Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes

Hello, Stranger. 

Let's talk about Daniel Keyes's Flowers for Algernon.

The Short of It

Plot: An experimental procedure takes Charlie Gordon from mentally handicapped to genius.

Page Count: 270

Award: 1966 Nebula

Worth a read: Yes
Primary Driver: (Plot, World, or Character)
Bechdel Test: Fail
Technobabble: Minimal
Review: Superb writing, absolutely heartrending plot. Story told exclusively through Charlie's progress reports; shifts in tone and style throughout the book convey as much as the text itself. Takes a difficult subject and addresses it with tact and grace. All the tears.

The Medium of It

Spoiler Free!

progris riport 1—martch 5, 1965

Dr. Strauss says I shud rite down what I think and evrey thing that happins to me from now on. I dont know why but he says its importint so they will see if they will use me. I hope they use me. Miss Kinnian says maybe they can make me smart. I want to be smart. My name is Charlie Gordon. I am 37 years old and 2 weeks ago was my birthday. I have nuthing more to rite now so I will close for today.

Welcome to the mind of Charlie Gordon, a kind, cheerful, and severely mentally handicapped man. You are going to spend the next handful of months here, so get comfortable. Everything in the book is filtered through Charlie; the more he understands, the more we do as well. His victories our ours, but so too are his failures and pains. It is at times extremely uncomfortable to be this close to a character.

Simply put, this is done with a remarkable amount of finesse. The plot as such is not the reason to read this book; it is the quality of the writing and growing personal investment in Charlie that keep you reading. The smarter he gets, the more he remembers, and thus the more we learn of his childhood; a clever way to include backstory. Charlie's personal connections with others morph as he does, and I don't think that I've ever been more invested in fictional relationships than I was here.

This book is also brutally sad. If any part of you has felt emotions at any point, this is going to pull your heart out and dance a merry jig all over it. Pick out a good comedy to watch after; I'd recommend Zoolander.

There are a lot of touchy subjects addressed in this book; abuse, cognitive disabilities, dehumanization, family trauma, and a whole lot more. It can be hard to read, but it is worth it every step of the way.

If you'd like to cry for 11 to 15 hours, please click the link below to buy the book! I'll get a few cents at no cost to you!

Here it is, a link!

The Long of It

Spoilers Ahead!

It turns out that one can feel many feelings. 

It would seem that Daniel Keyes is aware of this fact, and uses it to great effect. 

We as readers begin by feeling nothing but pity for Charlie. He is sweet and well meaning, and that's all that matters. We understand that his friends bully him long before he does, and we feel protective. Soon, however, as his understanding grows, our feelings of pity turn to guilt; he does not wish to pitied. He was his own person even when he was disabled. Then we shift to feelings of pride at his accomplishments; so much improvement, so little time. 

This all turns to regret when he pushes everyone away, when he becomes self absorbed, when he loses everything that made him likable.

And then horror when he begins to deteriorate, mingled with pity and understanding upon seeing his family for one last time. The final page is a punch in the gut, and if it's not enough to stir up some intense feelings, I don't know what will.

Keyes does an excellent job with his simple plot. The early comments about Algernon's lack of motivation and aggression are a superbly placed red flag, coming just as Charlie is coming towards peak intellect. Algernon's death, now that we know that his life parallels Charlie's, is chilling. 

There is a palpable feeling of desperation in the final quarter, as everything unravels. It is hard to read when Charlie begins to get confused, when he can't read what he himself wrote, when he loses the coordination to type. It is horrifying to watch someone slowing losing their mind while smart enough to understand the loss. The begging:

I’ve got to try to hold on to some of it. Some of the things I’ve learned. Oh, God, please don’t take it all away.

The denial and pleading:

I won’t let it happen. I’ll fight it. I can’t help thinking of the boy in the restaurant, the blank expression, the silly smile, the people laughing at him. No—please—not that again. 

Part of what makes it so hard as a reader is the feeling that maybe this is better, that Charlie is regaining his humanity and purity as he loses his intelligence. His final thoughts are him doing his best to make others happy, the same as he did at the beginning. It is a miserable and empty ending and the only fitting way to conclude this story.

P.P.S. Please if you get a chanse put some flowrs on Algernons grave in the bakyard ... Stranger.

And don't forget to read a book!