Published in 1954, Lord of the Flies was Golding’s first novel, and although it was not a great success at the time—selling fewer than three thousand copies in the United States during 1955 before going out of print—it soon went on to become a bestseller, and by the early 1960s was required reading in many schools and colleges.

The title is said to be a reference to the Hebrew name of Beelzebub (Ba’al-zvuv, “god of the fly”, “host of the fly”, or literally “Lord of Flies”), a name sometimes used as a synonym for Satan. The title of the book, in turn, has itself become a metaphor for a power struggle in a chaotic situation

"We've got to have rules and obey them. After all, we're not savages. We're English, and the English are best at everything." -- Ch. 2

The Classic Book Club:

The Classic Book Club will feature books over 50 years old, that are shorter than 500 pages, and are found on many "Top Novels of All Time" lists. They may be ones you want to re-read with adult eyes, or ones you have always been meaning to read.

Examples: Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (Twain 1855), The Sun Also Rises (Hemingway, 1926), The Scarlett Letter (Hawthorne, 1850), & Mrs. Dalloway (Woolf, 1925).

We will meet in a restaurant for coffee and lively discussion. Please be prepared to buy a beverage or a snack, as the restaurant will host us as long as we are paying customers.

*** Anyone interested in having dinner first is welcome to come at 6:30 pm.