Lord of the Flies is an allegorical novel which focuses on a group of British schoolboys who are stranded on a remote island. They start off with rules and a form of government, but their situation quickly turns chaotic and savage. They split into two groups, one more civilized and attempting to follow a basic moral code under the leadership of Ralph, and the other wild hunters under the control of Jack. These two groups clash with each other and this results in more than one death. As the situation escalates, their humanity begins to deteriorate. At the climactic ending, a Naval ship rescues the boys, both from the island on which they are stranded and from themselves.
I did not enjoy this book very much. It was very dark and had a cynical view of human nature. The author seems to believe that human nature is intrinsically evil, and this is a viewpoint I disagree with. However, while it was not necessarily enjoyable, it was interesting to read. There was a scene where the author shows how mob mentality can affect both our thinking and our actions, and how going along with what everyone else is doing can turn out to be very evil. The story may have had a basic theme which I disagreed with, but the plot was gripping and thought-provoking, so I would give it 3 stars.