With over five million copies sold, Flowers for Algernon is a beloved American classic about a man who receives an operation that turns him into a genius and introduces him to heartache. 'A masterpiece' Guardian 'A timeless tearjerker' Independent 'Convincing and touching' New York Times Charlie Gordon, a floor sweeper born with an unusually low IQ, has been chosen as the perfect subject for an experimental surgery that doctors hope will increase his intelligence - a procedure that has been highly successful when tested on a lab mouse named Algernon. All Charlie wants is to be smart and have friends, but the treatment turns him into a genius. Then Algernon begins to fade. What will become of Charlie?.