There’s nothing quite like kicking back with a quality novel. Unfortunately, the demands of the college lifestyle typically leave little time for recreational literature. If you find yourself yearning for a quick book fix, you’ve come to the right place! We’ve got this week’s installment of a quality novel brief enough to be read in a weekend.

Title: Flowers for Algernon

Author: Daniel Keyes

While some may dismiss it as a middle-school-tier assigned summer reading, Flowers for Algernon stands out as a phenomenal read, a brief yet poignant examination of the privileges and consequences of human knowledge. Written from a first-person perspective, Algernon documents the life of Charlie Gordon, a mentally challenged man who becomes exceedingly intelligent by way of a scientific experiment. Thoughtful, engaging and at times heart-wrenching, Flowers for Algernon stands out as an ideal weekend read.

It shouldn’t take longer than eight hours to read — although you can estimate your own time here. 

Algernon is available at most bookstores and through the University of Wisconsin library system.