Play Book Tag discussion

A Clockwork Orange was published in 1962 and quickly became a worldwide sensation. Stanley Kubrick’s 1971 movie officially cemented the book into permanent pop culture stardom with a cultlike following.

"A Clockwork Orange" is set in a dystopian future where teenaged criminals take over after dark. Teen gang leader, Alex, narrates in highly inventive slang that echoes the violent intensity of the youth rebelling against society. The gang beats up people on the street or goes to houses to trick their way into the house or break in to beat up people and sexually abuse them.

Alex loves being violent to everyone around him. He never shows regret when it comes to his actions. He is a truly despicable character. When he gets sent to prison he is chosen to undergo an experimental behavior modification treatment called the Ludovico Technique in exchange for having the remainder of his sentence commuted. The technique is a form of aversion therapy in which Alex is injected with nausea-inducing drugs while watching graphically violent films, eventually conditioning him to become severely ill at the mere thought of violence.

One of the reasons this book is a difficult read is because of the slang involved. We’re all familiar with our own regional slang, but the author went a step forward to create a sophisticated slang set in the future, completely unknown to the reader.

"A Clockwork Orange" is a frightening look at good versus evil as well as free will. If you can handle dark fiction, reading this book is a surprisingly rewarding experience. If you decide to read this novel, make sure it has 21 chapters. In the original US edition the last chapter stripped out. My personal belief is that the reader should probably experience it as the author intended and make up your own mind.

I read this ages ago. I thought it was awesome writing, but I was in my early 20s. Maybe I should give it another read. Was this also a movie starring Jack Nicholson?

It's very graphic in many places. I didn't find it an enjoyable read though. If it hadn't been tagged "Language" I doubt I would have picked it up. There was a very controversial movie that starred Malcolm McDowell as Alex.

It is one of those books that does stay with you, even though you might not like it much. I never saw the movie, but I remember all the hoopla about it. I think there was some talk of Mick Jagger starring in it.

Alex was a quite unsavory character, indeed. The book is also a bit of a struggle to read because of the language.