Lord of the Flies
Written by: William Golding
Narrated by: William Golding
Length: 6 hours and 35 minutes
Unabridged Audiobook
Release Date: October 3, 2003
Publisher: Listening Library
Some books can skyrocket to fame overnight, while others take time to prosper. The Lord of the Flies ultimately lands in the latter category. Since its initial failure, the book overcame the odds, become a best seller and was adapted into two films! From that point forward, Lord of the Flies has found its way onto numerous “must read” lists. In today’s time, there is no need to read! Times have changed, but fabulous books still remain as intriguing as ever. This is especially true, when it comes to William Golding’s Lord of the Flies!
The Narration
The Nobel Prize-winning author, William Golding, takes the reigns and musters up the courage to narrate his own adventurous tale! This truly brave step ultimately pays off excellently in the end. Golding knows his book better than anyone else and he knows which actions should be emphasized and which should not. This makes the audio adaptation a brilliant success. The book alone is wonderful, but Golding’s vocals add something personal and more heartfelt to the disastrous story.
Golding should be commended for his impressive ability to bring the characters to life. He seamlessly switches from Ralph and Piggy and the transitions are easily detectable in his vocal shifts. As the characters begin to add up, Golding still maintains a steady grasp on each. Throughout the book’s entirety, an assortment of intriguing characters is introduced. Surprisingly, Golding adds a quirky little spin to his accent for each of them. This helps to keep the reader well aware of who is speaking at all times.
Although some have argued otherwise, Golding’s delivery definitely delivers more credence to the dystopian tale. His intimate relationship with the book and its characters is very evident. When our characters begin to bicker amongst one another, Golding makes the listener feel it in his or her very soul. He succeeds in making the listener a part of the story and allows them to experience the feelings of the characters at any given point in the book. It is questionable whether anyone could’ve pulled it off so well, as the writer himself.
Golding’s accent takes a little time to adjust to, but once you’re hooked in, you won’t be able to hit the stop button. Golding’s steady and persistent narration is enhanced significantly by incredible audio quality. The recorded audio is excellent, error free and never falters. The audiobook rapidly, but methodically, advances through the plot and never leaves the listener pleading for more. Although the audio is unabridged, it never feels excessive or overdone. In fact, the finished project will leave you begging for more.
Assessing The Book
As far as the story goes, the Lord of the Flies is a classic. At the time of its release, the somewhat controversial book was met with disgust and skepticism. It sold less than three thousand copies, before quickly going out of print. Surprisingly, the book made a swift comeback and is regarded as one of the best novels of all time. The audiobook, which certainly heightens the experience, could also do the same in its respective area. Most are likely already familiar with the book, but some from younger generations might not be so fortunate.
The book focuses on a small group of British boys, who end up stuck on an island. They quickly discover the island to be uninhabited and set about to govern themselves. Throughout the tale, the characters are faced with difficult choices. Even the characters, which embody sound reasoning and good intentions, fall prey to natural instincts. As the plot begins to unfold, the historic battle of good and evil develops and plays out in a vocal manner, thanks to the audiobook.
The boys are met with enemies in one another, as well as the book’s most mysterious creature, The Beast. Without giving too much away, The Beast is discovered to be more than a mysterious fairy tale. In fact, he begins to represent human society, as a whole. This brings about the most intriguing scene in the entire book. Will the boys succumb to their temptation and enter the same realm of depravity as The Beast? Or will their reasoning and innocent hearts steer them clear of danger?
The end result is ultimately frightening and satisfying, at the same time. It is made even better thanks to the strong vocal performance from the author himself, who likely spend countless sleepless nights conjuring up the story. In a modern society where there are innumerable dystopian novels and movies, one of the originals, Lord of the Flies, remains one of the best and puts some of the newer spinoffs to shame. If you’re a fan of these types of movies or books and want to learn a great deal about human nature, Lord of the Flies is an excellent starting point.
The tale doesn’t just delve into human nature. It also explores the value placed on individual wellbeing over the common good of society or small group. Despite being an old tale, the audiobook exemplifies the quality of William Golding’s writing and his understanding of human beings, as a whole.
Overall
At the end of the day, there is a massive collection of audiobooks on the market, but few of them can hold a candle to William Golding’s Lord of the Flies. There is something awkwardly special about Golding’s narration, which helps to enhance the already amazing book even further. Whether you’ve read the book in the past or have never heard of it, Lord of the Flies is a must listen for all! It is eye opening, startling, shocking, and potentially truthful, which makes it even scarier.
If you’re going to listen to a single audiobook in the next few months, you’ll thank yourself for making it William Golding’s Lord of the Flies. Remember that there is a Beast out there and he is always lurking right around the corner! For added effect, try listening to the book with the lights off!
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