Books

A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess

A vicious fifteen-year-old droog is the central character of this 1963 classic. In Anthony Burgess's nightmare version 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. And when the state undertakes to reform Alex to "redeem" him, the novel asks, "At what cost?"

Buy it from Amazon | Discuss it

The assumptions and obsessions that control our daily lives are explored in tantalizing detail by master novelist John Updike in this wise, witty, and sexy story. Harry Angstrom—known to all as Rabbit, one of America's most famous literary characters—finds his dreary life shattered by the infidelity of his wife, Janice. How he resolves or further complicates his problems makes for a novel of the first order.

After reading Rabbit, Run for a class in college, I never thought I would read another book in that series. When it was suggested that we set the next one as Book of the Month, I had to seriously think about it. In case you were not aware, I did in fact comply with the suggestion. As result of setting Rabbit Redux as Book of the Month, even I happened to read it...

Harry "Rabbit" Angstrom is a blue collar worker from Pennsylvania. He has never had the most successful marriage. In fact, since his days as a star high school athlete, he has not been successful at anything. At the point this book takes place (late 60s, early 70s), Harry appears to be hitting an all time low.

The irony of his life is spiraling out of control. He is a man in support of the Vietnam war; he though enlisted, never served closer to the war than Texas. Men were drafted and sent overseas, many did not make it home, while he, who wanted to go, was left in Texas.

The four influential people that come into his life all represent different parts of society with which Harry disagrees. Skeeter is a black man with strong liberal opinions. Jill has her youth though much of her is taken away by drugs. She also, in common with Harry's sister Mim, uses sex as a tool. Stavros, the fourth, is a foreign man who has come to the United States and found success, mostly at Harry's expense.

Walking into Harry's life are three social stereotypes (Skeeter, Jill, Mim) of the era in which the book was written. He is confronted with their ideas and forced to listen to their stance on issues. The world is moving rapidly outside his door and these three influences in his life sit him down and try seeing a new point of view. Stavros represents the oppression which Harry places over himself; hiding himself from the need to exert himself to make any change in his life.

The only interesting part of the book was the conversations that took place relative to the issues of the time. As a social commentary the book held my attention. It failed on all other fronts. The entire first half of the book and many parts contained within the second half were nothing more than filler. It was as if the author wanted to share his ideas on society as it existed and threw together a plot to contain his dialogue.

This was my last "Rabbit" book, and barring some unforeseen event, this was the last book I will read by John Updike. Yes, parts were interesting, but the rest of the book did not come close to holding my attention.

Buy it from Amazon $10.50