Flowers for Algernon Review

Review

“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 of abusing a man with low intelligence.”

I am lost for what I want to say about this book. There’s always a degree of difficulty in trying to write a review for a book that you end up loving as compared to something that you detest or simply do not like.

Before I even begin the proper review, I would like to thank Skyler (@a.frame.bookshelf) for agreeing to buddy-read this book with me. It’s definitely a huge encouragement to have someone to read with.

Anyway…

Flowers for Algernon follows the story of Charlie Gordon—a mentally disabled man who, by the virtue of his mother, was sent into a laboratory to get operated on and tested for a new medicinal untested technology in an attempt to “cure” him.

In an extraordinary turn of event, his improvement mirrored that of a lab mouse who preceded his experimentation. Their swift expansion in their mental capacity shook the community yet this is, of course, not without obvious consequences. As with his rapid advancement, racing behind his back was an equally rapid deterioration. Turning the story in a cataclysmic wheel of emotions.

I find the characters to be well-realized. Their exactness—truthfulness to life—can be regarded as mirror-like. Each did not sugarcoat the reality of humanity and provided a good representation of how people’s fear, hunger, and kindness overrides their actions.

The story was poignant in its race towards the show of a human’s capacity for empathy, their remarkable cruelty, and a giant ball of flaming ego.

“Intelligence and knowledge had changed me, and he would resent me—as the others did—because my growth diminished him.”

Utilizing a unique writing style, the book really calls out to you. The author’s use of conceptual writing by sampling a hypothetical idea of a mentally disabled man was curious. It can be difficult to read at first as the words are either jumbled, misses some letters, or altogether wrong; however, it gave a unique characteristic to the narrative. In addition, the usage of epistolary formatting provided a deeper connection between the reader and the character.

In consequence of the choice of style, though, the book exceeded a line of insensitivity and harshness. There is an agreeable note to this, if the author took the time for research and represented well the personality they wanted to represent (which is not something I personally am an expert of, so I’m leaving this to those who know better).

The pacing was astounding in its slow and rhythmic cadence as it progresses towards a rising climax; continues with constant acceleration to reach its tipping point; and finally, takes and readies itself in a well calculated decrease to a crescendo.

Charlie Gordon’s development was nothing but extraordinary. His developments are profound but so was his heartbreaking unbecoming. Despite it all, it was a poetic story and a painful appreciation of what might be, what will be, and what could have been if only.

I loved Flowers of Algernon and it will forever scar me. A gashing reminder of how scary the world can be yet an inspiring tale that leads you to a small glimmer of hope.

“As I listened to what she was saying, the enormity of it dawned on me. I had been so absorbed in myself and what was happening to me that I never thought about what was happening to her.”