I had neither seen the movie nor read William Golding’s “Lord of the Flies” before starting my Modern Library 100 project. After reading the first chapter, I said to Rockford — and I don’t think this is a major spoiler — “Well! They didn’t kill the pig. That’s a good thing, right?” And he laughed at me.

“Lord of the Flies” is a nightmarish, horror of a story. I wish I’d read it earlier. Specifically, before I had children. I know (or, rather, I understand via the ever-so-helpful Sparknotes) that this is a lot of allegory. But still. The very thought of those little fellas lost and gorging on fruit and ultimately run amuck in the very worst way just cut me to the core. That said, I was entirely engrossed in the book. The last chapter is one of the most gripping, tense scenes I’ve read.