‎دوستانِ گرانقدر، این کتاب از 368 صفحه و 12 فصل تشکیل شده است... از آن دسته از داستانهایست که تا ساعت ها شما را به فکر فرو میبرد و در رویدادهای بیان شده در داستان اندیشه خواهید نمود.... عده ای دانش آموز و کودکان پنج الی شش ساله و بزرگترهای آنها ده تا سیزده ساله.. در جزیره ای بی نام و نشان سقوط میکنند... هیچ بزرگتری در میان آنها نیست... یکی از این بچه ها که به نوعی شخصیتِ اصلی داستان است، رالف نام دارد، او پسری تا حدودی بی باک و همیشه امیدوار است.. به همراه پسر بچه ای چاق، امّا باهوش به نامِ خوکه.. صدفی پیدا میکنند و با دمیدن در آن و جمع کردن بچه های دیگر، اولین اجتماع بچه ها را تشکیل میدهند و در رأی گیری نخستین، رالف به ریاست بچه ها در جزیره انتخاب میشود
‎در میان بچه ها شخصیتی چندش آور و وحشی خوی به نام جک وجود دارد که رقیب رالف است و حسادت و وحشی گری در او موج میزند.... همه چیز در آرامش پیش میرود و بچه ها در جزیره میوه میخورند و بازی میکنند و کم کم به جزیره عادت میکنند... رالف با استفاده از عینک خوکه که همچون ذره بین عمل میکند، آتش روشن میکند و قانونی میگذارند تا همه کمک کنند و آتش همیشه روشن باشد و دود کند.. چراکه دود و آتش تنها راه نجات آنها از جزیره است.... در این میان در بین بچه ها ترس از هیولایی ناشناخته در جزیره شکل میگیرد و این موضوع آغازی است برای برهم خوردن آرامش و اجتماع انسانی و دور از توحشِ این کودکان
‎دوستانِ گرامی، چنانچه بخواهم داستان را توضیح دهم از جذابیتِ آن کاسته میشود.. عزیزانم تا همین اندازه بگویم که نویسنده نشان میدهد چگونه خوی وحشیگری انسانها و غریزهٔ آنها بر همه چیز پیروز میشود و چگونه میلِ به خونریزی و شکار در انسانها شعله هایش روشن و روشنتر میشود و چه آسان انسانها کمر به کشتن یکدیگر میبندند
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‎لازم است بگویم که مقدمهٔ مترجم را نخوانید، نخست آنکه داستان را به نوعی لو داده است و دوم آنکه سرشار از چرت و پرت است و نوشته هایی دور از خرد، که پشت آنها هیچگونه دلیل خردمندانه و پژوهشی، وجود ندارد.... نویسنده در پایان نشان میدهد که بچه ها انگلیسی هستند.. امّا مترجم میگوید، وحشی گری بچه ها نماد آلمان در جنگ جهانی دوم است و جک که رئیس وحشی هاست نماد هیتلر میباشد!!... مشخص است که مترجم بیسوادی است که هیچ از تاریخ نمیداند و فقط یک چیزی شنیده و ابلهانه تکرار میکند و آلمان ستیز است
‎کسانی که هیچ از تاریخ جنگ جهانی نمیدانند، فریب نویسندگانِ انگلیسی و آمریکایی و حتی یهود را خورده و هیتلر و آلمان را وحشی قلمداد میکنند
‎پس بهتر است مقدمه را نخوانید... چون داستان هیچ ارتباطی به سیاست و جنگ و فاشیست و کمونیست و اینگونه مسائلی که مترجم بیان نموده است، ندارد و تنها مسائلِ روانشناسی و روانشناختی انسانهاست که ریشه های آن را زنده یاد فرویدِ بزرگ، کشف کرده بود و نویسنده با ذوقِ بالایِ خویش برایِ نوشتنِ این داستان از آنها بهره برده است.... یادِ زنده یاد فروید همیشه گرامی باد
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‎امیدوارم از خواندنِ این داستان لذت ببرید
‎<پیروز باشید و ایرانی>

I only know that Lord of the Flies is an extremely popular classic book but I have zero idea on what it’s about and I must say, this is completely unexpected and until now I’m not sure if that’s in a good way or bad. ^^ The premise is without a doubt ingenious- a group of kids castaway in an island? Sounds like a partaayy! Tom Hanks would have loved to jump in if only he weren’t an adult.^^



