Rating: 
Summary: I was expecting a lot, but ...
Review: I read this book expecting to be blown away. 1984 blew me away. This book was touted as in the same vein as that book. It's not. The book makes some observations about free will, and the nature of good and evil, but I don't find them to be very profound. Also, in this book the protagonist uses slang that the author has created. This adds little to the story, and wears thin upon the reader after many pages. In conclusion, this book probably just couldn't live up to the hype. The reviews on this book make it out to be more than what it is.
Rating: 
Summary: I expected to like it, but no. . .
Review: Clockwork Orange is a classic, eh? Hmmm. I for one just didn't like it. After the first several pages laden with unintelligible, invented slang, the novel contains enough English to be understandable, but the writing style remains unengaging and flecked with that neologic nonsense. The English language can be precise and beautiful, as proven by authors ranging from Edgar Allan Poe to William F. Buckley Jr; however, Anthony Burgess chooses to masscre it. Alright, I'm a purist, but, diction aside, the story still does nothing to engross the reader--at least not the reader pythia. Not wanting to reveal too much to those who do want to read this (fine, try it, but don't expect the thought-provoking masterpiece this novel is often reckoned!), I will simply say that the narrator/protagonist is a kid with a penchant for gang violence and classical music. Tasteless. Oh, in case you're wondering, no, I am not the type of person who prefers warm, fuzzy, feel-good novels. Currently, my two favorite novels are Orwell's 1984 and Levin's This Perfect Day--would you believe that this drossy Clockwork Orange is sometimes catagorized with these? It doesn't belong there. It just doesn't belong. Now that I'm done, I'll admit that I only read about a third of this novel and merely skimmed the remainder, so invalidate my review if that pleases you. Clockwork Orange simply was not worth reading! pythia
Rating: 
Summary: Ultra Violent and Beautiful
Review: What can I say? This book is disturbing and lovely. If you've read the American version (minus the last chapter) you are missing the whole point! Get the updated American version (which is the same as the British version) for the entire story. It's not just a book, it's a social phenomenon! The movie is wonderful as well, but Kubrick (the late genius) also excluded the last chapter from the film version. Shame on him! However the book is still simply astounding.
Rating:
Summary: The 21st chapter
Review: I first read the book upon turning 13, and upon finishing (besides being in a state of complete and utter mental shock) I hurranged my mother to let me see the movie. Four months later, I had my bar mitzvah, and being a man I saw this movie. I could go on for hours about the movie, but I'll post a review of that later. Many months afterword, I reread the book, but took care not to read the last chapter. What I wish to do on this review column, is gather some oppinions of the 21st chapter (just please don't give anything away). After my first reading, I really liked the 21st chapter, and thought it added a nice optimistic twist to the story. I had known the movie did not feature the events of the last chapter, and was eager to see how that would work. I later learned that, although the movie was shot in Britain, Kubrick had read the American release and had not known about the last chapter, and upon reading it, said he was not too fond of it. Kubrick, of course, was a pessimist. But after reading the book a second time, I really understood his statement. Although interesting, the last chapter really interupts the feel of the book, and leaves you with a feeling much different than that of the 20th chapter, that of which I prefer. I would like to appoligize for the terrible writing of this review, but would appreciate anyones oppinions on the 21st chapter.
Rating:
Summary: A terrifying and marvelous book
Review: Anthony Burgess uses the central character and narrator of the story, Alex, to show the differance in good and evil, and the meaning of human freedom. This book is a philosophical satire on "the distortions of the single and collective minds."
Rating:
Summary: A Great Book
Review: This has to be one of the greatest books I have ever read. It is violent in a few places but I have no problem with it. And Burgess's "Nadsat" language is what makes the book. Without it I doubt it would have been all that great. I didn't understand the words at first but after awhile I started learning it and by the end of the book I barely noticed it. Some people are saying the last chapter is sort of a let down. I don't. The last chapter was what made the book great. It showed that people are capable of changing and not being Clockwork Oranges all their life. I strongly recommend reading this book.
Rating:
Summary: Interesting Points, Interesting Book
Review: Here I sit, a 16 year old girl, having just finished "A Clockwork Orange" for the second time. I always have been fascinated with books that are written in a way that many people wouldn't understand. This particular book is written in a rather strange language, specifically the way Alex and his droogs talk, is quite interesting and surprisingly clever to me. Occasionally I'll find myself telling my mom that the mac and cheese is "real horrorshow" or asking my friends if they want a cup of "chai". "A Clockwork Orange" raises an important question that is more valid now, perhaps, than it has ever been before. Is a man who chooses to do bad things any worse than a man who hasn't the ability to do nasty things. In a time when technology is altering lives, and medications can be taken to change your feelings and perceptions of reality, maybe we aren't that far from real "Clockwork Oranges". In the story, Alex is only a teenager, but he commits horrific acts of violence that are still shocking, even in our day and age. Alex is then arrested, and goes through treatment to make sure that he never commits an act of violence again. After Alex finds that he's not able to function properly in society, something has to be done. This is an amazing book, and a must read for anyone and everyone. The added last chapter in this book makes it much, much better and completes the story the way it should've been in the first edition. A book to read for the real and dedicated readers out there.
