Flowers for Algernon

«Flowers for Algernon» by Daniel Keyes is part of the required reading program in American schools. This singular story in the science fiction genre has an author who was awarded twice, first for a short story and then for a novel with the same title, protagonist, and plot.
Thirty-three-year-old Charlie Gordon is mentally disabled. Nevertheless, he has a job, friends, and an overwhelming desire to learn. He agrees to participate in a dangerous scientific experiment in the hope of becoming intelligent… Changes in Charlie Gordon happen before our eyes, here and now. The first reports are full of spelling mistakes, he finds it very difficult to express his thoughts, but gradually he begins to write correctly and narrate events perfectly.
This fantastic story possesses astonishing psychological power and makes us ponder over universal moral questions: do we have the right to experiment on one another, what outcomes might this lead to, and what price are we willing to pay to become «the smartest»? And lonely?
To the questions raised by M. Bulgakov in «Heart of a Dog» and J. London in «Martin Eden», Daniel Keyes provides his unequivocal answer.