And party it was at the greater half of the book which mostly consisted of:

1. Purposeless assemblies
2. A lot of giggling
3. Pig chase re-enactments
4. Touch the conch game.^^
5. Laughing fits mostly at the expense of Piggy. (Poor, Piggy) *sniffs*

But the party suddenly turns into savagery (See this is why you can’t join in, Mr. Hanks) and eep! enter the gloomy themes and deeper darker messages of the novel that allegedly gave inspiration to the phenomenal dystopian trilogy that is the Hunger Games and undoubtedly several other dystopian novels that capitalize on brutality and murdering children. (Kidding.^^)

For a proper, more eloquent, far more meaningful review that will tackle the themes, the writing and other important elements of the novel that I shamelessly neglected, do read my beautiful friend’s,  (Ate) Sabah’s review. Also, it’s her birthday today! HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Ate Sabah! I hope you have a wonderful day with loads of love and surprises! I couldn't find a paperback copy of Jane Eyre. I hope this'll do. <3

One of my favorite books...the underlying theme of which almost all problems in society can be traced back to. Have always wondered: would the story be different if it was a group of young girls instead of young boys? Something tells me there would be more cooperation if it was a group of young girls.

Fenomenalna.

UPDATE: I was very saddened to read this Guardian article about Golding's manipulation of the classroom as a means to inform this work. Here is the dichotomy between contextual analysis and the reading of a book in isolation. It's of no consequence to anyone but me that my previous rating is reduced to no stars, but a writer searching for plot events or people on which to base characters has a moral obligation, particularly when dealing with children, not to indulge in the seductive siren call to experience an authenticity in life with the intent of reproducing it on the page. It's one thing to write a book on previous experiences garnered as the unconscious evolution and transition from state of naivete to worldliness, it's another, and entirely reprehensible, to create situations for the purpose of observation and recording and insertion in a novel, without the consent and knowledge of the subjects forming the experiment. Worse, Golding's work has been lauded as commentary on the nature of political and social structures, as I mentioned in my review proper. That he used school children, innocent of and incapable of denying his intent, constitutes no less of an emotional dishonesty than that to which I have ascribed other authors, indeed the one to whose work I have compared his.

The original review appears at www.abookwithaview.com

(Book 508 from 1001 books) .tLord of the flies, William Golding

Lord of the Flies is a 1954 novel by Nobel Prize–winning British author William Golding. The book focuses on a group of British boys stranded on an uninhabited island and their disastrous attempt to govern themselves.

In the midst of a wartime evacuation, a British aeroplane crashes on or near an isolated island in a remote region of the Pacific Ocean. The only survivors are boys in their middle childhood or preadolescence. Two boys—the fair-haired Ralph and an overweight, bespectacled boy nicknamed "Piggy"—find a conch, which Ralph uses as a horn to convene all the survivors to one area.

Ralph is optimistic, believing that grownups will come to rescue them but Piggy realises the need to organise ("put first things first and act proper").

Because Ralph appears responsible for bringing all the survivors together, he immediately commands some authority over the other boys and is quickly elected their "chief".

He does not receive the votes of the members of a boys' choir, led by the red-headed Jack Merridew, although he allows the choir boys to form a separate clique of hunters.

Ralph establishes three primary policies: to have fun, to survive, and to constantly maintain a smoke signal that could alert passing ships to their presence on the island and thus rescue them. The boys establish a form of democracy by declaring that whoever holds the conch shall also be able to speak at their formal gatherings and receive the attentive silence of the larger group.

Jack organises his choir into a hunting party responsible for discovering a food source. Ralph, Jack, and a quiet, dreamy boy named Simon soon form a loose triumvirate of leaders with Ralph as the ultimate authority.

Upon inspection of the island, the three determine that it has fruit and wild pigs for food. The boys also use Piggy's glasses to create a fire. Although he is Ralph's only real confidant, Piggy is quickly made into an outcast by his fellow "biguns" (older boys) and becomes the butt of the other boys' jokes. Simon, in addition to supervising the project of constructing shelters, feels an instinctive need to protect the "littluns" (younger boys).

