William Golding Book summary

William Golding was born in Cornwall, England on September 19, 1911. His father was a teacher at Marlborough Grammar School, and Golding completed his education at the same school. He started writing at the very young age of 7, and he wrote his first novel at the age of 12. Golding was a bully in his childhood, and he hurt a lot of children.

Golding got admission to Brasenose College, Oxford, where he focused on science studies. He struggled for two years and then changed his focus to English literature. He published his first book, “a volume of poetry,” during his college years. After completing college, Golding moved through a variety of different types of jobs. Ultimately, he chose to become a teacher and then a schoolmaster. His work with boys gave him the inspiration and insight that resulted in his novel The Lord of the Flies.

Golding was married in 1940. Later, he joined Royal Navy and took part in World War II. Golding spent his next six years on a boat, where he developed a love for sailing and boats. He had been part of different military missions during WWII, and he was eventually appointed as Lieutenant. Upon his return from war, he started teaching and writing again.

Golding wrote the novel The Lord of the Flies in 1953, and it was published in 1954. This novel was rejected by the publisher about 21 times. It was not received well and was considered a flop initially. It was also published and distributed in the United States of America. The novel was revived in 1959 when the paperback version was published. Now, this novel is considered to be a classic piece of literature. Golding wrote 13 novels in addition to poems, plays, and essays. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1983, and he was knighted in 1988. He died on June 19, 1993.