Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes.

 Charlie Gordon is 32 years old and has low intelligence. He is offered an operation to make him smart. Follow Charlie through his progress reports to learn how he got on.

I was put onto this novel when I read Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon. She referred to this book time and time again throughout her novel.

Flowers for Algernon is considered by many readers to be a classic and it won the Nebula award in 1967.

This novel was written in 1966 and the language used reflects the time. Books today would never dream of using these words about disability but older readers will have used them daily in all innocence.

I love first person narratives but I thought this novel got off to a poor start because of the phonetic spelling. This was due to Charlie’s low intelligence and he even poked fun at his own ignorance and lack of punctuation. Then I decided to read it “in character” like the nutter on the bus and went with the flow. Following Charlie’s operation he became smart and his writing quality increased to that which you would expect from an award winning book.

I did not think the plot was brilliant, perhaps enough for a 60 minute television drama. This science fiction was sad in places and it is an emotional read. However, I do not feel that it deserves ALL the acclaim many readers have given this book OR to win a book award. I thought this novel was an OKAY 3 star read but certainly NOT a classic that many readers consider it to be. Normally I have plenty to say about a book but this was like reading the FREE Metro newspaper. For my impressions to be limited to “sad in places and it is an emotional read” shows that Flowers for Algernon did NOT rock my boat.

I made highlights on my Kindle as usual and here is the very best and most impressive quote I can give you from the whole book…

How strange it is that people of honest feelings and sensibility, who would not take advantage of a man born without arms or legs or eyes - how such people think nothing of abusing a man born with low intelligence. It infuriated me to remember that not too long ago I - like this boy - had foolishly played the clown.

Flowers for Algernon was written in 1966 and is available as an Amazon Kindle eBook.