Flowers for Algernon

By: Daniel Keyes

Narrated by: Jeff Woodman

Length: 8 hrs and 58 mins

Publisher's summary

Charlie Gordon knows that he isn't very bright. At 32, he mops floors in a bakery and earns just enough to get by. Three evenings a week, he studies at a center for mentally challenged adults. But all of this is about to change for Charlie. As part of a daring experiment, doctors are going to perform surgery on Charlie's brain. They hope the operation and special medication will increase his intelligence, just as it has for the laboratory mouse, Algernon. Meanwhile, each day Charlie keeps a diary of what is happening to him. This is his poignant record of the startling changes in his mind and his life.

Flowers for Algernon was first published as a short story, but soon received wide acclaim as it appeared in anthologies, as a television special, and as an award-winning motion picture, Charly. In its final, expanded form, this haunting story won the Nebula Award for the Best Novel of the Year. Through Jeff Woodman's narration, it now becomes an unforgettable audio experience.

©1966 Daniel Keyes (P)1998 Recorded Books, LLC

Critic reviews

• Nebula Award, Best Novel, 1966

"A tale that is convincing, suspectful and touching." ( The New York Times)

Heartbreaking

I love this book. It’s so different and brilliant and well-written that every time I read it I’m affected. Jeff Woodman did an excellent job bringing Charlie to life and telling the story. I could picture every scene and really follow Charlie’s journey. I’m not a crier and this book makes me sob. The last line is a killer. Everyone should read this book and learn the important lesson from it. I recommend this book to everyone.

Great Book Club Book

Great book. Very touching. Really tugs on the heart strings. Had it in my list to read for quite a while but kept putting it off. Thought it would be too depressing. It does have a somber ending but it is such a good story. I personally enjoyed it very much. And while I don’t belong to a book club I would think this book would generate much discussion and varying insights and opinions. I’m very glad I listened to it.

Worth it for the performance alone

Jeff Woodman brings this sci-fi classic to heartbreaking life. The best audio narrations extrapolate on content that was already there, and Woodman succeeds totally.

Captivating - Best Fiction I've ever read!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I already have recommended this book to several friends and family. Great story, that you can easily get lost in.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Charlie is my favorite narrator of any fiction piece that I've read. The reveals so much about humanity, life, love and intelligence, and brings it into a new light for the reader/listener.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

When Charlie get's his hair cut by his father.

Any additional comments?

Must read/listen. Worth every minute.

A timeless work masterfully narrated

I'm not sure how I hadn't heard of this work before, but I'm glad Audible brought it to my attention as it really is a thought provoking masterpiece. A book that fully engages me and has me thinking about it a week later is what I consider top-notch.

The themes covered in this book are many and have been reviewed by others, so I won't go into them here. One issue that other reviews have mentioned, especially reviews from a few decades ago, dwell on the adult themes raised in a few of the chapters. All I can say is that these issues are integral to the story and are very tame. I wouldn't hesitate to let any 14 year old read those paragraphs in today's society.

This was the first time I heard this narrator, and he was matched perfectly to the story. He had quite the challenge moving from a child-like style through to a mature main character as the story progressed. He mastered this challenge and also did a very good job with female voices, which is an area other narrators sometimes struggle.

So, if you are like I was and haven't heard of this novel, then I strongly recommend you not wait another minute. You won't be disappointed.

Left a lasting impression

I first read the story when I was young and a fan of science fiction and fantasy. I never forgot it. Every time it came up as movies were made over the years that rang a bell with me.

Rereading it is just as much fun as it was in the first place. Ironically, it makes reference to "Don Quixote" which is the last audiobook I tried to read. But I gave up. I like this book better. No accounting for taste, eh?

Such a great book.

So sad. It makes you think about how you shouldn't treat people differently just because the were born different than you.

Captivating

Captivating, amazingly easy to listen. Story is easy to follow and makes you get lost in the corridors of intellectual grows. Get lost in a good way, to just transform your body and mind in to the story it self.

Algernon

I found the narration of this book excellent, and that's one very smart mouse! I found the science fiction book from the 50s and excellent book and actually it won a Hugo award. I also enjoyed both movies that were made from this book.

3rd time going through this book.

first picked it up when I was 10. still one of my favorite stories. The narrator breathed new life into it. definitely recommend this book to anyone.