Lord of the Flies by William Golding
Farber and Farber, 1954
207 pages, 4 stars
ABOUT THE BOOK: I’m probably the last person on the planet to read Lord of the Flies, but it wasn’t required in my high school. Anyway…a group of prep school boys are marooned on an island when their plane is gunned down. They were fleeing some European war (WWI?). Without grown-ups around, these boys must set up their own system of leadership and try to survive while retaining their civility.
However, when one power-crazed boy disrupts the fragile order, chaos ensues with the result of intense violence. Lord of the Flies shows how, in a short time, civil attitudes that took thousands of years to develop can be lost.
ABOUT THE OUTFIT: Cheers my honorable little chief. You are the holder of the conch and must keep it close because it is your only claim to the chiefdom. With this necklace you can also keep it secure from thieves.
These raggedy shorts have seen better days, but frankly so have you. Your pig shirt flaunts your love for Piggy; he’s the smartest guy you know. But loving Piggy isn’t really “cool,” so cover it up with this generic BOY London sweatshirt. That’s what you are after all: a good ole English chap.
Your oxfords are a throw-back to your prep school days. Their moss green color acquired by tramping through the jungle kicking creepers aside. Paired with leopard print socks bunched around your ankles showing your daring side. They don’t really match, you rebel you.
These thick framed glasses will help you start fires, which will eventually lead to your rescue. But rescue doesn’t come until after you have blood on your hands. This red nail polish reminds you that humanity can slip away so easily in the face of anarchy.
The Eau De Parfum will help with the fact that you haven’t had a proper bath in God knows how long. And the butterfly cap is a reminder of innocence lost. Once the first pig was sacrificed and its head was speared in the clearing, the beautiful butterflies were replaced by swarms of flies.
Books Are The New Black 