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kb_208's review against another edition
2.0
I Didn't really get into this book. It was either just not my thing or it was way over my head. It starts making more sense at the end, but for the most part I was happy when I finally finished it. The premise of the book sounded promising, but it just didn't do it for me.
batbones's review against another edition
A wild, bewildering but occasionally wearisome ride. I'm not too interested in thick accents-as-humour, characters so exaggerated that they verge on the point of pure caricature, and games men play in pubs, so it wasn't as amusing as it might have been.
yetilibrary's review against another edition
3.0
If you enjoy words (etymology, philology, and so forth) and feel reality is overrated--or at least that being grounded in it is--then this is the book for you. Burgess' prose is extraordinary, but if you're the sort of reader who needs to know which way is up, this particular novel won't fit your taste.
jopopipo's review against another edition
5.0
This is one of my favorite books of all time. Burgess is a master of language and wit, and the dialogue in this book is wonderful. The story is great and filled with humor as the hero delves deeper and deeper into a society of which he knows nothing and fits into not at all.
drunkoctopus's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
hummusnchill's review against another edition
inspiring
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
I've had numerous people suggest this book to me, and every single one of them forgot to mention the absolutely insane amount of racism and racist language throughout this novel. There's a lot of word play, and linguistic references that I'm sure /someone/ interested in language would enjoy, but I found it horribly dull considering I do not have a particular interest in word breakdowns and latin root words.
It's too bad because I had some interest in the storyline and enjoyed the hospital setting at the beginning and the interesting characters that the main character meets, but it was so filled with racism that there was no way that I could enjoy reading it. Not for me. It took me so long to read it because I was struggling to get through all the pages of slurs, racist descriptions, and the use of the N-word to describe a character's dog. Did not enjoy.
bronzehedwick's review against another edition
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? It's complicated
2.5
I read this because I heard that Anthony Burgess had some good stuff outside A Clockwork Orange, and saw it at a used book shop. It's...pretty dated. It is a society satire/caper through the lens of the British mental health system/underworld of the 1960s, which sounds really interesting, but I found ended up just wallowing in boring stereotypes played for laughs. The prose is vigorous and moves, but I found it difficult to like. Maybe there was a deeper point to it, but I didn't spot it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs and Sexism
Moderate: Sexual content, Transphobia, Sexual assault, Ableism, and Biphobia
depressyspice's review against another edition
4.0
3,75 gibi bir şey olabilir çünkü kafam çok karıştı ve elimde süründü
john_opalenik's review against another edition
3.0
Not as good as some of Burgess' other works, but a solid novel with some bizarre situations.
I wouldn't read it again, but I'm glad I read it.
I wouldn't read it again, but I'm glad I read it.
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