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Flowers For Algernon

A Modern Literary Classic
By Daniel Keyes
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4.23 goodreads logo

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Check link for latest rating. ( 772,156 ratings, 43,805 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
In Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes, readers follow Charlie Gordon, a man with a low IQ, who becomes a test subject for an experimental surgery intended to increase his intelligence. As his intellectual abilities grow, Charlie experiences profound emotional and psychological changes, prompting him to grapple with complex human relationships and the ethical implications of scientific experimentation. This poignant narrative explores themes of identity, intelligence, and the nature of happiness.
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Format: Paperback / softback
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

You might enjoy this book if you're intrigued by the human experience and emotional depth interwoven with speculative science themes. It explores the journey of a man who undergoes an experimental procedure to increase his intelligence, all while navigating profound themes of identity, ethics, and the sense of self. Its heartwarming yet thought-provoking narrative might appeal to those who appreciate character-driven stories with a touch of science fiction.

Book Hero thinking about your next read

A modern classic, Flowers for Algernon has sold over five million copies worldwide and inspired the Academy Award-winning film Charly.

A modern classic, Flowers for Algernon has sold over five million copies worldwide and inspired the Academy Award-winning film Charly.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

'A masterpiece of poignant brilliance . . . heartbreaking' Guardian

Flowers for Algernon tells the story of Charlie Gordon, a floor sweeper born with an unusually low IQ. He has been chosen as the perfect subject for an experimental surgery that doctors hope will increase his intelligence. This procedure has been highly successful when tested on a lab mouse named Algernon.

All Charlie wants is to be smart and have friends, but the treatment turns him into a genius.

Then Algernon begins to fade. What will become of Charlie?

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

The novel by Daniel Keyes is widely regarded as a science fiction classic, celebrated for its emotional depth and compelling narrative. It is described as both heartbreaking and brilliant, with a profound message about love, hope, and compassion outweighing intelligence and achievement. Many reviewers find it a timeless story that remains impactful long after reading, while its unflinching honesty encourages self-reflection.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781474605731

Publisher: Orion Publishing Co

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 13 July 2017

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Weidenfeld & Nicolson

Audience: General / adult, Tertiary education, Professional and scholarly

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 18.0mm

Width: 200.0mm

Height: 133.0mm

Weight: 228g

Pages: 256

Collections

Daniel Keyes Fiction General Fiction Literary Fiction Sci-Fi & Fantasy Science Fiction

About the Author

Daniel Keyes (1927-2014)

Born in 1927 Daniel Keyes joined the US merchant marine aged 17. He won the Hugo for the short story that Flowers for Algernon was based on and the Nebula for the novel itself. He has a masters degree in English and American literature and is a Professor of English and Creative writing. He died in June, 2014.

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  • Flowers For Algernon
    Flowers For Algernon by Daniel Keyes is a profoundly moving and thought-provoking novel that tells the story of Charlie Gordon, a kind-hearted and intellectually disabled man working as a floor sweeper in a bakery. Often the target of cruel jokes by his co-workers, Charlie dreams of being smart and accepted like others. His life takes a dramatic turn when he...
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  • The Minds of Billy Milligan
    From the author of the million-copy bestseller Flowers for Algernon, the shocking true story of the first person in US history to be found not guilty due to multiple personality disorder. 'Fascinating' LA Times 'Absorbing' Cosmopolitan Billy Milligan was a man tormented by twenty-four distinct personalities battling for supremacy - a battle that culminated when he awoke in jail, arrested...
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  • Flowers for Algernon
    Flowers for Algernon is the winner of both the Hugo and Nebula Awards. This powerful, classic science fiction story is about a man who receives an operation that turns him into a genius and introduces him to heartache. Charlie Gordon is about to embark upon an unprecedented journey. Born with an unusually low IQ, he has been chosen as the...
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  • Flowers For Algernon
    Charlie Gordon, IQ 68, is a floor sweeper and the gentle butt of everyone’s jokes — until an experiment in the enhancement of human intelligence turns him into a genius. But then Algernon, the mouse whose triumphal experimental transformation preceded his, fades and dies, and Charlie has to face the possibility that his salvation was only temporary. Winner of the...
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