Good copy from the author of Lord Of The Flies
**"Darkness Visible"** is a novel by **William Golding**, first published in **1979**. Known for his exploration of human nature, Golding delves into themes of good and evil, identity, and the struggle for meaning in this dark and complex novel. The title itself, **"Darkness Visible,"** is a reference to **John Milton's "Paradise Lost,"** where it describes the paradox of seeing darkness in Hell.
The novel follows two primary characters: **Matty**, a man who survives a traumatic childhood injury during the Blitz (the bombing of London in World War II), and **Sophie**, a young woman who is led into a life of crime and moral corruption. Matty, disfigured by the burns he sustained, has a deep spiritual vision and embarks on a quest for redemption, while Sophie embodies the more chaotic, destructive side of humanity.
Golding, as in his other works, explores profound philosophical and moral questions, using Matty and Sophie’s lives as a way to examine the duality of human existence—light and darkness, good and evil. The narrative, dense with symbolism, shifts between psychological realism and allegory, with the novel often being seen as one of his most challenging and deeply philosophical works.
**"Darkness Visible"** was well-received for its psychological depth and thematic complexity, though it is often considered one of Golding's more enigmatic novels compared to works like **"Lord of the Flies."** The novel's layered narrative and intense examination of the human psyche make it a distinctive part of Golding's body of work.
