The Giver: A Story About Conformity, Control, and Society (Giver Quartet, 1)
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In Lois Lowry’s Newbery Medal–winning classic, twelve-year-old Jonas lives in a seemingly ideal world. Not until he is given his life assignment as the Receiver does he begin to understand the dark secrets behind his fragile community.Life in the community where Jonas lives is idyllic. Designated birthmothers produce newchildren, who are assigned to appropriate family units. Citizens are assigned their partners and their jobs. No one thinks to ask questions. Everyone obeys. Everyone is the same. Except Jonas.Not until he is given his life assignment as the Receiver of Memory does he begin to understand the dark, complex secrets behind his fragile community. Gradually Jonas learns that power lies in feelings. But when his own power is put to the test—when he must try to save someone he loves—he may not be ready. Is it too soon? Or too late?Told with deceptive simplicity, this is the provocative story of a boy who experiences something incredible and undertakes something impossible. In the telling it questions every value we have taken for granted and reexamines our most deeply held beliefs.The Giver has become one of the most influential novels of our time. Don't miss the powerful companion novels in Lois Lowry's Giver Quartet: Gathering Blue, Messenger, and Son. Read more
Publisher : Clarion Books
Publication date : July 1, 1993
Edition : Reprint, Media Tie In
Language : English
Print length : 240 pages
ISBN-10 : 0544336267
ISBN-13 : 61
Item Weight : 2.31 pounds
Reading age : 10+ years, from customers
Dimensions : 5.5 x 0.62 x 8.25 inches
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Top Amazon Reviews
What is the ideal society that you can imagine? Would you like to be happy? Does a society with no war, no disease, no pain or suffering appeal to you? Would you like to have someone else choose a very compatible mate for you and not have to worry about dating? How would you like a job that is guaranteed and is enjoyable and fits your interests and personality? The Giver is about such a society. What is the trade-off? What is missing in the people’s lives? The Giver is a very thought-provoking book. Jonas lives in this community. His thought his childhood was delightful. However, at age 12, he knows he will be assigned a job. He is apprehensive about the prospect. What does he really want to do? He is not sure. Everyone in the community is assigned an occupation that suits his or her abilities. In a special ceremony, children who turn 12 years old in a given year are grouped together. He sits in the auditorium and watches and listens as all the other children in his age group are assigned jobs. Jonas is the only one left without an assignment. Is something wrong? At the end of the ceremony, he is finally called up and told he is to be a “Receiver”. This is the highest honor. He is to be trained by the Giver. The Giver is the only one in the society that has any sense of history; he is the depository of memories. The others live only in the present. The Giver is to transfer his memories of the human race to Jonas, for the Giver is old and tired and needs to be replaced. This society is one of conformity. “Sameness” is fostered and rewarded. All the houses are identical. Haircuts, dress and activities are strictly regimented. Everyone sees grayness; no one even sees colors. Only the separate job assignments differentiate the members. They are told how to act; they are told how to live. Everyone takes a pill to keep all passion at bay. Only superficial discussions of one’s feelings are allowed; only certain feelings are appropriate. The people know vaguely about “Elsewhere”, the outside world, but they stay in the Community and do as they are told. When Jonas starts receiving memories from the Giver, he experiences pain and suffering but also love and freedom of choice. He also begins to see the world in color. He is told he can lie about his training and not tell anyone what he is experiencing. Jonas is careful of what he says at home now. When he is asked if he dreams, he says “no”, because his dreams would not be acceptable. He does not tell them that he has stopped taking the pill to suppress passion. His feelings and emotions grow, and he tries to hide these from his family and the others in the Community. The Giver is the only person who knows what he is going through. Jonas thinks the other people in the Community tell the truth about their jobs. Then one day, the Giver allows him to watch a video recording of his father at work with his job taking care of infants. Jonas had always thought his Dad liked the infants that were in his care. This view was reinforced since his father brought home an infant named Gabriel who needed some extra care. Gabriel was not learning to sleep through the night; he was different than the other infants in the ward. If he did not learn to sleep through the night he would be RELEASED. Jonas soothes the boy to sleep by acting as Giver and sending the child peaceful thoughts. The child does not sleep when he is in the new infant ward, however. Jonas learns that Gabriel is to be RELEASED. In the infant ward, twins have been born. Twins are not allowed in the Community. Only one of the twins can be kept. The other is be RELEASED. Jonas watches as his father weighs each of the twins and sets aside the smaller of the two. Then his father calmly injects the smaller twin in the head with a lethal chemical. The boy dies. Jonas is devastated. He had always looked up to his father. Jonas now knows what