A Clockwork Orange

This book by Anthony Burgess follows Alex, a young delinquent, through the streets of his chaos caused by him and his friends. It's more famous film A Clockwork Orange by Stanley Kubrick seemingly has some discrepancies, but not many. There's a certain charm about this novel that never fades as the whole thing is written completely in a made-up language called NADSAT (a mixture between colloquial Russian and Cockney rhyming slang). Most editions have a copy of the glossary telling you what the words mean in the back. 

Characters:

I think, as Alex gains a better knowledge of himself and starts to learn what's happening in biblical literature whilst in prison - we have a better insight to him as a narrator as now he cannot move around as much as he is confined to a cell. This means we get a more psychological look at him and how he is 'changing' to fit a new schema of 'good behaviour' as stated by government officials. As the novel moves, we go from feeling horrible towards Alex to having sympathy for him - this is done over only 2 sections and the change in Alex is drastic - and completely juxtaposes the ending. 

Themes:

My favourite theme in this novel is dystopia. I think that it lies differently to books like 1984 in which the dystopian world was simply dark, dull and completely controlled. This book, on the other hand, has a dystopia which is completely out of control - and that's why it's so colourful and satirical; it has the properties of a utopian vision (in which the people control their own rights and they do what they feel like doing - because 'liberation'). Yet, it shows the reader exactly what happens in a world without rules. Probably telling us that we require a balance somewhere in there. 

Storyline:

The storyline, although sometimes difficult to follow, has a series of major events that take place one after the other - one catastrophe after another happens. It is as if we experience a new side of Alex in each chapter, and he knows that he's narrating his own biography - which is even weirder as we don't know as to why he includes such horrible things that he does if he wants to make us like him at all. 

Verdict:

I give this book a 7/9

Characters = 100%

Alex is crafted wonderfully into a world where everything is slowly crumbling around him and he stars in his own tragedy. Yet, we still have a rise at the end. A beautifully tragic character. 

Themes = 2/3

Some of the themes were a little lacklustre, such as the biblical notion in the middle - it sort of just ended. But, saying that, Burgess did dystopia and human rights brilliantly.

Storyline = 2/3

I feel it cut a little short and that goes for the ending as well. The ending was a little brief and could've done with more explanation about why it happens - and it also ends at such an odd pinnacle in his life that we feel a little underwhelmed. On the other hand, where there is real dystopian drama, there IS real dystopian drama.