Rating:
Summary: A book that breaks down boundaries... truly a must read.
Review: This is the first book I've read by Burgess. It will NOT be the last. It's been quite a while since I've been so enthusiastic about a book! Burgess creates a tale about twisted teenagers, who's life is dedicated to violence. In their eyes, the more people hurt, the better. When the police capture Alex (leader of the gang), instead of sending him off to jail, they use him as an experiment. He is given to the government as a lab rat for a new "treatment" that boasts criminals can finally re-enter society, and instead of being a danger, will be a constructive and completely "corrected" citizen. However, the method has it's down sides, and leaves Alex completely defenseless. He is quickly and easily driven insane by a group manipulating him in a scheme to prove the government wrong. I won't give any details, and I'm not going to give away the ending, but even if you knew the whole story from start to finish, every twist and turn, A Clockwork Orange would stilll be this good. What makes this book so fantastic is Burgess's ability to tear you apart. Throughout the book, Alex narrates as if you were his friend. You go through everything with him, and then you begin to feel sorry for him! All the while, I couldn't help but think, "I SHOULDN'T feel sorry for Alex!". I was completely split. It really breaks down traditional good and evil. When I began reading, I thought, Alex and his "droogs" are the evil, the government is good..typical theme... As I read furthur, however, I began to question which was good and which was truly evil. Then you see that not everything breaks down into black and white. A Clockwork Orange is certainly no ordinary tale. It questions all kinds of things that most authors never really take the time to question. Questions that don't really have definitive answers.. that will keep you thinking longg after you're done the book. The language that Burgess created for the book sets the mood and puts you in the story once you get the hang of it. I had anticipated it being much harder, and printed out a long "Nadsat Glossary", which was completely unnecessary. There aren't any words that you won't be able to figure out from the context. I also thought that I should address the fact that the original version of the book has 21 chapters in it, and the movie cuts out the last chapter. I've never seen the movie, but without the last chapter the book would be quite different, without as much meaning. So even if you've watched the movie, you should read the book. I can't think of the last time I read a book that made me smile, laugh, and gasp in horror and discust all within 192 pages. And when it was all over, I came away satisfied, feeling like I'd actully got something out of the novel. It's really an amazing book.
Rating: 
Summary: a challenging novel
Review: In a time when the literary world is becoming just as lazy as other branches of entertainment (film and music, for example), it's refreshing to be taken aback by a classic that stands convention on its head and disregards the rules of dull, refined storytelling. This is what I experienced with "A Clockwork Orange," which is part science-fiction, part comedy, and part social satire, and feels just as current (and relevant) today as it no doubt did during its initial publication (1963). It's essentially the tale of a young hoodlum named Alex who robs, rapes, and murders without remorse, until imprisonment introduces him to a strange medical technique designed to turn criminals into 'normal' citizens. The made-up slang writer Anthony Burgess uses here is very challenging (while you read, you pick up on certain words and are left to decipher the meanings) but ultimately may be too much for a casual reader; if you manage to make it past the first twenty pages, though, it's a safe bet you'll be set for the rest of the novel. Issues of Free Will, social disorder, and childhood merging into adulthood are addressed without Bible-pounding preachiness, topics that can easily be related to our own chaotic modern society. The much-ballyhooed final chapter, in which (SPOILER) Alex discovers that being a droog is a drag and adulthood is the next step in his life, struck me as syrupy--an ending that's been ripped off countless times since in film and books, among other places. The whole 'recovery' at the end of chapter 6 was far more satisfying, with the threat of the patient out at work in the real world again, raping and robbing as he had before. "A Clockwork Orange" was also the basis for a 1971 film adaptation by Stanley Kubrick, and I must say--in comparison to the book--the language had been softened up to no doubt make it more accessible to the audience. However, I believe both the novel and the film stand on their own as masterpieces of their respective medium.
Rating:
Summary: A Clockwork Orange
Review: This book is not for the week of heart. However, it is a book for the strong of mind. This book is way out there, and I mean WAY OUT THERE. If you like such off the wall books as Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas and The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test, than this book is for you. Have fun, the book is real horrorshow, as Alex puts it! ;)
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