Darlene's Book Nook

Wednesday, December 7, 2016

#Book #Review: 4 out of 5 stars for 'Salem's Lot by Stephen King @StephenKing

TITLE: 'Salem's Lot

AUTHOR: Stephen King

PUBLISHER: Signet

PUBLICATION DATE: August 1, 1976

FORMAT: Paperback

LENGTH: 427 pages

GENRE: Horror

ISBN: 9780451165886

Something strange is going on in Jerusalem's Lot ... but no one dares to talk about it. By day, 'Salem's Lot is a typical modest New England town; but when the sun goes down, evil roams the earth. The devilishly sweet insistent laughter of a child can be heard echoing through the fields, and the presence of silent looming spirits can be felt lurking right outside your window. Stephen King brings his gruesome imagination to life in this tale of spine tingling horror.

MY REVIEW:

I read this book for a read-a-long hosted by Michelle at Gather Together and Read.

Ben Mears returns to his hometown, Jerusalem’s Lot, to write a story about Marsten House which was where he had a bad experience as a boy. Ben learns that the house has been recently bought by two men, Kurt Barlow and Richard Straker, and that the men are also opening a local antique shop. Strange happenings begin to occur in Jerusalem’s Lot, including the disappearance of a local boy. With the help of a local teacher, Matt Burke, Ben tries to figure out what is happening in this town and how these events are connected to the mysterious Barlow and Straker.

Stephen King knows just how to spin a tale! I love how he sets the scene for what's about to come. Creepy old house? Check. Grisly animal death? Check. Missing child? Check. Strangers in town? Check. He has also the basic elements covered to lead us into a scary read, and this book did not disappoint!

There are many disturbing scenes throughout the book, and the ones that bothered me the most were the ones involving children (especially Baby Randy). My favourite character is Mark Petrie, the teenage boy who seems to be one of the first ones to figure out what is really going on!

I remember watching this 1979 mini-series on television when I was just a kid. The infamous window scene with Danny Glick still haunts me! I have requested the DVD from the library so that I can re-watch it. I never did see the 2004 television re-make featuring Rob Lowe. I will have to see if I can find that one.

MY RATING:

4 stars!! It was really good, and you should put it on your TBR list if you enjoy horror!

This book qualifies as:
#55 for my 2016 You Read How Many Books? Challenge
#55 for my 2016 Outdo Yourself Reading Challenge
#25 for my Mount TBR Reading Challenge 2016
#25 for my 2016 TBR Pile Reading Challenge
#49 for my Backlist Books Reading Challenge
#18 for my What an Animal IX Reading Challenge 2016
#5 for my 2016 Book to Movie Challenge
#6 for my 2016 Horror Reading Challenge
#9 for my 2016 Reading Bites Reading Challenge
#13 for my R.eaders I.mbibing P.eril Reading Challenge
Task #14 for my Goodreads Fall 2016 Scavenger
#3 for my #BiteOber Reading Challenge
#2 for my Perpetual Stephen King Challenge

View all my reviews

Waiting on Wednesday: Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor @lainitaylor @lbkids #WaitingOnWednesday

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Here is this week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection:

TITLE: Strange the Dreamer
SERIES: Strange the Dreamer, Book #1
AUTHOR: Laini Taylor
PUBLISHER: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
EXPECTED PUBLICATION DATE: March 28, 2017
FORMAT: Hardcover
LENGTH: 544 pages
GENRE: Young Adult, Fantasy
ISBN: 9780316341684

A breathtaking new novel by National Book Award finalist and New York Times bestselling author Laini Taylor

Strange the Dreamer is the story of:

the aftermath of a war between gods and men.
a mysterious city stripped of its name.
a mythic hero with blood on his hands.
a young librarian with a singular dream.
a girl every bit as dangerous as she is in danger.
alchemy and blood candy, nightmares and godspawn, moths and monsters, friendship and treachery, love and carnage.

Welcome to Weep.

Taylor's Daughter of Smoke & Bone was my favourite YA read of 2011. I can't wait to start this new series!

What are you waiting on? Please leave a comment in the section below. If you participate in this meme, please leave a link so I can visit your blog!

Tuesday, December 6, 2016

#Audiobook #Review: 5 out of 5 stars for The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne @john_boyne @LLAudiobooks

TITLE: The Boy in the Striped Pajamas

AUTHOR: John Boyne

NARRATOR: Michael Maloney

PUBLISHER: Listening Library

PUBLICATION DATE: September 20, 2006

FORMAT: Unabridged audiobook

LENGTH: 5 hrs

GENRE: Young Adult, Historical Fiction

The story of The Boy in the Striped Pajamas is very difficult to describe. Usually we give some information about the audiobook, but in this case we think that would spoil the listening. We think it's important that you start to listen without knowing what it is about.

