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Title: A thematic novel whose theme is not well presented
Review: I read a lot of novels for entertainment purposes, but I'll start off by saying that those I read for school I usually like less then those I read on my own. It is possible I am biased. This novel seems to invite overanalyzation in the worst way. The flimsiest throwaway line can be sought out and examined for meaning. These meanings often reflect only what the reader wanted to see. I think Golding was trying to make a point and did a passable job at doing it. I think he lacks subtlety, however. The books that carry the most weight in my mind are those which do so in a manner you hardly notice, but at every turn Lord of the Flies screams out, "there is an innate evil in humans!" Its ending seems contrived and somewhere along the line it acquires a nightmarish quality that seems to me to detract from the theme.
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