Quote Originally Posted by CoffeeCup View Post
I am planning to read "Flowers for Algernon" by Daniel Keyes though it would be a hard journey for a non-native since a great part of the story is written with mistakes as a little boy would write it. There are two versions: a short story (Hugo Award for Best Short Story) and a novel (Nebula Award for Best Novel). Anybody have an idea which one is better to start with the short story or the novel?
The complete short story is available online, and here are the first two paragraphs to give you an idea of the language:

progris riport 1-martch 5, 1965

Dr. Strauss says I shud rite down what I think and evrey thing that happins to me from now on, I dont know why but he says its importint so they will see if they will use me. I hope they use me.

Miss Kinnian says maybe they can make me smart. I want to be smart. My name is Charlie Gordon. I am 37 years old. I have nuthing more to rite now so I will close for today.

progris riport 2-martch 6

I had a test today. I think I faled it. And I think maybe now they wont use me. What happind is a nice young man was in the room and he had some white cards and ink spillled all over them. He sed Charlie what do vo see on this card. I was very skared even tho I had my rabits foot in my pockit because when I was a kid I always faled tests in school and I spillled ink to.
I told him I saw a inkblot. He said yes and it made me feel good.
I thot that was all but when I got up to go he said Charlie we are not thrn yet.


As you can see, the mistakes are mostly phonetic (e.g., "shud rite" instead of "should write"), but occasionally Charlie makes mistakes based on the shapes of letters (writing vo instead of "yo" for "you", and thrn instead of "thru" for "through").