Book Review: Flowers for Algernon

'Flowers for Algernon' is a short story written by Daniel Keyes about a mentally challenged man named Charlie Gordon, who is chosen by a group of scientists to experiment on. The experiment and surgery would supposedly leave Charlie with a higher IQ, much higher than those of the scientists.The scientists have tested this on various animals, such as a mouse named Algernon but Charlie would be the first human. If they succeeded, they would surely go down in history. However one day, Algernon's intelligence decreases and he dies. Would Charlie receive the same fate?

This book is extremely thought provoking. It leaves you with millions of questions, some about the future, others about ethics. At some point in the book, Charlie realised that most people around him were not his friends, instead, they were all making fun of him. That leads the reader to a series of questions: as told in the story of Adam and Eve, is it better to live a pretty lie without knowing the ugly truth? Is ignorance some twisted sort of blessing? Are we supposed to leave everything as it is? Apart from finding out about what the people in his life truly think of him, Charlie sees the world as he has never seen before. From having romantic relationships with women and reflecting on his life before the surgery, Charlie explores new emotions such as greed, jealousy and suspicion. But as he explores, he grows into a more vengeful, bitter and cold person, much contrast to the innocent and positive person he was before.

Daniel Keyes' work definitely deserves praise. In his captivating novel, he is able to keep the readers engaged and he shows how the protagonist's character develops throughout the story. Therefore, I strongly encourage you to read this book.