1. Introduction to a Mad World

Our demented fantasy of a movie trailer for William Golding’s Lord of the Flies would go something like this:

What would happen if the Lost Boys were shot down over a deserted island? What would happen if being free of grownups wasn’t about play—but about survival? What would happen if a severed pig’s head decided to talk?

In the midst of a raging war, on an island far beyond the reaches of civilization, a group of boys watches for signs of rescue.

Madness descends.

This is no Swiss Family Robinson. There’s no treehouse. No pirate highjinks. No Disney song and dance routine. Just a lurking Beast. A bunch of terrified boys. And endless nightmares.

Madness descends.

Well brought-up boys begin to fight. And the struggle for survival is as much about battling the savage within as it is about battling the savage without.

Madness descends.

There will be violence. There will be death. And there may be madness for readers of this painfully pessimistic tale.

Madness has descended.

Lord of the Flies: Now playing at 60secondRecap.

(Rated M for maddening.)