The novel consists of a series of progress reports written by Charlie, a test subject in a medical experiment.
Charlie has an IQ of 68 and undergoes a process to make him smarter as well as a test mouse called Algernon.
It raises ethical questions of the treatment of the disabled.
As his intellect sky-rockets, Charlie comes to feel superior to the nurses who treated him initially.
Halfway through, Charlie notices that Algernon is starting to decline, with the implication that his intelligence too will fade.
It's extraordinarily gripping and incredibly prescient. It doesn't read like it was written 40 years ago.
In many ways, it works as a science-fiction novel for people who don't think they like the genre. It's well-characterised, well-written, and firmly set in a recognisable world.
As well as inspiring the Oscar-winning film Charly (no, me neither), it also provoked a Broadway musical that on the strength of this trailer that seems to have missed the point somewhat. (To be fair this Michael Crawford song isn't too bad but that ad is horrific)
For many years, I used to say this was my favourite book but have since learnt that it's a difficult sell for some people.
But, hey, it's great and worth investigating.
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