What is A Clockwork Orange?
Q: What is A Clockwork Orange?
A: A Clockwork Orange is an English dystopian novella written by Anthony Burgess and published in 1962. It explores mankind's violent nature through the exploits and experiences of a teenaged, charismatic but sociopathic character named Alex.
Q: What themes does the novel explore?
A: The novel explores themes of human free will to choose between good or evil, and the weakness of free will as a solution to evil. It also satirizes trends in youth culture that were around in the 1960s in the West, and to some extent still present today.
Q: How was language used in the novel?
A: Burgess experiments with language by writing in a Russian-influenced argot (slang) called "Nadsat" which is used by Alex, the novel’s teenage anti-hero, in his first-person narrative, and by other younger characters.
Q: How long did it take for Burgess to write A Clockwork Orange?
A: According to Burgess, he wrote A Clockwork Orange in just three weeks.
Q: When was A Clockwork Orange included on Time magazine's list of 100 best English-language novels written since 1923?
A: In 2005, A Clockwork Orange was included on Time magazine's list of 100 best English-language novels written since 1923.
Q: Who bought the original manuscript of A Clockwork Orange?
A: The original manuscript of A Clockwork Orange was bought by McMaster University Hamilton, Ontario Canada in 1971.
Q: What are two adaptations of Burgess' novel into other forms?
A: Two adaptations of Burgess' novel into other forms are Stanley Kubrick's 1971 movie adaptation starring Malcolm McDowell as Alex and Andy Warhol's 1965 film Vinyl.
