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A Clockwork Orange

Anthony Burgess

Published1962
Pages272
Open Library4.0 / 5
Club average—

Excerpt

A Clockwork Orange is a dystopian satirical black comedy novel by English writer Anthony Burgess, published in 1962. It is set in a near-future society that has a youth subculture of extreme violence. The teenage protagonist, Alex, narrates his violent exploits and his experiences with state authorities intent on reforming him. The book is partially written in a Russian-influenced argot called "Nadsat", which takes its name from the Russian suffix that is equivalent to '-teen' in English. According to Burgess, it was a jeu d'esprit written in just three weeks. In 2005, A Clockwork Orange was included on Time magazine's list of the 100 best English-language novels written since 1923, and it was named by Modern Library and its readers as one of the 100 best English-language novels of the 20th century. The original manuscript of the book has been kept at McMaster University's William Ready Division of Archives and Research Collections in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada since the institution purchased the documents in 1971. It is considered one of the most influential dystopian books. ---------- Also contained in: [A Clockwork Orange and Honey for the Bears](https://openlibrary.org/works/OL23787405W) [A Clockwork Orange / The Wanting Seed](https://openlibrary.org/works/OL17306508W)

Literary origin

Country whose literature this title belongs to, based on author tradition —not necessarily where the story is set.

  • United Kingdom

Topics from Open Library

Subjects

  • bible
  • aversion therapy
  • unintended consequences
  • Beethoven's Fifth Symphony
  • gang rape
  • psychiatric hospitals
  • maturity
  • metanoia
  • assault
  • joyriding

People

  • Ludwig van Beethoven
  • Alex
  • George
  • Pet
  • Dim
  • P.R. Deltoid
  • Prison Chaplain
  • Billyboy
  • Prison Governor
  • Minister of the Interior
Added to BBRC

Oct 1, 2026

Catalog slug

a_clockwork_orange

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