RELEASED means. He had thought that those who were RELEASED, including the disabled and the elderly went to a heavenly place in another community. Jonas now knows that RELEASED means death. Shocked and scared, Jonas knows that his father has been lying to everyone about what he does. Is everyone lying about his or her work? Jonas is disillusioned and decides to leave the Community, something that is forbidden. He realizes that the Community is a horrible place; it is a dystopia, not a Utopia. Jonas hoards some leftover food (all leftover food must be put out in front of each house) and prepares for the right opportunity. The Giver helps him escape. He escapes with Gabriel and is pursued by helicopters. Freezing and nearly starving, they reach a hill and look down upon a lit up house below. A family is sitting cozily in a living room with a lovely Christmas tree. The scene is a memory that Jonah had received from the Giver. Is this real or is it just a memory? Are Jonah and Gabriel safe in “Elsewhere” or are they dead? What information is kept from us in today’s world? It is easy to see distortions of truth in our media. Misinformation is spread rapidly though the Internet as well as television, and, probably, our newspapers. We see many different cultures in the world, and they all have their version of reality. Medical doctors often give tranquilizers and antidepressants to dull patients’ emotions. There is some parallel here to the pill that every 12 year-old child in the Community must start to take daily to get rid of passionate feelings. Does not great art and music need passion and intense feelings to be inspired?
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Reviewed in the United States on July 11, 2015 by Tigerlily64
Format: Mass Market Paperback
I've grown fond of children's books. We take better care of our children than we do ourselves. We encourage our children to eat their vegetables whether we do ourselves or not. We encourage them to play outside whether we exercise or not. We care about what they are allowed to read, while we read trash. We should be concerned about what our children read. Reading is an intimate experience. When we read, we let someone else come inside our brains, walk around, and leave things. Sticks and stones can break your bones, but books can change the way you think. We are right to care about the sorts of things our children invite into their minds, and this concern has led to a children's literature that's better in many respects than what is supposed to be "adult" literature. I was converted to children's books in stages, as my children started being interested in reading, but the final step-the icing on the cake-was a book entitled The Giver, by Lois Lowry. It can be read in a few hours, but that does not decrease its impact, which is something like that of a sledgehammer. It is the story of a boy named Jonas who lives in what seems to be an ideal world. There is no crime, no hunger, and no dissatisfaction. Everyone is in the profession that best suits his talents. It appears to be ideal. The Greeks had a word for a place like this, and that word was "Utopia". It shows the keen insight of those old Greeks that the word means "nowhere". Nowhere is perfect. Nowhere is without problems. While the Community in which Jonas lives is without strife, it also lacks a great many other things. On the way to achieving the "perfect" community, certain sacrifices have been made. Jonas discovers this when he turns twelve and is assigned his life profession, The Receiver of Memories. Part of the price paid for utopia is loss of connection to the past. The children of the Community are not raised by their biological parents, but by foster parents who are deemed suitable for the job of parenting. After the children of the community are grown, they lose connection with their foster parents, so even family history is lost. One might think about the impact this would have on the situation in the Middle East. There wouldn't be any fighting for the Promised Land. The Promise would all be a part of the forgotten past. For those of us who would like to see peace, this notion might be quite appealing. However, Lowry's insight is that a person without a past is a person without a future. While there is virtue to be had by living in the present in the metaphorical sense, living entirely in the present without connection to the Eternal is sterile. Jonas's role as Receiver of Memory is necessary for the Community because basic survival does require some knowledge of the human past, but this knowledge is a great burden, as human history is full of pain. The Receiver of Memory remembers these unpleasant things so others won't have to. The decision was made to remove this unpleasantness from the Community's conscience. In reading this, I was reminded that some people shudder at the bloody passages in the Old Testament and regret their inclusion in the Bible. Sometimes fiction is not far from the truth. But in forgetting pain, much that was pleasant has also been forgotten: Snow, sunny days, and the love of a family. Bad weather is inconvenient, and so the weather is controlled. Sexual yearnings cause problems, and so they are eliminated by taking a pill. Even love has been removed. This brings up another theme of the book, the use of language. Children are continually urged to use language precisely. Once Jonas asks his foster father if he loves him and is told that love is a meaningless word. His foster father says that he is very fond of Jonas, but that he couldn't possibly love him because there is no such thing. Yet we, the reader, know that