Jack Thorne says Lord of the Flies is 'remarkably tender'

Jack Thorne describes William Golding's Lord of the Flies as a "remarkably tender" portrait of boys and is adapting the novel into a four-part BBC series.

Jack Thorne is adapting William Golding's Lord of the Flies into a four-part BBC series. He first read the novel as a child. He received a copy from his mother, who worked as a substitute English teacher, and the book was stamped Portway English Department. Thorne says the story left a profound scar and that he views it as a tender portrait of young boys rather than a simple shorthand for evil. Key facts: - Thorne first encountered Lord of the Flies in childhood and kept a copy stamped Portway English Department that he associates with his mother. - He describes the novel as "a remarkably tender portrait" and says its characters are more complex than the common shorthand for the "evilness of boys." - He is adapting the novel into a four-part series for the BBC and has previously written award-winning work about masculinity, including the series Adolescence, which won an Emmy and a Golden Globe. Summary: Thorne's project reframes Golding's novel as a complex, emotionally attentive depiction of boys and the moments when people lose control. The adaptation will be presented as a four-part BBC series. Undetermined at this time.