A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess

 What's it going to be then eh? A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess is a dystopian novella following the story, in the first person, of Alex, an ultra-violent criminal. Through the three parts of this novella, including the final chapter which is only included in the British edition of the book, we follow Alex a violent criminal who has done everything- "I'd done the lot, now. And me still only 15". The first part of this book is filled with pure criminality from a number of beatings, to a number of violent rapes and even murder, all are described in considerable detail by Anthony Burgess. The second part of this novella is about punishment where Alex undergoes aversion therapy. In the final part, Alex is reintegrated into society where the state's power and control are most evident.

I loved reading this novella for so many reasons. The reader is made to really feel for Alex, who we must remember is an ultra-violent criminal who has committed some of the worst criminal offences possible. Alex had me in laughter, in tears and at the edge of my seat whilst following his adventures. Once I got into the book, it was incredibly gripping and just kept getting better and better with so many lessons. I also loved this book as it really got me thinking about many questions which sometimes are considered to be left unanswered, why do people turn to crime? What is free will? And when is the state's power and control too much? There is so much I enjoyed about this book I could be here writing about my experiences all day.

This was, however, not a book of pure positives, as the one thing which I really did not like about this book, and which slowed me down in my reading was the Nadsat used by Burgess throughout. Burgess used Nadsat as made-up teenage slang which will always be relevant and never go out of date. It is formed mostly from Russian but also cockney rhyming slang. Due to it being used so much in each chapter, I was constantly paused during my reading to look up these many words in my Nadsat glossary. However, regardless of how much I hated the Nadsat, I have become rather fluent in it, you grahzny bratzney that was so horrorshow. Putting jokes aside, as mentioned in Burgess' 'Clockwork Marmalade', "[Nadsat] was meant to turn A Clockwork Orange into, among other things, a brainwashing primer. You read the book or see the film, and at the end, you should find yourself in possession of a minimal Russian Vocabulary- without effort, without surprise. This is the way brainwashing works". This, what Burgess later said, is very accurate as I have found myself brainwashed with this Nadsat terminology, which illustrates what can happen to any of us if we do not keep our guard. I must admit that it feels bad having been brainwashed by such a book, but it definitely provides a literary warning.

As a psychology and criminology student, this book was a real treat as it is not only filled with psychology and criminology in the content, but Burgess also incorporated psychology in the text as a device, which among other things has led to a form of brainwashing. This work of literature is heavily based on Skinner's work in operant conditioning, but also classical conditioning and the behaviourist approach as a whole. It also links to social psychology, cognitive psychology, social learning theory and even possible links to attachment and aggression. In terms of criminology, it makes us think about society and media perceptions of crime, why people commit crimes including criminological theories and the purposes and aims of punishment. 

Altogether, I must rate this book 5 stars as it is a great book which is so interesting. There is so much I could talk about in regards to this book but rather than telling you the whole story I urge and fully recommend that you read this book, ideally getting a copy of the restored edition version from Penguin, and read it alongside the summary videos and analysis from the incredibly Course Hero website. This was ultimately an incredible book.