Reviews with content warning for Alcohol - Flowers for Algernon

Reviews tagging 'Alcohol'

Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes

45 reviews

isd's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

I'm not up to speed with the current-day terms on what in this 1966 novel uses, so I'll attempt to avoid using either the ones in the book nor the ones I think we ought to use.

When I started with the book I had no idea what to expect, and it took me a moment to get used to Charlie's writing style. Following his journey and the changes in both his capabilities and traits was pretty interesting. In some ways he changed a lot and fast, and in some ways he had to learn - or should have learned - to behave accordingly, at a more or less equal pace but failed.

Charlie's story was quite sad, especially the very end, but in a way I guess I should call it bittersweet as I had expected much worse as the events unfolded. Your kilometerage may vary.

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narbine's review against another edition

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emotional informative reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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tilde_c_s's review against another edition

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challenging emotional reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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celaeno's review against another edition

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challenging emotional reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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magimiel's review against another edition

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emotional reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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teabrewer's review against another edition

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emotional reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This book is really interesting. Writing each chapter as "Progress Report" allowed the story much more immersive and at times I felt like I was reading a real report. The progression of the writing style of the main character was so natural and seamless I sometimes forgot it was intentional.The portrayal of women is a bit weird in a few lines but considering this is midcentury scifi written by a man, it's actually not that bad. I dare to say that, in some sections, it's even good. I loved the exploration of the psych and of the effects of being in each extreme of the intelligence spectrum. The use of algernoon as a foreshadow to Charlie enhanced the story a lot. It also helped to tell a part of the story that couldn't usually be told because of the nature of the first person narrative

, the death of the main character

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jovanh's review against another edition

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reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This was a much better book than I expected. Despite making me angry and uneasy, the writing is very thoughtful. Charly is a deep and complex character and I marvel at the emotional honesty he displays.

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