Lord of the Flies

Story

In this well-known story, a group of school boys are stranded on an island after their plane crashes. With no adults around, the boys form a society, led by the optimistic Ralph, who tries to keep the boys together and wait for rescue with the help of his confidantes Piggy and Simon. However, under the influence of the bullying Jack, who leads the small group’s hunting party, order soon collapses as the new society falls into chaos and violence.

Why we chose it

Lord of the Flies became a cult novel in the 1960s and has for many years since been taught in schools, particularly for GCSE. It is a thought-provoking story whose characters feel real and the breakdown of island society is both terrifying and thought provoking – as one reader said, it makes you wonder what you would do.

Where it came from

Lord of the Flies wasn’t a popular book initially, but soon became a classic. Drawing on themes of inhumanity and the banality of evil, which were inspired by the atrocities of the Holocaust, the book has become a frequent addition to lists of ‘most important’ or ‘most inspiring’ books.

Where it went next

Lord of the Flies has been adapted to film three times, in 1963, 1975 and 1990. There have been two well-received stage productions, first performed in 1996 and 2011. In 2013, BBC Radio 4 broadcast a dramatisation, which included Ruth Wilson as the Narrator.

Associated stories

As well as being frequently studied in schools, Lord of the Flies has influenced literature and culture. Stephen King frequently references Castle Rock, a key location in Lord of the Flies. The Simpsons produced an episode parodying the story in their ninth series. In 2011, Libba Bray wrote Beauty Queens, an all-female re-imagining of the story. Author William Golding wrote many other novels in his lifetime, including the To the Ends of the Earth trilogy.