Flowers for Algernon
Until he was thirty-two, Charlie Gordon --gentle, amiable, oddly engaging-- had lived in a kind of mental twilight. He knew knowledge was important and had learned to read and write after a fashion, but he also knew he wasn't nearly as bright as most of the people around him. There was even a white mouse named Algernon who outpaced Charlie in some ways. But a remarkable operation had been performed on Algernon, and now he was a genius among mice. Suppose Charlie underwent a similar operation...
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What you might want to know about Flowers for Algernon
The questions readers send us most often, answered without spoilers.
Charlie Gordon, a janitor with an IQ of 68, agrees to undergo an experimental surgery that has already tripled the intelligence of a mouse named Algernon. His progress reports tell the rest of the story.
Yes. The original short story won the Hugo Award in 1960; the expanded novel won the Nebula Award in 1966. Flowers for Algernon is one of the few works to win in both forms.
Yes. Flowers for Algernon has been one of the most frequently challenged books in American schools, primarily for sexual content and language. It remains widely taught in middle and high school.
Flowers for Algernon was written by Daniel Keyes, published in 1966 by Pan.
Flowers for Algernon is 274 pages in standard print editions, though page counts vary slightly between hardcover, paperback, and large-print formats.
At an average reading pace of about 250 words per minute, Flowers for Algernon takes most readers 4 to 6 hours to finish.
Flowers for Algernon is a standalone novel by Daniel Keyes, not part of a series.
Flowers for Algernon is available in hardcover, paperback, ebook, and audiobook formats from Amazon, Bookshop.org, ThriftBooks, and most major bookstores.
