Reviews with content warning for Rape - A Clockwork Orange

Shoutout to the dictionary at the back of my copy, you were my ride or die.

Anyway, this book was kind of disgusting and weird and heavy, but I enjoyed it. I can see this being the perfect book to discuss in my Year 13 English class, mainly because my English teacher was kind of insane. Anyway, overall, I did enjoy this book, and once I settled into the language and the vibes, it turned out to be an easier read than initially expected. While not a single character was sympathetic or likeable, they were right for this book, and if I knew more about classical music, I imagine it would’ve been more impactful. There were some extremely gross and violent scenes, which I think were dampened by the language and for that I am grateful. Definitely would not recommend this to just anyone, but I’m glad I read it.

Content Warnings

gnpunpun's review against another edition

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dark tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

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rmehta's review against another edition

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dark reflective

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

I get the point of this book but I didn't particularly enjoy it. The slang took a while to get used to.

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jaimc's review against another edition

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challenging dark medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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kcthom6's review against another edition

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challenging dark slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

A difficult read due to formatting and content (see warnings), but for an experienced, mature reader looking for unique reading experiences it's worth a try. Be sure to get the version with 21 chapters.

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cmarie825's review against another edition

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challenging dark fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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euannn900's review

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dark reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.5

Spoiler Review

The concept of this book was so intriguing but it was such a let down.
One of the things Anthony Burgess tried to investigate in this book was how youth change language, and to do this he wrote from the perspective of a teen who thinks and speaks in Nadsat or teen speech. While the concept was interesting it was incredibly frustrating to read.

Another major flaw was that the main character, Alex, that you are meant to be rooting for is a horrible person. The book explores free will, and is meant to push you against "the man", yet instead I ended up hoping that they succeeded in ruining Alex's life

On top of this the little character development that happens quickly becomes null and void, making a large amount of the plot end up meaning nothing.

The themes being explored are very psychological but the book is not nearly as dark as I'd hoped. And also the "controlling, brainwashing government" actually have very little effect on the world. The only redeeming feature of this novel was the exploration of free will.

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juliem2023's review against another edition

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