Rating: 
Summary: An outstanding book that really makes you think.
Review: Having seen the movie several years ago I was anxious to read the book. I was quite impressed with the author's use of language. The slang used by Alex and others his age is described by the author as 'a mixture of English and Russian.' It may confuse you at first but it becomes second nature once you get all the words down. This book is nothing short of incredible. You truly identify with the character and find yourself rooting for him in the end, even though he is a brutally violent delinquent. The movie sort of left you hanging, but the book (with the 21st chapter) gives us some resolution, and an understanding of how the character has evolved throughout the course of the book. I highly recommend it for anyone who enjoys a well-written story which truly makes you think about the way we view "progress."
Rating: 
Summary: A challenging and thought-provoking book with funny language
Review: A teenager named Alex, the main character and narrator of A Clockwork Orange, tells a story that reveals his brutal and vicious lifestyle. The theme that dominates the story is one of good and evil, a question of personal freedom and morality. How Burgess attempts to convey to the reader the book's messages is truly creative and unique. The imaginative feature of Burgess's writing technique in A Clockwork Orange is the use of an inventive and seemingly futuristic language. The reader may find that this language, some of whose words seem to have Russian roots, may be overwhelming and overused. The "slang" can be difficult to understand, which makes reading the work annoying and rather slow. Of course, one could read the book with the aid of some sort of dictionary, but that would just be completely ridiculous and should not have to be done to get the most from a novel. This language takes away some essence from the book in that it disengages the reader from it. Somewhat blank thoughts and empty feelings may dominate the reader's mind after reading foreign, that is, incomprehensive, phrases. The novel would be truly excellent if the language didn't impede the reading experience; it can be difficult to become truly involved in Alex's tale if his unique speech wasn't used so often. It is simply used too much. At the same time, however, the language can be a highlight of the book. The slang makes it seem as if a teenager really is telling the story. Eventually, the reader will probably be able to translate some of the terms, such as goloss (bellow). The flow of the book, however, may suffer at times because its unique tongue is used more often than expected. A Clockwork Orange can be compared to some gang-related, futuristic, or corruption-oriented novels. One title that comes to mind is Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451. Both tales involve futuristic circumstances and possibilities, corruption in the government and lifestyle of that society's citizens, morality, and quest for personal reform. Another title that can be compared to Burgess's novel is Trainspotting, by Irvine Welsh. Both Burgess and Welsh, in their novels, depict the lifestyles of the youth in terms of drugs and hopelessness of the future. I recommend this book to those readers who can withstand the acts that Alex and his "droogs" commit. They participate in rape, murder, drugs, and violence. I also suggest that readers who want something innovative, creative, and imaginative should go out and read this book. It is a challenging and thought-provoking book - a great read for those who believe they could comprehend and adapt to its funny language, since the story line is excellent.
Rating:
Summary: The best book i ever read
Review: it is a compelling book. Burgess is a great write i recomend the Wanting Seed by him also
Rating:
Summary: Burgess was right
Review: This book is Anthony Burgess's most famous work, it is also the one he hated the most. His reason being that he wrote this book when he was just starting out. Anyone one who has ever tried to write knows that the more you write the better it gets. If he had waited to write this book it would have been an utter masterpeice, as it is, it is only a good book.
Rating: 
Summary: Yikes!
Review: I was so excited about reading this book - but I ended up giving up after only a few chapters. Although the dialect was unique, it really distracted me from the story. If you haven't already purchased this book, I would suggest reading the first chapter to get a feel for it. As for me, I think I'll just rent the movie.
Rating:
Summary: It was Swell
Review: I thought it was an excellent book with a positive view of the future, focusing on a utopian society and the Freedom of each person to make their own descisions.
Rating:
Summary: An amazing novel in many ways...
Review: The first thing that struck me was that Burgess had enough writing skill to make me care about Alex. Despite what he does, I felt pity for him, and by the end, (because of the first person narration and the personal addressings to the reader), I felt like a good friend to him. I was there, feeling for him and even sharing in his pain. I think it takes an extremely talented writer to make us like a protagonist. Not since Hannibal Lector in The Silence of the Lambs, have I liked a protagonist so much. But besides this, of course this book is very original and thought-provoking. It raises many points such as playing God, free will (to do good or bad), and so on. After getting used to the English-Russian hybrid language, the book is fasinating.
Rating:
Summary: An amazing book and amazing movie
Review: Having seen "A Clockwork Orange" in movie form, I was tantalized into reading the book. I found a copy at a used book shop, and quickly put myself to the task of reading it. I never imagined it would be so tough to read such a short book. Thank God for the glossary. I read the book in three days, obviously taking breaks to eat etcetera, but I found that in those three days it was the only thing I could think of. I pondered ever nuance of the masterpiece, pining over it until I finally finished it. It is exactly as I said: A masterpiece. Having seen the movie, it was a great deal easier to envision events, people, etc., which is both a blessing and a curse if you think about the fact that Alex's hobbies are ultra-violence and rape. Not a pleasant group of things to do in one's spare time. But it certainly was interesting to an outsider. But a warning to all: Weak stomach? Don't read it or rent the movie until you know for certain exactly what you are getting yourself into. I no longer think of "Singing in the Rain" the same way.
Rating:
Summary: The best book I ever read
Review: Well, This book was the best book I've ever read. If you've seen the movie, you can understand that the language in the book was art, spoken like Shakespear. I found the book in a pile in the basement, from my dad's days in highschool. I had heard about it so I decided to read it, and I'm glad I did. Fourtunately for me, It included a glossary, but did not include the finall chapter. I read the book, and couldn't put it down. When I finished it, Iread it again. Now, I personally didn't like the last chapter, when I found it online. I had already read the book once, seen the movie, and was halfway through it again. The last chapter looses the flow of the violence. I liked being able to imagin what Alex was thinking when he was cured. The book expresses a hatred of violence on the part of the author, yet he writes from a violent youth's point of view. One thing that I found frightening, was that I could see myself as Alex, and feeling rigjht at home withh the idea. I highly recommend this book
Rating: 
Summary: A novel by a young writer.
Review: The highlight of this book is the invented language that the narrator speaks. The slang makes the Alex very imposing and makes the book a lot of fun to read, but this is where my praise ends. The main problem with the novel is that every few pages somebody gets up on a soapbox and talks about the importance of free will. Burgess should have let the reader figure that out on his own. A Clockwork Orange sometimes reads more like a pamphlet than a novel. Aside from my stylistic criticism I also have to disagree with Burgess' point about free will. The beginning of the novel sees Alex and his friends hospitalize innocent people, brutally rape and murder a woman in her home while they force her husband to watch, and commit other equally appalling acts of violence. The rest of the novel sees Alex himself get beat around, unable to defend himself. Personally I have no sympathy for him. Burgess should have toned down Alex's crimes in the beginning if he wanted the reader's sympathy. (Which he needs if the reader is to agree that Alex's punishment was somehow not warranted.) Finally, if you do read this novel, make certain that your edition contains the final chapter, which crucial to Burgess' argument that Alex did not require his radical treatment.
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