Nilufer Ozmekik's Reviews > Flowers for Algernon

I chose one of my favorite heart wrenching, powerful, unconventional, unique story for Flashback Saturday! 10 years later I’m rereading to see how Charlie’s self discovery story will affect me!

Charlie Gordon in 32, developmentally disabled man becomes volunteered for surgical procedure which will result in the increasing of his mental capabilities. The procedure was already tested on the mice. But the scientists are not sure the probable increase of intelligence will be permanent.

Thankfully the procedure turns into a success. The cognitive skills of Charlie starts improving which helps him have more insight about his situation. His perception about world dramatically changes. Because Charlie cannot remember his past relationship dynamics in his life and sudden jump at his intelligence level makes harder to build new relationships when he suffers lack of social intelligence. But he still tries harder.

He finds the courage to ask to the evening class teacher for a date he has long time crush on. But as his intelligence level increases, he loses his interest in her and falls for a talented artist.

He also writes notes about his scientific discoveries and he finds fatal flaw at his procedure which only means his super power will be gone in a short time and he will die eventually.

He leaves instructions to the people follow the procedures before his death and as his decline starts, he falls back to his same rabbit hole, attending to the evening classes, seeing the teacher without knowing they had short time intimate relationship. After he’s gone, only his notes were left behind from his scientific discoveries from his short time genius level intelligence.

This is one of the saddest story I’ve read. A man is only wanting to have enough intelligence to explore the world from different window! It was heart wrenching, definitely thought provoking and also stunning short story!

Here are my most favorite and extremely powerful quotes of the book:

“I don’t know what’s worse: to not know what you are and be happy, or to become what you’ve always wanted to be, and feel alone.”

“Thank God for books and music and things I can think about.”

“I am afraid. Not of life, or death, or nothingness, but of wasting it as if I had never been.”

“How strange it is that people of honest feelings and sensibilty, who would not take advantage of a man born without arms or legs or eyes—how such people think nothing of abusing a man with low intelligence.”

“A child may not know how to feed itself, or what to eat, yet it knows hunger. “

“There are so many doors to open. I am impatient to begin. “