there is such a thing, and in the course of gaining the memories of the community, Jonas discovers not on does love exists, but that he is capable of it in its deepest form. Though there is never an explicit reference to religion, one might almost see The Giver as sequel to the story of the Fall of Man in the book of Genesis. In eating from the Tree of Knowledge, Man is separated from nature and separated from God. Mans knowledge of the universe and how to manipulate it enables him to control. The world shown in The Community in The Giver is one that logically follows from that separation. The Community controls everything, the weather, and the sexual urges of the young. The separation from nature is complete, and perhaps so is the separation from God. The theologians have a name for the complete separation from God, and that name is "Hell." Hell is not usually presented as being so clean as the Community, nor its people as being so polite, but somehow I do believe that, like the Community, Hell is made-to-order by man. The most frequent complaint that one sees about the book is about its ending. It would be an understatement of massive proportions to say that my twelve-year-old, the Middle-Child, found the ending to be very frustrating. However, it need not be if one takes it at face value, and that is all I am going to say. The next time you would like a good, short read, and if you are tired of being force-fed someone else's sexual fantasies, let me recommend The Giver. If nothing else, it will make you think.
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Reviewed in the United States on June 28, 2003 by Bobby Winters
Before there was The Hunger Games, or the world of new Young Adult genre selections we often see today with beautiful and appealing covers that enthralls our imagination and tends to our emotions, there was The Giver. It has been a book of its own caliber. One that tends to the human spirit and intellect with a sophisticated approach to society and the individual. If you read this book in childhood, it will stay with you for the rest of your life. If you read this book in adulthood, it will blow your whole view of life wide open. As one of the Newbery Medal Award winners for the most oustanding contribution to children's literature, the author deserves some mention. Lois Lowry is absolutely one of those writers of simple genius, a seemingly effortless genius. This is what she says about the book (from Random House Website). "I will say that the whole concept of memory is one that interests me a great deal. I'm not sure why that is, but I've always been fascinated by the thought of what memory is and what it does and how it works and what we learn from it. And so I think probably that interest of my own and that particular subject was the origin, one of many, of The Giver." A seemingly utopian society for the purpose of the greater good. Every year is significantly structured to promote the appropriate and standardized growth of each child. At the age of twelve, all children are given their 'adult' places/careers/duties in society. They are taught that questioning and having existential wonderings are 'stirrings,' and should be treated by the use of pills. Their lives are built around the concept of conformation. Conform or be 'appealed.' Mostly everything becomes an automatic and possibly even meaningless gesture. This book is about Jonas's journey through this society. All events in the book matter, and every page is significant to the transformation of the story. At twelve, Jonas is chosen with the responsibility of being the new Receiver of Memory. How does one bear the burden of memory of the whole human experience? The agony of war. Disease. Loss and pain. Even the heights of human existence: human acheivement, freedom, music, color, and the power of love. He, alone, keeps these memories on behalf of his community. He isn't to share them with a single person. The reason being that no-one, supposedly, wants to experience the whole range of human emotion. Additionally, this limitation on the society as a whole means that if people cannot remember things then they cannot remember the pain that comes with life as well, holding people in ignorant bliss. The ending felt much like being vaguely abandoned. There is a sense of ambiguity about the ending when you get to it. The Giver is the first in the series of three book, the second being Gathering Blue and the third being The Messenger. Just with any series, the placement of such a vaguely placed ending probably is meant to lead us into the next books in the series for us to find out more. Here is a word from the author about the end, for she knows best why that was accomplished in that way, and it will probably put things into perspective for you, the read, as to how to approach the end the way Lois Lowry might have intended it. "Many kids want a more specific ending to The Giver. Some write, or ask me when they see me, to spell it out exactly. And I don't do that. And the reason is because The Giver is many things to many different people. People bring to it their own complicated sense of beliefs and hopes and dreams and fears and all of that. So I don't want to put my own feelings into it, my own beliefs, and ruin that for people who create their own endings in their minds." I have my own personal relationship to this book, and it has become a strong part of me. It's made its mark on me. It's truly one of those book you have to read in your lifetime. I absolutely loved it. I will be coming back to it throughout life, it's just one of those timeless books for both children and adults.
