delly_01 »

Flowers for Algernon is my all-time favourite book. I was left with a really strange kind of devastation I've never felt before. It was almost bittersweet, and I still feel an awful twist when I think about that book.

It was exceptionally well-written, conveying Charlie's simple or complex thoughts in typographical errors and growing/waning vocabulary. That's what affected me, I think. The reader registered the increase/decrease of his IQ before he even did at times, and it made that sense of loneliness tangible. And I think that was the theme of the book: fitting in and failing to fit in with society's expectations. Society reveres the idea of being special, but the moment you are... you're different; and society doesn't like different. Not really. It's lonely trying to be different or fit in with society. It's easier to forget and be forgotten, and just as tragic. Even more so when you empathise with someone else for experiencing that same alienation you are. Like Charlie did with Algernon. Like we did with Charlie.
Last edited by _Delly_01 on 18 Feb 2019, 03:49, edited 1 time in total.
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NetMassimo
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Post by NetMassimo »

I read that Daniel Keyes used his personal experience as a teacher, which included students with disabilities. I'm not surprised considering the depth of the story's development in terms of human skills, which include emotional skills. The novel version develops Charlie's changes much more than the original novelette, and one day I'd like to read them in sequence to fully appreciate their differences, more food for thought from this story.
Ciao :)
Massimo
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stormydesert
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Post by stormydesert »

I read Flowers for Algernon several years ago. It is a thought-provoking sci-fi classic but not my cup of tea. Some people like bittersweet stories, which is fine, but I prefer a good triumph.

I like the technique the author uses of showing Charlie's development in his own words (and in his own spellings of his own words). It's a clever way to accomplish the narration and at the same time show what's happening to the narrator. I have a hard time imagining the technique being transferred to film... a movie would have to show the changes in the character in some other way.

I did not like the thematic message, which seemed to be that scientific progress is great and all, but that ignorance is bliss. The book shows that Charlie was happier before the experiment, when, for example, he didn't know people were making fun of him and thought they were his friends. It seems we are meant to conclude that knowledge, particularly self-knowledge, has a price... and the price is too high. That's not a message I'm very pleased about.
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Medini
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Post by Medini »

A very good sci-fi novel, just mere progress reports but the consistency and the show of progress, its upward incling and decline everything was amazing. Loved walking through Charlie Gordon's life and knowing how and what it feels like to be in both the places. It broke me when he was showing declined towards the operation, specially the part where he focuses on watching the intelligent charlie through a window. It was very beautiful ❤
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Abdulwahab Maryam
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Post by Abdulwahab Maryam »

I really enjoyed the book. It made me think how quickly we are to criticize others for being different than we are. I also realized that Charlie's co-workers had low self-esteem - it was so easy for them to laugh at Charlie when he had low intelligence. When he was much more intelligent than them, they wanted nothing to do with him.
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