A Clockwork Orange

Summary:

A vicious fifteen-year-old "droog" is the central character of this 1963 classic, whose stark terror was captured in Stanley Kubrick's magnificent film of the same title.

In Anthony Burgess's nightmare vision of the future, where criminals take over after dark, the story is told by the central character, Alex, who talks in a brutal invented slang that brilliantly renders his and his friends' social pathology. “A Clockwork Orange” is a frightening fable about good and evil, and the meaning of human freedom. When the state undertakes to reform Alex—to "redeem" him—the novel asks, "At what cost?"

This edition includes the controversial last chapter not published in the first edition and Burgess's introduction "A Clockwork Orange Resucked". (Summary and cover courtesy of goodreads.com)

Review:

I know I’m in the minority here, but I really didn’t enjoy this book. Violence typically doesn’t bother me too much in a read, but the descriptions of the enjoyment in this one was a bit much.  Alex could have been redeemable, but he doesn’t quite make it there for me.  The slang (because you have to mention it) was annoying, but wouldn’t have kept me from enjoying the book had I been more into it, however, because I wasn’t particularly enjoying the book it was distracting. 

I know that many folks adore this “classic” and have encouraged me to give it another shot, but it won’t be on my re-read list any time soon.

Note: I read the American version.

Warning: Contains repeated violence.

Rating: 2 stars!

Who should read it? Folks who want to know what all the hype is about and are up for a challenge.