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A review by euannn900
A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess
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.
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.
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.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape
Moderate: Violence
Minor: Murder