The semblance of order quickly deteriorates as the majority of the boys turn idle; they give little aid in building shelters, spend their time having fun and begin to develop paranoias about the island. The central paranoia refers to a supposed monster they call the "beast", which they all slowly begin to believe exists on the island.

Ralph insists that no such beast exists, but Jack, who has started a power struggle with Ralph, gains a level of control over the group by boldly promising to kill the creature. At one point, Jack summons all of his hunters to hunt down a wild pig, drawing away those assigned to maintain the signal fire.

A ship travels by the island, but without the boys' smoke signal to alert the ship's crew, the vessel continues without stopping. Ralph angrily confronts Jack about his failure to maintain the signal; in frustration Jack assaults Piggy, breaking one of the lenses of his glasses.

The boys subsequently enjoy their first feast. Angered by the failure of the boys to attract potential rescuers, Ralph considers relinquishing his position as leader, but is persuaded not to do so by Piggy, who both understands Ralph's importance and fears what will become of him should Jack take total control. ...

عنوانهای چاپ شده در ایران: «سالار مگس ها»؛ «خداوندگار مگسها»؛ «بعل زبوب»؛ نویسنده: سر ویلیام گلدینگ؛ (بهجت، ابتکار، افراشته، آپادانا، ابر سفید، رهنما، امیرکبیر)؛ ادبیات انگلستان؛ تاریخ نخستین خوانش روز بیست و پنجم ماه اکتبر سال 2012میلادی

عنوان: سالار مگس ها ؛ نویسنده: سر ویلیام گلدینگ؛ مترجم: حمید رفیعی؛ تهران، بهجت، 1353، در 372ص؛ چاپ سوم 1385؛ شابک 9646671918؛ موضوع: داستانهای نویسندگان بریتانیا - سده 20م

عنوان: بعل زبوب ؛ نویسنده: سر ویلیام گلدینگ؛ مترجم: محمود مشرف آزاد (م آزاد)؛ تهران، ابتکار، 1363، در 270ص؛

عنوان: سالار مگس ها ؛ نویسنده: سر ویلیام گلدینگ؛ مترجم: رضا دیداری؛ تهران، افراشته، 1363؛ در 282ص؛

عنوان: سالار مگس ها؛ نویسنده: سر ویلیام گلدینگ؛ مترجم: سوسن اردکانی (شاهین)؛ تهران، آپادانا، 1363؛ در 336ص؛ چاپ دیگر تهران، ابر سفید، 1390، در 327ص؛ شابک 9786009254552؛

عنوان: سالار مگسها؛ نویسنده: سر ویلیام گلدینگ؛ مترجم مژگان منصوری؛ تهران، پرگل، 1379؛ چاپ دیگر تهران، رهنما، 1382؛ در 443ص؛ شابک 9643670937؛ چاپ دیگر 1385؛ چاپ بعدی 1388؛ شابک 9789643670931؛

عنوان: خداوندگار مگس ها؛ نویسنده: سر ویلیام گلدینگ؛ مترجم: جواد پیمان؛ تهران، امیرکبیر، چاپ دوم 1395؛ در 287ص؛ شابک 9789640018743؛

عنوان: سالار مگس‌ها؛ ویلیام گلدینگ؛ مترجم ناهید شهبازی‌مقدم؛ تهران، آموت 1396؛ در 317ص؛ شابک 9786003840317؛

از جمله آثار برجسته ی کلاسیک جهان، که «ویلیام گلدینگ» در آن؛ شور و هیجان خویش را در یک قصه ی تمثیلی، با قدرت و صداقت توصیف کرده، داستان ماجرای شگفت آور گروهی پسر بچه است، در مدرسه ای «انگلیسی»، که در طی جنگ هسته ای و خانمانسوز، عازم منطقه ای امن میشوند؛ ولی سقوط هواپیما، آنها را ملزم به اقامت در جزیره ای استوایی میکند؛ در آغاز، همه چیز به خوبی پیش میرود، و آنها بی دغدغه و سبکبال، جزیره ی خوش آب و رنگ و سرسبز را، درمینوردند؛ اما اندک زمانی، پس از آن، شرارت و تندخویی پسرها، بهشت زمینی را، به دوزخی از آتش و خون، مبدل میکند، و تمامی مظاهر خرد و پاک اندیشی، از وجودشان رخت برمیبندد؛ کشمکش درونی نیروهای متضاد خیر و شر، درون مایه ی داستان را شکل میدهند

