A Clockwork Orange

[Bianca]

Has anyone else been lucky enough to read this book? Unlike the movie, it actually has a positive message that I REALLY value. Its crude and violent, but If you read Anthony Burgess writings, you will see that it was very well intended

[Puguni]

Yes. It's VERY crude and violent. I've only read excerpts, but reader beware. There are some readers who can't look beyond to the message because the violent is so intense. Sorry, but that's my two cents.

[Kaligraphic]

Oh, it's an interesting book, to be certain. While raw in its presentation, that is in fact how reality comes.

That said, this seems like an IBTL.

[Maledicte]

I liked the book a lot. Sadly my first exposure to it was the American print, that discarded the last chapter (which is VERY important). But it did have a handy glossary though. I was calling people my droogs for weeks. Also, I credit this book for getting me back into classical music.

I'm not interested in seeing the movie, however. It's based off of the American version, and most of all they're not supposed to be wearing ALL WHITE. :-/

[Bianca]

Its one of those "Greater Good" stories, so though its crude, its meant to be a teaching tool

This is one of my FAVORITE scripts about the book

http://itwebmaster.iit.edu/~kelcthe/design/filmography/burgess.html


About the movie: I was OBSESSED with it,until I read the book. Then I wanted to murder Kubrik

[GhostontheNet]

I liked the book a lot. Sadly my first exposure to it was the American print, that discarded the last chapter (which is VERY important). But it did have a handy glossary though. I was calling people my droogs for weeks. Also, I credit this book for getting me back into classical music.

It was pretty dumb how the last chapter was omitted from the American version simply because the U.S. publisher thought it should have a depressing ending. I tend to consider the inclusion of a glossary to be a poor choice as learning the slang as the story progressed forced one to come to Alex's vantage point of perception. I always thought Alex's fandom of classical music was a classic choice as the thought has perpetually recurred that somehow playing the great composers would act as a bug spray for violent criminals. I can't speak for the movie as I have not seen it, but the Wendy Carlos original score for the film with all the classical music played on synthesizers is a rather excellent CD, with a pretty good (though more openly dark) remix of the score appearing on Tales of Heaven and Hell.

Directing my comments more to any readers now, A Clockwork Orange is a rather good dystopian novel, with it's main focus torwards arguing for the sanctity of the mind over against governmental efforts to brainwash away undesirable behavior, even if the behavior really is harmful. Particularly classic is the depiction of the authority figures being much like the mirror image of Alex himself, with the apt metaphor of his former droogs becoming policemen and enjoying their former brutality in law enforcement instead of law breaking. In this respect, the mellowing of Alex in the final chapter of the original is the revelation that people will either turn away from evil once they are ready, or will never turn away at all forever, a story played out constantly in our churches.