Select the book from which you would like to see information displayed
You can also click here to find a list of all books currently in the database or here to browse books by title.
I believe most of the categories are self explanatory. However, see below for more information on what information is contained in each section and (in particular) what sections may contain spoilers. You can also now find spoiler free blog entries on many of these books on the main page.
- Synopsis - This option will provide you with the reader's synopsis of the book. Be warned, it will contain spoilers!
- Critique - Select this if you are interested in the reader's impressions, complaints, or general subjective thoughts on the book. Again, beware spoilers!
- Quote - A selection of favorite quotes from the book
All the information contained in this database (except where noted via quotations) is the original work of the reader noted below. Feel free to use the information, but if you do, please credit us and drop us a line at books [at] somesmart [dot] com or leave a comment below.
Flowers for Algernon
by Daniel Keyes
- Read by: Scott
- Date read: 2009-02-08
This radar plot is meant to give a graphical representation of the book in question. For a better idea of what each spoke means, see the table below. Also, keep in mind that higher numbers are not necessarily better. Depending on your taste, a 0 may be just as appealing as a 10 (or a 5, etc) in a particular category. (Click to close)
| Category | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maturity | 18+ | 17 | 16 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 8 |
| Violence | Excessive Violence | Violent acts (no blood-gore) | No Violence | ||||||||
| Action | Constant Action | Even mix of action-drama | No Action | ||||||||
| Epic | Lord of the Rings Epic | Large scope, less detailed | Limited scope | ||||||||
| World | Completely unique | Half real/half unique | Set in our world | ||||||||
| Realism | Focus outside the realm of accepted science | Focus evenly split between explainable-unexplainable | Nothing unexplainable - not the focus | ||||||||
| Modernity | Present Day (or beyond) | 1980-1999 | 1960-1979 | 1930-1959 | 1870-1929 | 1800-1869 | 1700-1799 | 1400-1699 | 200-1399 | (1000)-199 | Ancient |
| Humor | Laugh out loud throughout | Funny (but not primary focus) | Intentionally not funny |
Flowers for Algernon tells the story of Charlie Gordon, a retarded man who, due to his passion for learning to read, is given the opportunity to participate in an experiment that will greatly increase his intelligence. The experiment has already had good results on a mouse named Algernon, and with the permission of his estranged sister, Charlie decides to undergo the surgery.
The entire book is told from the perspective of Charlie, through a series of progress reports he writes for the sake of the experiment. Rapidly, we see that the experiment is successful as the progress reports become easier to read and the spelling and vocabulary improve. Charlie"s intelligence increases exponentially, and the changes begin to frighten those in the bakery where he has worked for years. Eventually, they force him out, at which point Charlie begins to formalize his learning at the college where the experiment was done.
He absorbs many languages and fields of study quickly, as well as releasing numerous repressed memories. Though Charlie"s intellect develops rapidly, emotionally he remains stunted in many ways. Numerous attempts to develop a relationship with Alice, the teacher that recommended him for the surgery, are halted by panic attacks caused by repressed memories. Charlie also begins to realize that those he thought were his friends were really just laughing at him, and he begins to develop a more cynical outlook on humanity. He also begins to look down upon the other "intellectuals" he meets when he finds that their limited scope of study renders them incapable of viewing the world as comprehensively as he can.
Eventually, it becomes evident that not all is well with Algernon, and that the changes may not be permanent (a possibility from the beginning). Charlie takes it upon himself to discover the mistakes the lead on the experiment, Dr. Nemur, made and, if it is possible, to salvage his own intelligence. Charlie discovers that by rapidly increasing all the mental faculties of a person it is inevitable that they brain becomes worn out and will ultimately deteriorate as quickly as it developed.
As Charlie begins to deteriorate he meets with his mother and sister, finds some closure with his past, and is able to have a brief, yet fulfilling relationship with Alice. Algernon dies, and Charlie buries him in the backyard where he places flowers periodically. Slowly, the progress reports begin to regress in terms of spelling, punctuation, and vocabulary and Charlie realizes he must commit himself to a facility that is able to handle the mentally retarded so that he does not remind those who care about him of how far he has fallen. The book concludes with a request from Charlie that someone place flowers on Algernon"s grave.
The initial effect that reading Charlie"s progress reports had upon me was significant. Though I was aware of the general plot of the book, I was not expecting to read first-person reports clearly meant to have been written by a retarded man. From the very beginning, I was enthralled with the book and felt very strongly for Charlie has a character. Without a doubt, had this book not been written in this way, it would not have been nearly as effective.
It is interesting how as Charlie has gotten smarter and begun to remember events from his life, he switches to third person in his progress reports. Though he criticizes Nemur for speaking of pre-operation Charlie as though he weren’t human, to me this transition to third person is Charlie"s way of distancing himself from what he used to be, even if he is not doing it consciously. As this theme first began to develop I wondered, how human does Charlie really think he was before the operation? This becomes a major theme of the book, and ultimately this dichotomy remains open to some interpretation. On one hand, Charlie continues to distance himself from his past self, even to the point of seeing him external to his own body and, at one point, having a conversation with his retarded past self. Yet, in spite of this disassociation, it is clear that Charlie still understands that he was human in the past, and his life was worth value.
At the climax of the book, just before Charlie completely understands that his deterioration is inevitable, he challenges Nemur, to his face, about how he believes he created the Charlie by performing the surgery, and that before the operation, Charlie was nothing. Keyes obviously wanted to express to the reader the humanity of all people, no matter their intelligence.
The other primary theme of Flowers for Algernon analyzes the relationship between a person"s overall intelligence, and how happy of a life they can lead. As Charlie"s intelligence begins to grow it appears that Keyes is saying that the more intelligent you are the less satisfying, fulfilling, and happy your life can be. In the end, however, Keyes uses a rant from Charlie to express that it is not that you cannot be happy if you are intelligent, but rather that the two do not go hand in hand (as pre-operation Charlie had originally hoped). During the climactic dinner party, when Charlie challenges Nemur, the doctor accuses the rapid growth in intelligence to have destroyed Charlie"s faith in humanity. Charlie responds:
"That"s not completely true," I said softly. "But I"ve learned that intelligence alone doesn"t mean a damned thing. here in your university, intelligence, education, knowledge, have all become great idols. But I know now there"s one thing you"ve all overlooked: intelligence and education that hasn"t been tempered by human affection isn"t worth a damn" (249).
Unfortunately, Charlie was not tempered by affection, thus rendering his intelligent life far more depressing and unhappy than others might experience. Thus, in the end we find Charlie to be a far happier, positive, and warm person now that he is retarded again than he ever was a genius.
I would strongly recommend Flowers for Algernon to anyone. The usage of first person to draw the reader into Charlie"s mind, and Keyes" treatment of the major themes is excellent. However, the book is undoubtedly sad, especially if you are prone to compassion for the mentally retarded.
p. 199:
"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."
p.242:
"It"s one of those inexplicable things, how everything I"ve learned and experienced is brought to bear on the problem. Pushing too hard will only make things freeze up. How many great problems have gone unsolved because men didn"t know enough, or have enough faith in the creative process and in themselves, to let go for the whole mind to work at it?"
16 - Some sexual content and foul language
Yes
Read ID (use for comment below): 8
