"A Clockwork Orange" by Anthony Burgess

I tried. I really tried. I just could not force myself to finish "A Clockwork Orange". I flinched my way though the opening chapters, squinting just long enough through the horrible scene in which the title is explained. At this point, I was thoroughly disgusted enough to promptly slam the book shut and push it away from me.

Granted, Burgess is portraying a dystopian world, in which droogs run amuk, drinking vellocet-laced milk and violating devotchas. It is supposed to be horrible. For my taste, it accomplishes this goal a little too intensely, but I'd imagine if you could stomach the violence easily enough it would be a good read. The book is quite creatively written in an inventive Russian-inspired slang, which at times is rather difficult to decipher but without which the emotive character of the book would be lost. For this sake of this interesting writing, I'll give the novel a second chance once the aftertaste has left me--though that might end up being quite some time.

However, don't let this scare you away from dystopia-inspired novels. "1984", by George Orwell, is one of my all-time favorites. Though for me personally, "Brave New World" by Aldous Huxley doesn't hold a candle to "1984", I enjoyed reading it and know many friends have liked it just as much if not more than my beloved Orwell.

Kerry gives it 3 out of 5 carrots!

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