Rating: 
Summary: Real horrorshow book.
Review: Fifteen-year-old Alex lives in a world where crime takes over at night. The government/police dont do much about it, and while Alex roams the streets, just looking for "fun" (yes, apparently it IS fun to bash peoples' heads in) he eventually kills an elderly lady and is arrested.In jail, he puts forth a false attitude that he wants to change, and so he is the first "victim" of a new government program to reverse the mentality of criminals. For a fortnight he is forced to watch gruesome videos of people being killed, of the German concentration camps, of a world of evil that he once took part of. When he was released, he went back home to find himself replaced by his own parents. He then saught shelter with a man that he once tried to kill, but instead gained respect for him. When he stayed in his house, the man put forth the attitude that something awful had been done to him, but he was really the man who pushed for it. Eventually, all the effects were reversed, but nonetheless Burgess has created a remarkable novel here. Throughout the story, Burgess tinges the plot with his own made-up slang such as you would "viddy" a movie or watch a movie. Its quite interesting at times and also through out is the line "So whats it going to be then, eh?" which is quite interesting. Overall, wondeful book and I loved it, had that 1984 feel, but that wasnt nearly as good. The slang can be difficult to get used to, but you do, and want to talk like it afterwards, really gets you in the feel for things.
Rating:
Summary: A Classic, But in a Class of its Own (5 STARS)
Review: "A Clockwork Orange" is not the book it seems to be. People often speak of it and the Kubric film in a way that makes it a blatant disregard for human emotion; a chance to tantalize the senses and fill our minds with senseless violence, rape, and murder. The antagonists of Mr. Burgess' classic tale fail to discover the meaning of this horrific novel, much the same as those who find the "relations" offending in "Brave New World," and those who banned "Catcher in the Rye" for its language. Censors miss true meanings of great literature because they are too busy dabbling over trite matters, while the big picture passes them by. Fortunately for Alex, in 1986 Anthony Burgess was able to reissue the book with its 21st chapter, left out of the original American version and out of Stanley Kubric's film. But even without Alex's remorse spelled out for the reader, one who pays attention can see that the novel is based strongly on the forces of good and evil and our glorious ability to choose. When Alex's free-agency is taken away from him and he is reformed to be a law-abiding man, the novel asks boldly, "Yes, but at what cost?" The brilliant language (nadsat) used by Alex and his droogies hints at the possibilites of his scenerios materializing in the future; in 30 years or tommorrow or 1,000 years. Frankly, it doesn't matter. The novel warns that any time a human's agency is stolen from them, it is the beginning of the downfall of governments, nations, and humanity. Think "Brave New World" and soma, or the thought police in "1984." Had Alex's fate reached the masses, the same rejection of the treatment would have occured, leaving us with thankfulness for the way life is, and warning us about the way life could be. Burgess captured brilliantly what the charlie tells the prison authorities, "When a man looses his ability to choose, his ceases to be a man." Very highly recommended...
Rating: 
Summary: Really Good
Review: Although this book was hard to read initially, I was able to get into a flow reading "Clockwork Orange", and enjoyed it thoroughly. There were times when Burgess uses his invented language to describe things, and it turns out to be extremely funny. Along with this book I would also suggest George Orwell's "1984" and "Animal Farm".
Rating:
Summary: a good book needs to be understood
Review: A Clockwork Orange is a story of the life of a gangster, Alex, and his three droogs (friends), Peter, George, and Dim. What the book reveals about Alex and human nature is startling and must not be taken for a tale of pure madness and ultra-violence. Unfortunately, movie-watchers were only naturally entertained, without understanding the philosophical message behind it. The theme is mixed with Burgess's 'Nadsat language' derived from various languages, mostly Russian. This is the 'lingo' of the gang. One misunderstanding is that the word 'orange' in the title does not mean an orange, it means man derived from Malay. In the preface to this book it becomes all too clear that Burgess is talking about a man who can be wound up like a clock by God or the Devil and has no free will to choose what to be. The priest in the Staja jail also says something like "A man who cannot choose ceases to be a man." What lies beneath Burgess's tale of rape and ultra-violence and undergoing a dangerous treatment for it is a notion of how human nature is never all good nor all evil and to make a clockwork orange of a person is to dehumanize him.