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Reviewed in the United States on April 12, 2012 by Elena Barbulescu
There aren't many people out there who haven't read Lois Lowry's classic, The Giver, but I happened to be one of them. Then I talked to my longtime friend (since 2nd grade!) who I often share great YA titles with (and a love for cheesy RomComs) and she told me The Giver was a book that she read in middle school that stayed with her. She still thought about the book 20 years later (god we are getting old). So, I decided I had to quit being a turd and do my YA collection justice with this 1994 Newberry winner. After finishing it in one voracious sitting, I had to ask myself if I would ever learn. I avoided Percy Jackson for years- did I learn? I refused to read Harry Potter, Twilight, and so many more for no other reason than they were popular. Now The Giver. Will I ever learn?! Why do I deprive myself of great stories? The story begins in a utopia. No one feels pain, no one is unhappy. Any feelings of anger, jealousy or concern are to be voiced in family units every morning in order to address and release them. Children are not born and raised with their parents. Instead, a sensible couple the community puts together is allowed to ask for children and they can receive up to one boy and one girl. Only Birth Mothers are allowed to have children, but since all the community members take drugs to inhibit sexual impulses from the time they reach puberty, no one seems to object. When people get too old, they are "Released" into a better state. If twins are born, the smaller of the two will be released. Even careers are not chosen, but rather given to the people of the community by the Elders after careful consideration. When children reach their twelfth year, they are assigned a career to focus on. Although they can request a career change, it doesn't happen. Instead, people are content in the community. They contribute, they live, and they are content. Nothing more. Nothing less. When Jonas reaches his twelfth year and is assigned, however, it changes everything. Jonas is assigned as the new Receiver of Memory. He is to report to the Giver of Memory, an old man who was chosen as Jonas was chosen, to be given the memories of times forgotten. This includes happy memories, like snow, sledding, warm sun, and fun. It also includes bad memories like pain, breaking an arm, war, and anger. These memories begin to change Jonas, but he is forbidden to share them with others. All he wants to do is show his sister and his friends the colors of the world, the sunshine. When his father, a Nurturer in the nursery, brings home a baby who isn't sleeping well, Jonas takes him into his bedroom at night and shares the happy memories with him. This soothes the baby, but is strictly forbidden, of course. Jonas and the Giver begin talking about leaving the community in order to give the people back the memories of past times, good and bad. It will be traumatic for them, but The Giver will be there to guide them. When Jonas's father announces the baby is going to be "released", Jonas, who has seen what "releasing" really is, refuses to leave the baby to that fate. This story is one that will truly rock your world. With so many dystopias swirling around out there, it is hard to imagine one that could sweep you off your feet as easily as this one. Nevertheless, this classic bested me. It makes the reader question their wants, their desires, their hopes. It keeps the reader on their toes and examines what is really important in life. Do we need a life free of pain and suffering? Or will that lead to the loss of all this beautiful, wonderful, and sublime as well. Do we need to experience pain in order to truly know love and happiness when we have it? This book is a must read for anyone who hasn't read it already. Recently a coworker said she was using it in her middle school Lit class, and I was thrilled! (eerily she told me about using it in her classroom the very same day I finished reading it!) To hand this story over to students, especially in a student-driven setting, means opening the door to struggling readers who can't get enough of a story. This will be that story- it will have them questioning everything they have ever known, and then some. And isn't that why we read anyway? To question ourselves, our worlds, what we know, what we think we want to know, and so much more? Don't be afraid to give this story to your children or students- like my grade school friend, they will never forget it!
