A review by valentereads
A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess

adventurous challenging dark emotional reflective tense
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

For a dyspraxic reader, coming to terms with the 'Ndsatt' or teen talk in the book was very frustrating at first, and I thought that I would hate the origionality of Burgess' language until the end, even if I liked the story and the social commentary it provided on difficult issues. But the more I read the more I understood the talk and therefore the story, and I don't think a clockwork orange would be so unique, origional, or so vivid in its influence without this. 

I get mixed mesages about the writer's commentary on the development of the teenager, and he uses excess of violence to show alex's youth journey. Perhaps i do not understand the social and historical context of the text enough, but i did not understand if Burgess was saying that teens and teddy boys are a negative thing, or that eveyone has free choice and needs to develop through phases.

I hate Alex, he is vile, and yet I also love him as a character! 
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