Lord of the Flies

Lord of the Flies was on the list of “suggested reading” for Leaving Cert students in Ireland circa 1986. I didn't like the sound of it, and decided to read Animal Farm, and something by Evelyn Waugh instead. (There, you see, it's not all crime thrillers with me.)
I'm glad I decided to swerve this one back then, I think it might have traumatised me a little.
As an adult I found it quite a disturbing read. How quickly things changed on that island. How quickly the rule book was torn up, and children became savages.
Teenaged me would have felt a lot of empathy for Piggy. Adult me was shocked at the treatment of Piggy, though I'm not sure why. I'm not so naive I don't realise that children are perfectly capable of extreme acts of violence.
Adult me appreciated this book much more than teenaged me would've done. Adult me also thinks if they'd put Stephen King on the “suggested reading” list, I might have had a better result in Leaving Cert English.