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Reviewed in the United States on March 23, 2013 by OpheliasOwn
In this book's deceptively small size belies a profound impact. While geared toward young adults, it will evoke strong emotions in readers of all ages. The narrative skillfully immerses the reader in a world of intricate depth and compelling insight. Lowry created vivid images and scenes that profoundly moved me. The power of these scenes frequently made me pause, awestruck and speechless, before reflecting on their multifaceted messages and meaning. Imagine a life free from the pangs of hunger, a life where all sharp edges are smoothed away, and the sting of loss and poverty is unknown. However, it comes with a unique trade-off: your life is predetermined, a map drawn without your input. The path of your career is not yours to forge, the hand you take in marriage would be decided by another, and your children are not yours to bear, but must be given up when the time comes. The feelings of pain, sorrow, and terror are distant concepts, but in return, you do not know the sound of music, cannot see the world in color, and never get to relish in the simple moments of life, like feeling the breeze through the trees or hear birds singing. There's no war, but there's also no sunshine, rain, or seasons. Most of all, you are shielded from love. You are protected from the world's harsh realities, but at the cost of this immunity, your heart is untouched by any warmth and affection. Without the lows, the highs lose their vibrant intensity, and in return, true connection, the very essence of being human, remains forever out of reach. The human experience is deeply intertwined with our ability to make decisions and feel, and this book explores the potential consequences when those fundamental and essential human elements are removed. A world devoid of choice, decisions, or emotional depth dehumanizes us, and without it, we would have no identity or meaning. This book and its powerful message will stay with you long after the book is closed, resonating deeply and sparking meaningful discussions and thoughts. Ultimately, the book serves as a powerful reminder to question the narratives we are given in real life, whether through the media, journalism, or those in power. We should question how information is shaped and manipulated before being presented to us. The Giver encourages us to examine the world around us with a more critical eye. It is essential to critically evaluate the information we receive, especially if it is coming from a source with potential biases. May this book remind us that we need to be more open-minded to the diverse perspectives of others and to have more open dialogue and healthy discussions. In doing so, this enhances our critical thinking, empowering us all. By engaging with different perspectives and viewpoints, we empower ourselves to make informed decisions, and in return, strengthen our democracy. Bravo. 5 stars.
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Reviewed in the United States on December 8, 2024 by M
The Giver is a children’s literature novel written by Lois Lowry. It takes place in a monotone, perfect world that shuns individuality. Jonas, the hero that is followed throughout the story, begins to notice the true imperfection of the world he lives in. He is accompanied by a man who is only known as “the Giver.” It's amazing what The Giver has to offer the children that have read it. It is a book that is, in a way, simple in its complexity. Simple in the aspect that a child can be exposed to it and still understand the basic plot and foundation; Complex in the aspect that an adult can be exposed to it and be able to analyze the true meaning and theme that is hidden beneath its surface. Jonas really questions what individuality truly is. The truth is uncovered to him by the Giver that humans are afraid of being subjected to peculiar situations. When Jonas talks about releasing one of the twins that were recently born with the Giver, he exclaims, “Well, they can't have two identical people around! Think how confusing it would be!" (182). It would be easier for one of the twins to be released then for everyone to be possibly subjected to awkward situations such as mixing up two people that look identical to each other. Another example for this theme would be how everyone is required to accept one another's apologies. The thought behind this is that if someone does not accept your apology, it can lead to future skirmishes. No body likes to be caught in a situation where they are trying to mend a relationship between two people, so it's easier for everyone to be uniform and friendly. It is more comfortable. Comfortable is a key element in this novel. Lowry does an amazing job of exposing human nature. Everyone hates being singled out, put in awkward situations, and just simply being different. By making everyone uniform, same number of people in the house, we all act the same, wear the same clothes, it minimizes suffering. In no way can suffering be totally and utterly eliminated, there will still be things that irritates people individually. What Lowry enforces through her protagonist Jonas is that if there is minimal suffering, then there is minimal happiness. No one is truly depressed, but no one is truly happy either. When having dinner with his family and everyone was sharing their emotions of the day, Jonas had experienced sadness first hand, and realized that all the “emotions” everyone spoke of during dinner were fleeting feelings