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)

This much better than the American version

Reading the original version. Nice introduction by the author talking about the difference between the US and original UK releases. I don't think Burgess knew how right he was. At the time there was a lot of concern about crime increasing and youth violence. What we've seen subsequent is that is a phenomenon of youth, that when we have a spike in the youth population that crime and violence will increase. The last chapter is the most important. Although this is a simple book, in so many ways, I appreciate raising the question of whether God wants goodness, if you don't have a choice otherwise. I found the slang easy to pick up, and there are online references, if you care to find them.

Audible linguistic slang "fabulous"

I can not imagine "reading" Anthony Burgess' novel any other way than by audible. Tom Hollander was excellent. As you listen/read the novel you begin to pick up what the different slang terms refer to. Really excellent. As for the content of the novel, what the very violent young boys are experiencing is not all that different today in 2010.

Real horrorshow!

Wonderful narration of my favorite novel. Different experience from reading it. The mood is horrorshow.

Classic British Book

This book has a notable amount of dark content. It is quite realistic and graphic. The sailors activities in the bar, the experimental treatment processes, and the aftermath are vivid and real world writings. The focus on what is moral and socially acceptable has a profound statement. The story line bounces from a tragedy to a comedy.

There was some loss in translation that took some extra effort in understanding the old English language. After developing a better understanding of the language, it was more in depth. Moloko, adinoky, Karman, Nadsat, and more were some of the words that aren't used in modern English.

Imaginative and entertaining

Imaginative and entertaining. Tom Hollander give another great performance personifying the characters, especially the protagonist, Alex.

A clockwork 🍊

Wow a story that comes full circle. Not bad. The reviews should not have a word limit.

Captivating characters and dialogue

I loved this story and the characters. The dialogue and train of thought kept me deep in this book.
The reader was also fantastic!!

3rd time through…

The narration makes this classic an unbelievably “horrorshow” of a listen! Spend some “pretty polly” and give this a “slooshy.”

Real Horrorshow, O My Brothers..........

I'm really resisting the urge to write this entire review using the brilliant slang spoken by the "humble narrator" who tells this wickedly captivating story. If you listen, you'll understand. However, since I've read entries by several reviewers who have already gone there, I will do my best to avoid it.

I watched the movie when I was 12 and have never been able to completely untwist my mind. I read the book years later and found it to be even more fascinating and horrifying than the movie. Now with this audio version I am, once again, overwhelmed - it is truly an inspired work of art. The added bonus of the chapters read by the author at the end...... so freakin cool I can't stand it!

If you are unable to tolerate brutality and violence - even when absolutely essential and appropriate to the story - then steer clear of this. But I dare you to stop listening once you've started - and eventually you will come to understand the deep and powerful messages woven within. Five stars are not enough.

Kubrick made it famous, but this is much better

From the author's introduction explaining the lack of chapter 21 in the American publication and the film, to the outstanding narration, this is one of the most riveting audio books I have heard. I could not wait to get back to the car to finish, so walked around with the MP3 in my ear to finish it more quickly.
Less bizarre than the classic film, the narration of the book is much more humorous, more thoughtful, and the neologisms are much more prominant and clever.