Flowers for Algernon

I'm not sure how to write a review for this. Did I enjoy it? Was locking myself in the bathroom sobbing enjoyable?

It's not a fun read, but it's an important one. We get inside the main characters head through journal entries. We see him as a simple minded person who is blissfully socially unaware. Then we see his mind expand to proportions where he experiences the social pitfalls of intelligence without experience. And then everything falls apart.

We as readers are forced to confront our biases against people who are more or less intellectual than ourselves, and confront possible ignorance over the subject of disability entirely. Most people still have a lack of exposure to people with these disabilities. They get swept under the rug. Out of sight, out of mind. People are often in the habit of ignoring what makes us uncomfortable. We shouldn't be doing that to people.

It hurt to read, but I'm glad I did.

And don't forget to leave flowers for Algernon.