تاریخ بهنگام رسانی 22/06/1399هجری خورشیدی؛ 15/05/1400هجری خورشیدی؛ ا. شربیانی

A brilliant book! After a plane crash, a bunch of school boys are stranded on an island. It’s a tale of how with passage of time, the kids react to their circumstances; in some cases with shocking and disturbing consequences! It’s a harrowing and haunting story.
It’s fiction; it does not imply that if caught in this scenario kids or any one would necessarily react like that. But, it’s just a glimpse into what people are capable of doing when caught in most dire of the circumstances. The whole ensemble of characters can be considered a representation of a human or society at large. Each character can be thought to represent an aspect of the social construct or a characteristic of a person.
It’s an allegorical tale. There are many interpretations of various facets of it. But basically it’s a commentary on the inherent darkness within each human which can surface when the one goal that comes engineered in our DNA since inception, survival , is threatened!

This was a great read in my opinion. I enjoyed it from the first to the last page. The story explores group polarization as the stranded youths slowly regress into a primitive state. Frictions demonstrate the social pressure as division occurs and give rise to the psychological dilemma of 'the power of the situation'. The book also explores irrational fear and imagination as it relates to the group-think concept.

For some reason I thought the most powerful parts of the story were the use of the word 'mask'. The face paint and camouflage the 'hunters' use created a face mask.

The author writes how the boys hid behind their 'masks' and became different (or even stronger) boys:

"The mask compelled them", pg. 76

"He was safe from shame or self-consciousness behind the mask of his paint...", pg. 178

I enjoyed the simple delivery of the author's use of imagery, dialogue, and colorful descriptions used throughout the narrative. I would recommend this one to anyone. Thanks!

الرواية تحكي عن مجموعة أطفال يجدون أنفسهم في جزيرة نائية بعد أن سقطت بهم الطائرة. انقسم الأطفال إلى قسمين، قسم يريد الصلاح والقانون ليتمكنوا من الحياة وإشعال النار لربما تمر سفينة صدفة فترى الدخان وتنقذهم بقيادة رالف، وقسم آخر آثر التوحش والتعجرف البُدائي حبًّا في السلطة بقيادة جاك.
الهدف والمغزى من الرواية عميق جدًا. تستحق القراءة.

اقتباسات:

“إذا ما خفت من شخص فإنك تكرهه من دون أن تتمكن من التوقف عن التفكير فيه. تحاول إيهام نفسك بأنه شخص لا ضير منه، لكن حينما تراه بعد ذلك يصبح الأمر أشبه بنوبة الربو ولا تعود قادراً على التنفس.”

“أيها أفضل .. أن يكون لديكم قوانين وتوافق بينكم، أم أن تصطادوا وتقتلوا؟”

“أيهما أفضل، القانون والإنقاذ، أم الصيد وتقويض كل شيء؟”

“كان رالف يبكي نهاية البراءة، وظلامية قلب الإنسان والسقوط المريع في الهواء للصديق الحقيقي العاقل المسمّى بيغي.”

I don't believe boys/men are like this; I don't believe people are like this. I never did. It was well written, but I wanted to take a hot shower afterwards.

Years after I read this masterpiece, it is still chilling.

Golding spins a yarn that could have been told centuries ago, primal human nature unmoored from civilization does not take long to break away and devolve into a feral thing.

As good today, and as haunting, as it was when it was published in 1954. This should be on a list of books that must be read.

** 2018 addendum - it is a testament to great literature that a reader recalls the work years later and this is a book about which I frequently think.

My second reading and still just 4 stars. Some people give it five stars for the classic that it is, but for me it is a good book, but does not blow me away.

I did the audio this time and I highly recommend it. It is read by the author and his forward and afterward are pretty funny.

As mentioned a couple of paragraphs above - it is a classic and should be read by all. It may not be some people's cup of tea, but for the time it came out it is unique and has led to almost any survival story that looks at how a group of people react to be referred to as Lord-of-the-Flies-esque.