A Clockwork Orange

Rating:
Summary: A Clockwork Orange
Review: A Clockwork Orange is a very intersting novel worth picking up. Its paradoxical name refers to its political overtones. A story about an English boy overcome with hedonistic and violent tendencies. He is treated by the system and trained to become sick when his evil tendencies arrive. Like many writers of his time, Burgess metaphorically communicates a portrail of our own society. The Clockwork is a hint towards the mechanical workings of our socitety; with its regular schooling, social groupings, criminal control and government. The Orange hints towards the rather live working members inside this mechanical evironment; being the people. The book give question to our larger purpose and mening, testing the bowndries of right and wrong, and moral norms. A clockwork Orange remains a classic in our generation and will remain for generations to come.

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Summary: What's it going to be then, eh?
Review: Quite an opening line, eh? And Anthony Burgess didn't stop there. He creates an atmosphere, an entire surreal environment that I both knew could not exist but wondered if it might be possible.
Each of the three sections of the book open with this ambiguous line, "What's it going to be then, eh?", and with each usage I came up with a new interpretation. Example A: the first portion of the book is spent watching 15-year-old Alex and his gaggle of friends take out their aggression on nearly everyone they meet. A man walking down the street is beat so badly he bleeds and can't get up off the street, simply for being a "teacher-type" and carrying an armload of books. Burgess uses this repetitive opening line as bait...I had to keep reading just to find out what shape it might take on the next time around.
One of the most amazing aspects of this book was the language. Burgess creates his own vocabulary, replacing random English words with his own concoctions. Alex didn't have friends, he had "droogs;" they didn't drink a little at the bar, they drank a "milenky" bit. Sure, it takes a while to figure out just what in the heck Alex is doing or saying, but it's well worth it.
So, to make this short and sweet, read the book, be stumped by the vocab, try to not be too appauled by the violence, and decide for yourself what that opening line means.

Rating:
Summary: Amazingly really interesting
Review: This is one of the most interesting books I have ever read. It was a little awkward that I found myself really enjoying this book. The content is very disturbing, but the way Burgess writes, makes it absolutely fascinating. Burgess uses a type of Russified slang that takes a little bit of reading to get used to, but don't let that stop you. Some of the books have dictionaries of the slang words, but I'd recommend not using it. One of the best parts of this book is that you find yourself able to understand what he is saying even though you don't quite understand the language. It is also interesting how the sections of the book mirror each other. There are a lot of recurring events that happen over the course of the book to look for, while reading it. And if you have read the earlier American version of the book, that only has 20 chapters, be sure to pick up the newer version with the complete 21 chapters. That goes for the movie as well, it was made based on the 20 chapter version of the book, so it's a good idea to read the book with all 21 chapters, if you have already scene the movie. That last chapter adds a whole new spin on the book.

Burgess also explores some very deep political themes. The idea of Ludovico's technique, which is mentioned in the book, shows Burgess's views on Skinner's behaviorist theory, which can also be applied to Communism. This book is very thought provoking and brings up a lot of controversial issues that can be great class discussion topics.

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Summary: Thought Provoking
Review: Unless you have fair warning, A Clockwork Orange can be a startling novel.

Yes, the slang can be hard to understand at times, yet it does not take away from the story. If anything, it adds to the gang like feel Burgess sought to convey. To tell the truth, I found myself using Burgess' made up words by the end of the book. The scary reality of this futuristic story makes the language even more powerful.

The two contrasting ideas of the novel are so well presented that I found myself unable to actually decide which side to agree with. Is it better to choose whether or not to be evil or just to be good? Is free will really what makes us human? What was also a bit disturbing was the fact that I felt sympathy for someone as devilish as Alex. Burgess' incredible storytelling can be thanked for that. From the middle to the end I sympathized then empathized with the little droog.

I recommend the novel, especially now in light of recent developments in the world, however I do not recommend the movie. Seeing the movie is not enough, for it does not do the novel justice in the slightest. I do not understand why it received as much acclaim as it had. I find it ironic that the one book Burgess really didn't like, turned out to be his most famous. It was good, not spectacular, but definitely a must read for anyone who likes stories along the lines of Brave New World (I did enjoy Aldous Huxley's masterpiece far more than I enjoyed A Clockwork Orange, though they both have certain un-ignorable similarities). I picked up this novel without having any idea what it was truly about. I did read summaries and things of that nature, but those can only tell you so much. It is the sort of literary work that one needs to read oneself in order to get the full effect.

Rating:
Summary: Don't Give Up!
Review: I've heard from many people that after the first chapter or so of "A Clockwork Orange," they gave up because of the NADSAT. Nadsat is a slang invented by Burgess, that is a mixture of Russian and, well, nonsense. There are resources available to define these nadsat words, but in most cases it is not even necessary. Many of the words, in context, are self-explanatory, and those which are not can often be passed by without tainting the reader's experience.

