Rating: 
Summary: great and disturbing
Review: I have read this book twice and as I was reading it the second time I realised it was a lot more violent and brutal than I originally remember. this was probaly beacause the overall mood and message stuck in my head as opposed to alex and his droogs acts. If you are at all skeptical that you will not like this because of content, don't worry. It is more than well worth it. Oh and if you were at all disapointed at the way Orwell's 1984 ended as I was, try this.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent
Review: Honestly, quite honestly, this is one of the best books I've ever read.Looking simply at structure, one could comment on Burgess' ingenious use of Russian slang to indicate takeover by the Soviet Union while it was still around (which was when this book was written) and indicate that perhaps London is now in communist hands. And one must mention the rather entertaining irony of the fact that Alex (the main character) matures to nearly an adult in chapter 21. Going for theme and literary content, this book also holds its own against many classics (and in fact overtakes many of them in scope). It's very tricky to pull themes out of this book and avoid condoning violence, which this books does not condone, much to the contrary of the opinion of many. In fact, this book mostly tells a coming of age story and merely shows what human nature, unchecked, would be like during adolescence, which may be the real reason this book is so terribly frightening. It shows us our true selves and shows us the true nature of immaturity and, for that matter, of maturity. The fact that violence certainly comes into the equation of immaturity is deeply disturbing but also very honest and this book presents this argument very well. Again, I will say, this is honestly one of the best books I've ever read. If you can see past the violence and get to the message, you'll certainly think so, too. Buy it. It's worth the money.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent!
Review: Boy, that Burgess has some nerve! First, he gets us to like this ultraviolent teenager due to the fun narration, then he encourages us to feel sorry for him when Big Government intervenes and prevents him from acting as he would wish! Outstanding story and language...just one thing, couldn't Burgess have left the final chapter out, as Stanley Kubrick did in the film? I love how the final made me wonder about Alex, where the novel tried to make amends.
Rating:
Summary: The funniest thing you could ever read
Review: Only a complete fool could write this off as an excuse to write about rape and ultraviolence. This is at heart a genuine attempt at black [and sometimes subtle slapstick] comedy. The film is a terrible interpretation of this excellent book, and just to correct one reviewer, it was not banned for copycat crimes or anything of the sort. It was *WITHDRAWN* by Kubrick himself after his family received death threats. The book is an essential read and the Nadsat language is easy to decode; you must read this book.
Rating:
Summary: A Dark and Brilliant Novel
Review: Anthony Burgess warns us of what the future holds in his outstanding book "A Clockwork Orange." This book became a classic when it was first published over thirty years ago. The movie, which starred Malcolm McDowell and was directed by the late Stanley Kubrick, has developed a cult following. Alex, the protagonist, is the leader of a small gang in his town. He lives in a world where the hell-raising kids take over the night, while the adults are at home glued to their TVs. He steals, vandalizes, rapes 10-year-olds, and much more. He gets caught eventually and is sent to prison for murder, where he hears about a new rehabilitation program which he is eager to join. However, rehab is far from what he expected, and has some serious side-effects. Probably the most brilliant thing about this novel is it's language. Burgess invented a slang which Alex and his friends (or "droogs") use. It's called Nadsat (which means "teen"), and is widely based on Russian. It takes a while to pick up, but it's not all that difficult (there's an unofficial Nadsat/English dictionary at clockworkorange.com). The problem is, a lot of people dismiss both the book and the movie and put them in the "violent, tasteless, shocking and corrupting" category. These people have to see beyond the violence and realize this is clearly a work of art. This edition of the book includes the 21st chapter which has a different (surprising, perhaps) ending (different from the first American release and the movie). I truly recommend this book to anyone. It's better than that Harry Potter junk anyway.
Rating: 
Summary: An Instant Classic
Review: What a wonderful book, if you like reading about violent and graphic rapes, beatings, and the inner destruction of man- which I do like reading about. Only Burgess could conjure up a story so incredible, so vivid and disturbing that one could actually enjoy reading it. The language, by far, is the best since Shakespeare picked up a quill. Read this awesome book and it'll make you think twice the next time you think about methods of being nice.
Rating:
Summary: A Journey into places you dare not look...
Review: A Clockwork Orange is by far the best book i have ever read. even if you have seen the movie, read the book. It takes place in london in the not-so-distant future. The main character, Alex, is the leader of a gang of four teenagers, who run a muck, breaking into people's houses, beating people up, etc. alex runs into trouble, and is thrown in jail, where the government gives him horrific punishment.... anyway, enough of the plot. alex and his "droogs" speak a kind of Russified english, which they called "Nadsat" (russian for "teen"). The novel has no glossary, although nadsat is laced thickly throughout the entire book. this was not a problem for me because i speak russian, but i imagine that this book would be a very difficult read for someone who does not. but hey, if you cant, you can download a "nadsat translator". overall, a clockwork orange is a visciously bizzarre, violent, hilarious, intruiging book that asks the reader "is a person who does not have the option of evil really good?". a clockwork orange is the best book ever written because it breaks free of ordinary book structure. the main character is not very heroic, and is actually very dispicable. the book has very unexpected twists in it, so reader never knows what to expect. anyway, read it- it is not something you will soon forget.
Rating:
Summary: A horrorshow horror show, o my brothers
Review: Burgess created a brillant rollercoaster classic in A Clockwork Orange. It took me about a month to finish this book, which is longer than i expected. The russian slang is fantastic and adds color to the murky tale of A Clockwork Orange. I had to take breaks because reading this was difficult in more ways than one. Alex isn't one of those reporters on the tv, telling us stories about crime and rape and the corrupt government. He isn't a journalist writing a 4-paragraphed sumary of a recent crime. He lives the crime through his own hands, fists, feet, etc. Alex takes you on the ride that is his life, into the tunnel of his mind and hole of his heart. His antics and frame of mind are both very intruiging and disgusting. I felt somewhat of a softspot for him when his large love for music was ruined due to his role as a guinea pig after jail. Imagine wanting to vomit when witnessing/hearing something you previously absolutely adored and lived for. A Clockwork Orange isn't for everyone. If you are easily offended or closeminded, don't bother because this book will mess with your head somewhat (at least, it did with me). Your Humble Narrator probably wouldn't reccomend it to everyone either.
Rating:
Summary: Good exersize for the gulliver...
Review: I really enjoyed a Clockwork Orange. It's comment's on society and government were tremendous and the launguage is brilliant. I actually had a little bit of a hard time adjusting to the style of the book but once I got into it it was a great read. Other books you might like if you liked this book are: One Flew over the Coo Coo's nest, Howard Zinn's: A people's History of America or On the Road.
Rating:
Summary: Violence and Redemption
Review: In this highly original, graphic, and powerful book, Anthony Burgess, endows his main character, Alex, with a futuristic slang, in which Russian words play a major role...Alex's first person narrative flows so smoothly and naturally that, oh my brothers, I really felt the horror that comes from realizing just how natural violence is to us...Alex undergoes a moral transformations, in the chapter that was originally omitted when the book was published in the U.S. Ultimately, moral transformation can come only from within. And the possibility of this transformation is a redeeming element for Alex--and for human nature in general. Russian is my native language, so the book flowed fairly easily for me after just a few pages. But beware that this new addition has no glossary. If you do not know Russian, it may take a little longer to get into this book. But it is very much worth the effort.
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