Review by iamother - A Clockwork Orange

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iamother 's review for:

A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess

4.0

challenging dark reflective medium-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

This book definitely has a lot to say about the human condition and the state of society. I loved the themes of this book and how it presents them through the flawed main character. The only gripe I have with the book, and it is a MAJOR one, is the fact that those same themes have the potential to get lost in translation. That’s mostly due to the slang that most of the characters articulate. The reader definitely has to be attentive to context clues so that they don’t miss anything that is said. I had to read entire passages multiple times so that I was fully immersed in what the author was describing. I believe the purpose of the slang is to represent the disconnect between the youth of society and adults, including those in power. This disconnect is why the government goes to extremes to try to fix problems believing that the divide between the two groups is a chasm instead of a ditch. But the main theme of this book is the inner turmoil of the main character. Because we exist in society, there are social norms that we all accept as either good or evil. While bad is subjective, evil is not. Those that are considered evil are ostracized. Which is why they respond to this banishment with violence in this book. And why the author makes clear what evil is through the despicable actions of the main character. The questions the author asks of the reader are profound over the course of this book. Which helps me to understand why this book is considered a classic: How much of ourselves do we willingly give up in order to be apart of society? If you allow people to come to their own conclusions, will behaviors stick? Should there exist a certain level of healthy mistrust of government? Is there a point of no return where you cease to be human if you cede choice little by little to others or the government? All of these questions are important and still relevant today. It’s just that the language and slang sometimes hindered that discussion. I liked the idea of good and bad being relative. That what was once important can take a backseat to something else; and it is for that reason that we shouldn’t always be reactionary to the things that happen around us. I think that is why government is vital and plays a role as a body that is neutral in most matters. This book illustrates how the government can have the best of intentions but can go too far. It is then up to the population to rein in that overreach. The main character realized that what he was gaining wasn’t worth what he was losing….choice. As humans we weigh the pros and cons of every decision. We decide for ourselves if our choice is something that we can live with regardless of what society views as acceptable. When that choice is gone, life becomes something that is done to you instead of something you actually have a role in and can influence. No one wants to know how their story ends. Which is why the original version of this text appropriately leaves the main character’s decision of where to take his life open ended. Overall good book, but the slang sometimes took me out of the deep topics throughout.

Content Warnings