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)

Brilliant.

Perfect for audio format. The narration is spot on. One of only a few I listen to over and over again.

Audible's Best Work

I've been an Audible subscriber for 6 years & this is the best book I have ever listened to. The narrator is pitch perfect and the story is compelling. Burgess was correct in that the 21st chapter is essential to the novel. In short, this is Audible's best work. Real horrorshow.

Best Narrator!

Great book, the narration of Tom Hollander, a very talented actor, really brought the characters to life.
I wish audible had more books available narrated by Hollander.
Excellent audio quality. Highly recommend it.

Dim being really dim...

My favorite part is Tom Hollander's voice for Dim. Absolutely hysterical.

After the audiobook finishes, there are an extra two chapters of Anthony Burgess reading a Clockwork Orange! Although I was not ready to listen to this after finishing the entire text, I really appreciate the extra piece of audio and will listen to it another time. Although not as entertaining as Hollander, it's always interesting to hear the author read their own work.

I agree that audiobooks seem like a good format for this text because you don't allow yourself to get caught up in the meaning of inventive, mind-bending words.

(Good intro written by author placing film and American version in context and contrast with the author's intent

"...like rarest spun heavenmetal..."

Voice acting of the very highest caliber. Hands down, the best I've heard on Audible so far.

And I'd forgotten how beautifully the author can play words against each other:
"The trombones crunched redgold under my bed, and behind my gulliver the trumpets three-wise silverflamed..."

Bonus: Near the end of the recording, there's a full hour of Anthony Burgess himself reading selections from the book and offering his take on how the "humble narrator" speaks.

Great book and great performance.

If you could sum up A Clockwork Orange in three words, what would they be?

Fast, thought provoking.

What about Tom Hollander’s performance did you like?

Read very well to convey meaning of so many unfamiliar words. Characters speak in a disguised sort of english with rhyming slang and regional colloquialisms and I could understand the meaning from Hollander's inflection and performance.

Fascinating exploration

A Clockwork Orange is a fascinating exploration of the moral decisions faced by culture.

Prepare yourself to be subtly charmed and horrified by the protagonist. The author shines light on some compelling ethical and political realities that modern cultures struggle with and embraces absurdity in a very existential manner. (The protagonist, while believing himself to be existentially responsible, betrays those values at key moments. Make of it what you will.)

I found the ending to be somewhat Pollyanna. I was expecting the satisfying bashing of idealism or the emptiness of a tragic conclusion. The author did neither of these and I found his ending to be rather trite following the questions the book has addressed head on in the story.

I would, however, recommend it to anyone. There's much to be found here if you are willing to plumb the ethical and philosophical depths as you think back on it.

The reader's performance is top notch! I'll be looking for other performances by him.

A Classic For A Reason

I enjoyed A Clockwork Orange for its ability to balance its story and philosophy. The language took a bit to grasp, but then I thought it enhanced the story.

great listen

being a fan of the movie I always meant to visit the book. I was surprised to learn that the last chapter is omitted in the USA. thankfully the last chapter is included here. great to listen to, and Tom Hollander does an amazing job narrating.

Best

Absolutely my #1 favorite book. The narrator makes the story come to life while you listen.