Lord of the Flies

William GoldingShanghai Translation Publishing House · ChinaFeb 2017

Rating 4.3
Word count
131K words
Chapters
15
ISBN
9787532766963

Tags

Foreign Literature Island PredicamentYouth PortraitsEvil of Human NatureHuman NatureGood and EvilGroup DegradationDark AtmospherePhilosophical NovelAllegoryCivilization and Savagery

Summary

Lord of the Flies is a major work by William Golding and a renowned philosophical novel that uses the innocence of children to explore the serious theme of evil in human nature. Set during an imagined Third World War, the story follows a group of children aged six to twelve who, while being evacuated, are stranded on a deserted island after their plane crashes. At first they manage to live in harmony, but later, as their evil nature swells, they turn on one another, leading to tragic results. The author makes abstract philosophical propositions concrete, allowing readers to grasp them through an engrossing story and thrilling scenes of conflict; the characters, settings, story, and imagery are all deeply symbolic. It is widely recognized as one of the greatest literary masterpieces of the twentieth century.

Editor's review

《Lord of the Flies》is a novel published in 1954 by the British writer William Golding, and his most famous representative work; he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1983. With its profound allegorical quality and sharp dissection of human nature, this work has become a classic of twentieth-century literature. The story tells of a group of boys stranded on a deserted island after a plane crash who, once freed from the constraints of civilized society, gradually reveal the primitive savagery and violence in human nature. Through this seemingly simple survival story, Golding explores the eternal conflict between civilization and savagery, reason and instinct, democracy and tyranny.

As an editor, I believe the value of reading 《Lord of the Flies》lies in its warning significance that transcends its time. Golding does not offer a simple moral answer; instead, through delicate psychological description and symbolic technique (such as the “Lord of the Flies” itself representing evil), he compels readers to reflect: wherein exactly lies the fragility of human civilization? When we strip away the outer garment of social norms, will the darkness deep within be released? This novel is especially suited to being reread in the context of contemporary society; it reminds us that order and reason must be continuously maintained, not taken for granted.

This edition from Shanghai Translation Publishing House is excellently translated and preserves the literary texture and philosophical depth of the original quite well. For readers encountering it for the first time, some patience may be needed to enter the story, but the intellectual impact it brings will be lasting and profound.

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Reading tips

  1. While reading, pay attention to symbolic elements in the novel, such as the conch, the glasses, and the Lord of the Flies’ head, and consider their metaphorical meanings
  2. It is advisable to understand the author’s creative intent in light of the post-World War II historical background; Golding’s experiences profoundly shaped his view of human nature
  3. After reading, you might compare it with other desert-island literature (such as 《Robinson Crusoe》) to appreciate how different eras understand human nature and civilization differently

About the publisher

Shanghai Translation Publishing House China · Founded in 1978

Shanghai Translation Publishing House is a Chinese publisher oriented mainly toward translation and publishing. Its publications cover foreign literature, world classics and classic works, as well as social culture, folk literature and classical poetry. The database contains 2,618 titles, including Never Let Me Go, Les Misérables (2 volumes), Don Quixote (illustrated collector's edition), The Complete Comedies of Molière (4 volumes), The Complete Novels of Kafka (3 volumes), The Collected Works of Dostoevsky (9-volume set), Reason and Persons, and Oedipus Rex (Translation Classics). Its author resources include foreign writers such as Kazuo Ishiguro, Victor Hugo, Cervantes and Molière, as well as translators such as Zheng Kelu, Sun Jiameng, Li Jianwu and Zhang Kun. The publisher has brands such as "Translation Classics Selections" and "Translation Documentary," and emphasizes translated works in foreign literature and the humanities and social sciences, while also publishing bilingual dictionaries and foreign-language educational books. Public information is limited; the above is based on the book information in the database.

Contents

  1. 版权信息
  2. 斯蒂芬·金序
  3. 译本序
  4. 第一章 海螺之声
  5. 第二章 山上之火
  6. 第三章 海滩上的茅屋
  7. 第四章 花脸和长发
  8. 第五章 兽从水中来
  9. 第六章 兽从空中来
  10. 第七章 暮色和高树
  11. 第八章 献给黑暗的供品
  12. 第九章 窥见死尸
  13. 第十章 海螺和眼镜
  14. 第十一章 城堡岩
  15. 第十二章 猎手的狂叫

FAQ

Is 《Lord of the Flies》suitable for young readers? Although the book features children as protagonists, its themes are dark and profound, involving violence and the evil in human nature, so it is more suitable for emotionally mature adolescents or adult readers. Reading under the guidance of teachers or parents is recommended so that its philosophical content can be discussed in depth.
What does the title “Lord of the Flies” mean? “Lord of the Flies” derives from the Hebrew “Beelzebub,” another name for the demon Beelzebub, and in the novel it symbolizes the evil and corruption inherent in human nature. It is the core symbol of the story, revealing how savagery erodes civilization.
Is this book a realistic work? 《Lord of the Flies》is an allegorical novel that adopts a realistic narrative framework but is highly symbolic overall. It does not depict real events; rather, through a fictional situation it explores universal questions of human nature and belongs to the category of philosophical literature.

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About the author

William Golding Author · British · 1911–1993

William Golding (1911–1993) was a British novelist and poet and the winner of the 1983 Nobel Prize in Literature. He established his worldwide reputation with his representative work Lord of the Flies (1954), an island fable in which a group of stranded boys gradually descends into savagery, exploring the conflict between reason and brutality in human nature; it has become a widely read modern classic of foreign literature. In 1980 he won the Booker Prize for Rites of Passage, and he later published works such as The Spire and Pincher Martin, which are often allegorical and morally probing, written in a restrained and richly symbolic style. Golding was knighted in 1988, and his works continue to appear in Chinese in editions such as the Collected Works of William Golding.