A Clockwork Orange (novel)

Lore & Background

The novel is divided into three parts, each with seven chapters, totaling 21 chapters—an intentional nod by Burgess to the age of 21 as a milestone in human maturation. The 21st chapter was omitted from editions published in the United States prior to 1986, at the insistence of an American publisher who felt US audiences would not accept Alex's redemption. Burgess later preferred the British conclusion, which includes the final chapter where Alex contemplates giving up crime.

Reader's Guide

A Clockwork Orange is considered one of the most influential dystopian books. In 2005, it 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. In 2022, the novel was included on the 'Big Jubilee Read' list of 70 books by Commonwealth authors selected to celebrate the Platinum Jubilee of Elizabeth II. The original manuscript has been kept at McMaster University's William Ready Division of Archives and Research Collections in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada since 1971. The film adaptation, directed by Stanley Kubrick, is based on the American edition of the book, which omitted the final chapter; Kubrick called Chapter 21 'an extra chapter' and claimed he had not read it.

Did You Know?

• The novel was written in just three weeks, which Burgess called a 'jeu d'esprit'.
• The argot 'Nadsat' takes its name from the Russian suffix equivalent to '-teen' in English.
• The final chapter was omitted from US editions until 1986 because the publisher thought US audiences would find it less realistic.