With more than five million copies sold, Flowers for Algernon is the beloved, classic story of a mentally disabled man whose experimental quest for intelligence mirrors that of Algernon, an extraordinary lab mouse. In poignant diary entries, Charlie tells how a brain operation increases his IQ and changes his life. As the experimental procedure takes effect, Charlie’s intelligence expands until it surpasses that of the doctors who engineered his metamorphosis. The experiment seems to be a scientific breakthrough of paramount importance—until Algernon begins his sudden, unexpected deterioration. Will the same happen to Charlie?
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We discussed Daniel Keyes’s Flowers for Algernon on January 16, 2025.
PADERBORN2READ Rating for Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes
5 out of 5
Members’ Opinions
“A classic and a must-read. This book can be read from many different angles as it deals with very complex themes such as society’s treatment of mentally disabled people, the risks of human medical trials, the alienation of people who are outside the norm, and many more. Though published in the sixties, this book is still immensely relevant today and feels like it was written in the past decade.”
“Flowers for Algernon was a devastating, but devastatingly enjoyable read for me. I felt for Charlie, but also for many of the other characters. I thought that all of them are really well written, round and realistic characters that just feel human—human with all its amazing and awful sides. The plot is good, too, although I thought at some points in the story that it would have needed a little more time, or rather a little more insight into Charlie’s thinking to really bring the story to life. The writing style was the most interesting aspect of this novel for me. It had me HOOKED, I love what the author has done to convey Charlie’s changing intellect and I love how the writing alone can carry the story. I had not known that left-out commas can make you cry, but that is exactly what happened to me towards the end of the novel—and it impressed and enthraled me.”
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