A Clockwork Orange

By: Anthony Burgess

Narrated by: Tom Hollander

Length: 7 hrs and 44 mins

Publisher's summary

A vicious 15-year-old "droog" is the central character of this 1963 classic. In Anthony Burgess' nightmare vision of the future, where the criminals take over after dark, the story is told by the central character, Alex, who talks in a brutal, invented slang that brilliantly renders his and his friends' social pathology.

A Clockwork Orange is a frightening fable about good and evil, and the meaning of human freedom. When the state undertakes to reform Alex to "redeem" him, the novel asks, "At what cost?"

This edition includes the controversial last chapter not published in the first edition, as well as Burgess' introduction, "A Clockwork Orange Resucked".

©1962, 1986 The Estate of Anthony Burgess (P)2007 HarperCollins Publishers

Critic reviews

"I do not know of any other writer who has done as much with language as Mr. Burgess has done here - the fact that this is also a very funny book may pass unnoticed." (William S. Burroughs)

Amazing Voice

I will never be able to read this book again without hearing it in our humble narrators voice. He sold the role excellently. The story is fantastic, and if you are in America finding out about the last chapter that has been pulled from the American version of the novel will be interesting even if you don't like it. I always thought that ending with the line "I was cured alright" was an excellent ending, but I can see many people really enjoying the lost chapter as it adds a bit to the story and let's our humble narrator give us a true goodbye. I am biased towards the American beginning but this is still a masterpiece of a book.

Loved it

I'll be viding it all my days. I like a bit of the old ultra valance!!!!!

This book and the movie, to me. Are number 2 now. Fear and loathing...... Being top notch!!!!!

Vidie well O my brothers...

Great

My Review - Great

I always heard about this book and the movie that goes along with it. Having finally consumed the story, I thought this was amazingly good. I loved how direct and simple the allegorical message is and the events that portray them. The main character is the trophy of the story. He uses flagrant and flavorful language and accents that capture your imagination. I found myself understanding his jargon pver time, even if it was of a different time and culture. The characters perform violent acts that they must eventually turn around and answer for by the end of the story. The flow of events was great for its setup and execution and left nothing on the table by the end. I wouldn't mind visiting this one again or watching the movie next.

One of the best audiobooks I've ever heard

I experienced Stanley Kubrick's film A CLOCKWORK ORANGE as a precocious 12 year old at my big brother's apartment. I never listened to Beethoven the same way again! This novel remains one of my favorites since reading the actual piece of literature as an adult. Burgess creates a colloquial slang for futuristic JD's that just lends itself to being heard. Mr. Hollander's performance was perfectly executed with all of the quasi-Polish slang. I found myself taking notes on particular words. The loss of a "glossary" in this audiobook does not mar the perfection of the production. Lastly, the final chapter -- that was edited out of American editions of the novel and not even mentioned in the Kubrick film -- gives the novel a poignancy and depth that is otherwise lost in ultra-violence and sex. This novel is NOT for that precocious 12 year old who watched the film. It is, however, for readers who want to be transported to a dystopian world where violence and sex have psychological implications far beyond their victims.

Narration seem too slow?

I played this audiobook at 2x speed and it was perfect! One of my favorite books

Great narrator but not as good as I expected

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

Yes, but only because it added to my book collection. And it got me introduced to Audible

What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)

Displeased and let down. I expected a better ending, especially with the controversy between 20 versus 21 chapters was mentioned. Honestly I didn't like either ending.

Which character – as performed by Tom Hollander – was your favorite?

Definitely the main character. He really brought him to life; loved the accent and made the times feel real.

Could you see A Clockwork Orange being made into a movie or a TV series? Who should the stars be?

Well I know it's already been made into a movie. I've never seen it however but I am now curious to view it because hopefully it will be better than the book.

PHENOMENAL PERFORMANCE!!

Absolutely 💯 loved it! "Real horrorshpw!" Tom Hollander brought the story to life. You love the protagonist, despise him, shame him, pity him, and love him full circle.

Interesting story

I found the story hard to follow in the beginning but as it progressed it got better. I do not think I would have read this story without Audible. Alex the main character took me through a wide range of emotions and allowed me to widen my view on this character and the world at large.

Disturbing and Entertaining

This was everything I wanted in an audiobook. Fantastic performance by the narrator combined with a dark and engrossing story. Every but as compelling as the film that was based on this book. I couldn't stop listening.

An Oomny Plosh of Raskazz

To slooshy this audio edition of A Clockwork Orange, o my brothers, is to slooshy it well. It's fun, it's flip and it's bezoomney horrorshow. If you can pony it, you shall think it well and dorogoy as it fillys upon your mozg. Waste not a minoota, o droogs. Every slovo will bring a smeck to the rot of any chelloveck. Choodesney, hound-and-horny, nadsat and real, real horrorshow, oh my brothers.