A Clockwork Orange

by Anthony Burgess

Review of A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess

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       This is the ultimate dystopian novel.  It takes place in a very well-defined world with very well-defined characters.  Merging these with a fantastic plot makes A Clockwork Orange a beautiful and terrifying work of literature.  Just as terrifying is Alex, the main character.  Throughout the first section, you grow to hate him.  In the second part, you develop some sympathy for him.  Then, to the readers horror, in the third part, you may find yourself actually feeling sorry for, and even rooting for, the most sadistic character in any novel.  It is excellently and creatively written in NADSAT slang, which, if you can understand a word of it, makes the book all the more interesting.  It is most certainly one of the 10 best books of all time.  If you haven't read it, do so, and prepare to be shocked and amazed.

A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess was reviewed by Count Orad

       I did not care for this book at all. The only reason I could think of why this book would be on any top 100s list is because of the Stanley Kubrik movie. Anthony Burgess humself did not even like this book. The plot was great but was shadowed by the simplistic and some times gibberish structure of the book. I am no literature rookie either, I'm not some guy who just picked up the book cause I thought there'd be violence. In the past few monthes I've read lord of the rings, to kill a mockingbird, The Catcher in The Rye, 1984, The Hobbit, etc. I just didn't care for it very much. The NADSAT slang is innovative I'll admit but that's it really.

A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess was reviewed by BBWSPFF

       I agree with all the reviewers here ....it is a complicated novel , you do need a lot of patience(for a book which hardly spans 150 pages) trying to keep pace with the language,which at times makes the entire plot look annoyingly gibberish.

       Of all the great books I have read in the past few months which include Hitchhiker's series,Life of Pi, Atlas shrugged and Catcher in the rye...this is the one I am still trudging along at a snails pace.. 40 pages in 2 weeks.

       If I do tend to read it to the end it,I may have a different opinion for this novel and maybe similar sort of appreciation which has made it a must read on all the top 100 novels list.

A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess was reviewed by dvp

       Well. I heard about the movie. I looked it up online. I got the book from the library. I could not get past the third chapter.

       There is no doubt that this novel is a classic of literature, by any means. Anyone who would deny that fact is too much of a coward to admit that they could not understand the complexity of the protagonist and the themes.  This book is an abomination, yet it is quite magnificent.  An oxymoron.  I sincerely urge anyone with a fierce will, a passion for literature, as well as much needed tolerance to read this book.  Please, read it and enjoy it, and then horrify and tantalize others (such as myself) with dramatic quotes and imagery from it.  Burgesses was a great writer, plain and simple- and although I never got past the third chapter, anyone can see what a marvel this book is.

A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess was reviewed by RobbyJ

       I found this book in an interesting way. Being intrigued by the coverart I picked it up in Barnes&Noble, having no idea what it was. I was about to put it back when a random stranger came up to me and just started going on and on about how amazing this book was and that I should buy it. So I did. I don't know if the stranger will ever read his review, but I want to thank him for causing me to buy what would become my absolute favorite book.

       The first thing that people say about this book is that the Russian slang is a bit confusing. There first few chapters are a little wierd to get through, but after a while you start to see familiar words and with context clues it quickly becomes second nature. I cannot get over the complexity of the themes of this book. It's not just as simple as the choice between good and evil, but the lack of that choice and what defines us as human beings. It is such an interestng read!

A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess was reviewed by Anon

       Anthony Burgess was a very clever man and a master of many languages. At first sight in this book, however, he appears to dumb himself down to the level of Alex, a viscious and monosyllabic street thug whose principle preoccupation is thrill-seeking through sex and violence. Only as the story unfolds do we see another side to Alex, but with Burgess, this is something we should have anticipated from the start. The book was unfortunately overshadowed by Stanley Kubrick's film adaptation which horrified cinema audiences in the early 1970s and led to it being withdrawn for nearly 30 years. Stick with the book, anyway. It's a minor classic of its ilk.

A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess was reviewed by Paul B.

       This novel is most certainly an interesting read, despite the fact that it may take one a while to be able to decipher the Russian slang which appears throughout the novel ( there are sites that will translate) I found it to be an extremely interesting book, which doesn't try to shy away from violence, the protagonist Alex is one who is quite immoral and yet the reader feels for him.
An interesting point is that the author was disappointed that this was the novel that became successful.

A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess was reviewed by e.g

       Even through the slang that the protagonist uses, which renders his place in society quite well, you still get the feeling and emotion of what he is going through. Truly incredible book.

A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess was reviewed by Ryan

       This is another book that, once finishing it, I was surprised it was in my school. I am not the average book reader, but when a gem such as this is started, I can not put it down. The same with the Catcher in the Rye. These two books made me look at books in a completely different light. Far from proper and school appropriate, they really gained my interest. They started me on a 4 year adventure in books at school. I graduated while reading books 10x as much as doing class work, allowing me to pursue my own interests.

       This book is similar (as far as I can tell) to the concept of the book 1984, which I have not read, but certainly will because of this website and the list. The similarity is that they are both an author's vision of a potential, harsh future. The slang which the main character in the book uses can be a little ambiguous at first, but if you don't become discouraged, it soon makes complete sense. It is a grand tale of survival, betrayal, and a heartless world. A very good book.

A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess was reviewed by Skylor Wold

       If you can get past the "controversial" theme running though the book, I feel you will find it to be a well-worth piece of literature.  You see how a troubled young man can choose on his own to do good.....this is if you read the book with the supposed "missing chapter".  basically a great read of someone forced to do good at first and then remarkably is able to choose to do good by the end.  it is your basic "is it better to force someone to do good or allow them to figure it out for themselves?".  i loved it.  well written (you get used to the jargon)

A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess was reviewed by snaz

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