Just finished Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes and really liked it. It is very well written and it makes you feel everything that is happening to the main character, Charlie Gordon. The only flaw I could find in the book is the human testing after testing only on mice. But I guess it should be allowed as artistic liberty. The best thing about the book is that it makes you question whether intelligence is really good for anything. Other than boosting your ego and making you feel supercilious towards others, a high IQ doesn't help you make friends. As a genius or as a retard you can't really relate to others, but you may be happier as a retard since you don't know it. It may be better to be mediocre and blend in.
Here is what my brother thinks about the book.
3 comments:
u want testing to be done on other animals too???
My poor little naive thing
In most cases of drugs for human use, initial tests on mice are followed by tests on either normal human volunteers or on people with the illness requiring the drug. So the artist has taken nothing away from reality. The only thing different in 2006 would be that the ethical committees are more strict about human drug trials, but there is no other option, the drugs have to be tested on humans at some point (unless it is a veterinary drug).
All the more reason to like the book now - as there are no flaws left!
artist? I meant author
freudian slip?
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