If you do start to listen, you will go on a journey with a nine-year-old boy named Bruno. (Though this isn't a story for nine-year-olds.) And sooner or later, you will arrive with Bruno at the fence.

Fences like this exist all over the world. We hope that you never have to encounter such a fence.

MY REVIEW:

Oh, how my heart aches! This is such a moving and powerful story, and I cannot recommend it highly enough. This is my new favourite read for 2016!

Bruno is a nine-year-old boy, whose father is a Nazi Commandant. Their family moves from Berlin, Germany to Poland for their father’s job, and Bruno is intrigued by the view from his window. In the distance, he sees a fence and the people within the area are all dressed in the same grey striped pajamas. He decides to do some investigating on his own, and he finds a sad-looking and thin boy near the fence whose name is Shmuel. They strike up a conversation, and the boys find that they are the same age and even share the same birthday! Bruno doesn’t understand why he is not allowed to go inside the fenced area, and Shmuel doesn’t reveal too much about what goes on there, except to say that he doesn’t think that Bruno would like it there.

This story is so tragic, and the beauty of Bruno’s innocence is so poignant. He has no idea of the atrocities that are happening on the other side of the fence, and he does not realize that the people there are prisoners in a concentration camp. The ending just left me so bereft, and it emphasized the love and true friendship between Bruno and Shmuel and how hatred and racism are learned behaviours.

Boyne often spoke volumes in what he did NOT say. Instead of going into graphic detail about how Lieutenant Kotler attacked Pavel for spilling wine on him, Boyne only says:

“Lieutenant Kotler grew very angry with Pavel and no one - not Bruno, not Gretel, not Mother and not even Father - stepped in to stop him doing what he did next, even though none of them could watch."

Boyne writes in such a compelling way, and I will definitely be checking into his other books.

Narrator Michael Maloney is new-to-me, and he was utterly amazing! He took this remarkable story and brought it to the next level. I think he captured the essence of Bruno’s personality so perfectly, and his cadence and rhythm matched each character’s vocalization. For example, Maloney often spoke in a quick and lively manner when Bruno was speaking, just as a nine-year-old boy often does! Maloney’s voice was so haunting during the somber moments of the story, and it really had a huge impact on me. Here is a sound clip of the narration:

I have requested the DVD from the library and will come back to add my thoughts on the movie.

MY RATING:

5 stars!! It was superb, and I absolutely loved it! I intend to re-read it in the future.

This book qualifies as:
#54 for my 2016 You Read How Many Books? Challenge
#54 for my 2016 Outdo Yourself Reading Challenge
#3 for my European Reading Challenge 2016
#14 for my New Author Challenge 2016
#13 for my 2016 New Narrator Reading Challenge
#15 for my 2016 New To You Reading Challenge
#48 for my Backlist Books Reading Challenge
#40 for my 2016 Audiobook Challenge
#23 for my 2016 I Love Libraries Reading Challenge
#6 for my 2016 Eclectic Reader Challenge
#9 for my 2016 The Color Coded Reading Challenge
#4 for my 2016 Book to Movie Challenge
#15 for my 2016 YA Reading Challenge
Task #4 for my Goodreads Fall 2016 Scavenger
#2A for my Semi-Charmed Winter 2016 Book Challenge

View all my reviews

Monday, December 5, 2016

#Audiobook #Review: 3 out of 5 stars for Masque of the Red Death by Edgar Allan Poe @listenandlive

TITLE: Masque of the Red Death

AUTHOR: Edgar Allan Poe

NARRATOR: Patrick Lawlor

PUBLISHER: Listen & Live Audio, Inc.

PUBLICATION DATE: October 5, 2009 (first published 1842)

FORMAT: Unabridged audiobook

LENGTH: 17 mins

GENRE: Classics, Horror, Short Stories

"Masque of the Red Death", a short story written by Edgar Allan Poe, follows Prince Prospero's attempts to avoid a dangerous plague, known as the Red Death, by hiding in his abbey. He, along with many other wealthy nobles, has a masquerade ball within seven rooms of his abbey, each decorated with a different color. In the midst of their revelry, a mysterious figure enters and makes his way through each of the rooms. When Prospero confronts this stranger, he falls dead.

The story follows many traditions of Gothic fiction and is often analyzed as an allegory about the inevitability of death, though some critics advise against all allegorical reading. Many different interpretations have been presented, as well as attempts to identify the true nature of the disease called the Red Death.

MY REVIEW:

This is a short story by Edgar Allan Poe, and I read it during the Season of the Witch hosted by Michelle at Castle Macabre. It was supposed to be for a read-a-long, but I missed the Discussion Post!

