It has been years that I kept seeing this book across the shelves of numerous bookstores, and only now have I read it. I was pretty much devastated after reading this. There is nothing literal about the title. It's a story set during World War II about a group of schoolboys stranded in a deserted island who only have themselves to survive. The lack of society and societal rules is a struggle for the boys as they are confused as to who should be 'chief', who makes the fire and who hunts.
The minute details of death, sacrifice and hunting made me feel their pain and angst so I guess that's why this is the winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature. The symbolism in this story is true to the past as it is to the present. Think of it somewhat like the Lost series but only involving children. What an enjoyable read this has been.
“Ralph wept for the end of innocence, the darkness of man's heart, and the fall through the air of the true, wise friend called Piggy.” (Chapter 12)