that held no true meaning: “But now Jonas had experienced real sadness. He had felt grief. He knew there was no quick comfort for emotions like those” (166). Jonas came to the conclusion that no one truly new what raw emotion was, only himself and the Giver. No body could truly love, hate, or feel sadness. He began to realize how empty his society profoundly was. In conclusion, this novel was amazing. Lowry does a fantastic job by setting a sober tone for a novel that explores the theme of humanity's natural fear of individuality. Though there is no true physical conflict, the true problem lies within the society itself. While a very good book for adults, it is also a true masterpiece for its intended audience, children. If ever taught in a classroom setting, a fun way to incorporate the book into activities would be for children to pair up into groups and assign them to create a utopia of their own. A way to expand this assignment would be for the children to write their own dystopian fiction with plot, character, and theme. Questions such as: Can there ever be a true utopia? Are humans naturally flawed, leading to the conclusion that all society is imperfect? Can be addressed. This can be also seen as a lesson plan, incorporating other books that are similar to The Giver, such as The City of Ember, written by Jeanne DuPrau, and The Roar, written by Emma Clayton. Both which are dystopian themed novels that are aimed toward children. If students are having difficulty interpreting the text or understanding it two great sites would be: randomhouse or loislowry.com. For teachers who need lesson plans or activities that pair well with the novel these two sites are very informative: englishunitplans or webenglishteacher.com. This book was overall incredible and I'm glad that I was able to read it, even if it is classified as children’s literature! Works Cited Lowry, Lois. The Giver. New York: Houghton Mifflin, 1993. Print.
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Reviewed in the United States on March 16, 2016 by Amazon Customer
Format: Mass Market Paperback
I think there's been enough written as far as plot description of this tale...but if not, then here goes: Jonas lives in what appears to be a perfect, Utopian society and upon the completion of his 12th year of life (just like all other 12 year-olds in his community) he's given his job for life. His title is to be 'Receiver', to become a recepticle for all memories and knowlege within his community.He goes into training with the former Receiver, who then becomes 'The Giver', and learns the truth of his environment...and how it is far from perfect, and how impossible the concept of perfection truly is. There's more to it, but that's the bare bones of plot. It's a wonderfully enticing tale, and the author chose a powerful subject as well as doing a wonderful job at constructing a society with very intricate rules and social graces. I was thoroughly drawn to this book...and I felt it was simply yet powerfully written. The simplicity was actually quite effective since the subject and story was rather complex. I felt the author kind of wimped out though, somewhere toward about 3/4 of the way...perhaps it wasn't the author...perhaps it was the publisher, which is really possible too. Lowry was starting to dip into darker waters which were extremely powerful, but it seems like the moment she did, there was suddenly this miraculous solution to the story...it felt like the narrative was about to spill the goods and then was silenced somehow. And I found this a pity because I was really getting into what i was reading, was really getting into the character of Jonas and his development and growth and maturity. He was stunted as soon as he began to grow up and gain some understanding, and this is the main reason I gave this book 3 (actually 3.5) stars. Perhaps the reason it was all cut so short was because it was a book that was also meant for children...but that doesn't seem like a good enough reason. I just felt like, Don't take me somewhere unless you're going to take me all the way. Don't abandon your reader...I felt I was abandoned as the story was tied up at the end with a very messy and strangly metorphorical ending. The book was not metophorical to begin with. It's too bad, because I really was starting to sink my teeth into it! [..] I read the book myself about 3 times...and I just flat-out disagree. The author painted extremely innocent characters who didn't know what was considered taboo by OUR standards...and in truth, there also wasn't any kind of overt leaning toward any kind of sexual orientation. There was no weird nudity. Children volunteering at a nursing home and tending to bathing the elderly is not what I would consider sensual. A male child taking his shirt off to be more in touch with his surroundings is not a sensual thing, but rather unself-consious...why would it be otherwise??? Whoever criticizes that is kind of missing the point anyway: There was NOTHING sensual in this book...if anything, the author made a point of creating a society that was sensually stunted and out of touch in that way, and actually took pills to remedy those cravings in order to never look at them again. So...what's all the fuss, people?
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Reviewed in the United States on January 10, 2006 by Zee
Format: Hardcover
Good book, easy read with how short it is and leaves you wanting more. It sort of makes you think about our lives.
Reviewed in the United States on June 7, 2026 by Travis Johnson