The Book Nook: Flowers for Algernon

I find it hard to suggest this book without describing the way it will cut open your chest and intertwine its depiction with your heart only to rip it out in the end. Daniel Keyes writes a perpetual novel that searches for the answers to happiness.

“Flowers for Algernon” delineates a story where a man born with low mental abilities has a new procedure performed that is supposed to enhance his IQ. However Charlie Gordon finds that his prior and latter IQ separate him from society in a way that every human wants to be included. While venturing through his new Einstein-like lenses of the world, Charlie finds friendship through the lab mouse, Algernon, that experiences the same procedure, struggles to break free of the demeaning idea of him as an experiment rather than a human, battles with his identity and falls in love with his teacher, Alice, who finds the transformation of Charlie to be more than eerie and even belittling at times.

Keyes’ first person writing style will imprint itself in your brain and keep you wondering about Charlie as you set the book down to study. Regardless of the little time you have on your hands, you should, just like everyone else, read “Flowers for Algernon” as an enjoyment and challenge. It will more than likely be one of the most memorable books you’ll ever read.

Dalton Monk can be contacted at [email protected].