If you can get past the brilliant but difficult slang, this book is definitely a good read. Burgess also wrote symphonies, and this is apparent in his works. This book is no exception. The book serves almost as a mirror: the first section is a slow build, the second section is the middle ground--and also where much of the action takes place, and the third section is a slow decline to the end: much like a reversal of the first section.

"A Clockwork Orange" is incredibly thought-provoking--it really makes you look to yourself, check your own values and beliefs. What is right? Is free will more important than a safe society? This book is great, and I would recommend it for both classroom reading as well as reading for pleasure.

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Summary: My favorite book ever
Review: A Clockwork Orange takes place in a futuristic England, centering around a teenage gang. Their leader, Alex, is our narrator, as he lets us join in on the gang's adventures, which mostly center around "ultraviolence" such as rape, beatings, very sick jokes where someone ends up severly damaged, etc. On one of these outings they make their way into a middle-aged woman's house and Alex ends up killing her and is caught by police. If I say anymore I will give away the book, so I will stop now.

This is definitly my favorite book ever. I read it for the first time while at Camden Military Academy. It was the original American edition, plain orange cover, no special design, only 20 chapters (the American publisher didn't seem to really like it, telling Burgess he should be lucky to have even 20). It was a torn, forgotten book lying beneath one of the shelves at the school's library. Burgess, as usual, plays around with language in this book, creating the "Nadsat" language, a combination of German and something else, which is the slang language of teens and the lower class in the times of the future in England.

This book also, I think, satires government control, because they "reform" Alex in some sick way, but if I explain it I will give it away...

I truly reccommend this book to anyone that likes to think, and isn't offended by horrible violence taking place while someone sings "Singin' in the Rain."

This was a hard review to write... you just have to read the book to get it.

Rating:
Summary: a clockwork orange
Review: This book is amazing, period. I was a little weary about reading it because I had seen the movie first, but I'm glad that i read it. Stanley Kubrick did a very good job on the movie, but i would have to say that i enjoyed the book more.

The book goes into more detail on Alex's life and the crimes. I thing it was amazing how Anthony BUrgess set the book in 3 main parts. The first part is being set in his hometown with the victims of his crimes, the second part is in a new setting with completely different characters, and the third part is back at his hometown with all of the same charactesr as the first part but they switch roles in the victimizing.

There are only a few things that i made me less into the story. The fact that Alex is only 15 years old in the book is hard to comprehend especially with some of the things he does. Another thing that is wierd about the book is the language. Alot of the words are english slang terms for that time such as "slooshied" and "viddied", but you get used to it.

Even if you have no desire to read this book because you saw the movie, at least read it for the original ending (which the movie does not include)

this book is well deserving of 5 stars, and it is one of the best books i have ever read.

Rating:
Summary: Interesting Book.
Review: 'A Clockwork Orange' is an interesting book that has become a classic for the wrong reasons. First, it is a classic because the film is so famous. Second, it is not a classic because of what the book is trying to say, but a classic because of the grotesque material in the story. Personally, I didn't think it was that great, but one should read it for curiosity.

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Summary: When a man cannot choose, he ceases to be a man
Review: This book is amazing. It is a great, fast paced story of the future that also has a strong moral message. Burgess opens it by introducing us to Alex. A teenager bent on destruction and violence. He's not the only one though, nearly every teenager is like him. At one point though he gets caught in one of his acts of violence and he has to go to prison. He then gets a miracle cure that makes him absolutely sick of even the thought of harming anyone and is thrown out into the world leaving him open to the revenge of all the people he harmed before.

This book alone would be a good story. Burgess doesn't just tell a good story though. Every action has a meaning and a purpose in the book it is not just 'filler paper'.A good show of how teenagers have an affinity towards violence. But Burgess doesn't stop there. Burgess writes on how people can change. He brings up the problem of choice. Is the man who is forced to good more moral than the man who chooses to do bad? Moral choice is what seperates man from beast isn't it? It is very thought provoking and I am very happy that I stumbled upon this book.

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Summary: a study of culture and subculture
Review: don't make the mistake of becomming too hung up about language in this book... it's really the least of your worries. yes there are three phases the main character alex goes through, but plot isn't as important here as internal exposition and dialogue. the point of a clockwork orange is anti-establishmentism. the point is youth culture. the point is... we all grow up, but we're not all going to be drones. if you want to find out about the plot, read someone else's review... if you want to read something of the modern canon, something anti-establishment in the very utmost manner, and if you can handle ultraviolence (if you voted for bush, you should be all set, hah!), you NEED to read this book... it's one of the most important books of the 20th century.