Flowers for Flowers for Algernon

Flowers for Algernon
Daniel Keyes
Orlando, Fla : Harcourt, 2004, c1959.
311 p.

I was recently at a public library where the librarian was looking for a recommendation for a young man who had read A Child Called It, and wanted to find a book that hooks you in and is a fast interesting read. Our book club at Urbana High School had just finished reading and discussing Flowers for Algernon and so I suggested it as a choice for the young reader. It came to mind quickly because the main character in the book also reveals life with a mother who - though not as monstrous as the one in Child Called It - is a horrible, abusive parent.

It's pretty amazing that this book was written in 1959. There is a certain timeless quality to it, and it still captivates readers; our book club readers all liked it. There are a few dated moments in the novel, but its plot is so engaging and the emotional impact of the novel is really compelling.

If you are completely unfamiliar with this novel, it involves a 30+ year old man with mental retardation who becomes the subject of an experiment that not only eliminates his retardation, but rapidly turns him into a polymath genius. Of course, there is a catch, but you'll have to read the book to find out what that is. What saves the book from being just an interesting curiosity, is its grappling with issues of what does it mean to be "intelligent" - and how does intelligence shape our understanding of what it means to be human. The main character also must come to terms with family memories, his stunted emotional life, new and old friendships, and of course, love.

Do you have a young reader looking for a catchy, plot driven book? Then suggest Flowers for Algernon - and old, but good read that doesn't disappoint.