Rating:
Summary: Section 3, Chapter 7
Review: First of all, I love the use of made-up slang (a mixture of Russian and English). After a page or two, it becomes easy (or at least easier) to read and the meaning is clear. It helps to create an other-time, other-world setting. I thought the philosophy behind the book was good, but I agreed with the publisher regarding the last chapter. After building up the issue and showing the evolution of Alex, the ending was much to neat and tidy and unrealistically simple. I see why Anthony Burgess wanted to show that people can change (he describes this quite clearly in the introduction), but perhaps this would have been better achieved with a fourth section that shows Alex's gradual change to the good rather than a short last chapter that seems to come out of nowhere.
Rating: 
Summary: A Step in the "right" direction
Review: "A Clockwork Orange" is a good book, maybe even great, but it falls short in a few areas. I guess the most major is language. The dialect of the boys, although entertaining, overshadows the story itself to some point, and is little more than a device to smooth over some of the rougher areas of the literature. Despite that, it was a good, even touching story despite the raw violence that seemed to jump off of every page. Yet despite their raping and beating and killing you manage to feel some compassion for the boys. I won't give away the ending, but in a mark of true fiction, you find the signs of a character who is dynamic both inside an dout in Alex, the leader of the boys. I think it is a good book because it takes a satrical look at the side of society that is too often ignored, although perhaps not so much satrical as just a magnified projection. However, the language (for me) and the violence (for others) prevent me from recommending this book to everyone.
Rating:
Summary: the greatest book ive ever read
Review: after seeing 'a clockwork orange' many times on film i thought i would try the novel.i have found it to be the best book i have ever read.Burgess completely captivates you with his use of innovative language and the way he tells the story through alex.even after alex's diabolical acts,the novel still calls for the reader to have symathy for him when he is being tortured by the state.very challenging in it's time but it has always been a fantastic novel.
Rating:
Summary: What a horrowshow of cal
Review: A teenage thug and his "droogs" wreak havoc on the streets. Using a street language that is easy to decipher, Burgess tells a tale of the not to distant future or is it the present? Alex the leader is captured by the police and is sent to prison where he is offered a controversial treatment. The tratment is a sort of brainwashing that makes Alex ill everytime he encounters violence. Alex is let out of prison and finds it very difficult to find his way in the world. He is cast out by his parents and brutalized by one of his droogs who has become a policeman. Finally the brainwashing wears off and Alex turns back into a street thug and he finally tires of his brutal life.
Rating:
Summary: Pretty good book!
Review: I just finished reading this dark masterpiece by Burgess and I have to say it was pretty good and I'm probably gonna read it again.Alex is one of the most confused charachters ever printed(like De Niro in Taxi Driver)and I hated it when he beat people and raped women but I felt sorry when everyone beat the carp out of him later. Anyway this is a pretty good book and highly reccomended!(I'm really 14!)
Rating:
Summary: Good movie, better book.
Review: Very rarely do I enjoy reading the book rather than watching the movie, but with A Clockwork Orange, it was quite the opposite. Having seen the movie first (and loving it), I knew what to expect from the book, but I had no idea that it would leave me feeling like the movie was not nearly as good as I thought before. The book is beautifully written, with the young Droogs own language that is confusing at first, but soon becomes easy to follow. Burgess portrays the world of the young criminal in such a way that rather than being disgusted, I was very interested in continuing with the story. By the end, I even felt bad for him. Any book that can make me feel bad for a boy who enjoys rape, murder, and crime in general must be very well written. What I enjoyed most about the book was the fact that it left so much to the imagination. While the movie showed scenes and settings such as the woman with the cats' house and her attack, the book merely described them, which allows the reader to come up with his/her own mental picture. I found myself picturing things very differently from the movie, which I love. Overall, this was an excellent book and I am overly impressed by Anthony Burgess's writing.
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