This classic is about a rich man named Prospero, and he is hosting a masquerade ball at his palace. It is an unusual time for festivities, given that a terrible plague has been sweeping across the land during the past several months. He shut himself in, hoping to avoid the virus. It is not really clear to me why he decides to host the party, because inviting people into the castle would put him at risk, wouldn’t it? Is he celebrating because he has successfully evaded the disease and is foolish enough to think that he won’t get it? I am not sure, but Poe describes the seven rooms in the palace and how each one is decorated in a particular colour. I am not sure what the significance is, except for the final room which is black which I would assume represents death. A guest arrives at midnight and brings the plague into the castle with him and everyone dies.

I enjoyed this short story, and I think it is one of the stories that becomes even more enjoyable as one digs deeper. I listened to the audiobook, and the narrator did a fine job. Patrick Lawlor is new-to-me, and his pacing was good and I thought that he brought the right vibe to the story. However, I think this is the type of story that is probably best to be slowly savored and mulled over. There is a lot of symbolism in the story that I probably missed, so I do want to go back and read it again to gain a further understanding of the story.

MY RATING:

3 stars!! It was good, and I enjoyed it.

This book qualifies as:
#53 for my 2016 You Read How Many Books? Challenge
#53 for my 2016 Outdo Yourself Reading Challenge
#12 for my 2016 New Narrator Reading Challenge
#47 for my Backlist Books Reading Challenge
#39 for my 2016 Audiobook Challenge
#16 for my What An Animal IX Reading Challenge
#22 for my 2016 I Love Libraries Reading Challenge
#4A for my 2016 The Color Coded Reading Challenge
#4C for my The Reporters Challenge 2016
#5 for my 2016 Horror Reading Challenge
#1 for my Peril of the Short Story for R.eaders I.mbibing P.eril

View all my reviews

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

This weekly meme is hosted by Kathryn at Book Date.

I'm reading:

This is a Christmas cozy that has been sitting on my TBR bookshelf for ages!

TITLE: Mistletoe Murder

SERIES: Lucy Stone, Book #1
AUTHOR: Leslie Meier

PUBLISHER: Kensington

PUBLICATION DATE: December 1, 1998 (first published 1991)

FORMAT: Paperback

LENGTH: 209 pages

GENRE: Mystery/Cozy, Holidays/Christmas

ISBN: 9781575663708

In Lucy Stone's debut -- now in its third printing -- the mystery-solving mom takes time out from her hectic holiday schedule to discover who murdered the owner of the town's famous mail-order company.

I'm listening to:

This is from the library, and it's been on my TBR for a long time!

TITLE: The Bean Trees

SERIES: Greer Family, Book #1
AUTHOR: Barbara Kingsolver

NARRATOR: C.J. Critt

PUBLISHER: Harper Audio

PUBLICATION DATE: May 19, 2009

FORMAT: Unabridged audiobook

LENGTH: 9 hrs and 20 mins

GENRE: Contemporary Fiction

Clear-eyed and spirited, Taylor Greer grew up poor in rural Kentucky with the goals of avoiding pregnancy and getting away.

But when she heads west with high hopes and a barely functional car, she meets the human condition head-on. By the time Taylor arrives in Tucson, Arizona, she has acquired a completely unexpected child, a three-year-old American Indian girl named Turtle, and must somehow come to terms with both motherhood and the necessity of putting down roots.

Hers is a story about love and friendship, abandonment and belonging, and the discovery of surprising resources in apparently empty places.

I just finished:

TITLE: The Boy in the Striped Pajamas

AUTHOR: John Boyne

NARRATOR: Michael Maloney

PUBLISHER: Listening Library

PUBLICATION DATE: September 20, 2006

FORMAT: Unabridged audiobook

LENGTH: 5 hrs

GENRE: Young Adult, Historical Fiction

The story of The Boy in the Striped Pajamas is very difficult to describe. Usually we give some information about the audiobook, but in this case we think that would spoil the listening. We think it's important that you start to listen without knowing what it is about.

If you do start to listen, you will go on a journey with a nine-year-old boy named Bruno. (Though this isn't a story for nine-year-olds.) And sooner or later, you will arrive with Bruno at the fence.

Fences like this exist all over the world. We hope that you never have to encounter such a fence.

TITLE: A December Bride

SERIES: A Year of Weddings 1, Book #1
AUTHOR: Denise Hunter

NARRATOR: Julie Lyles Carr

PUBLISHER: Zondervan on Brilliance Audio

PUBLICATION DATE: November 26, 2013

FORMAT: Unabridged audiobook

LENGTH: 2 hrs and 17 mins

GENRE: Contemporary Romance, Holiday/Christmas

A year's worth of novellas from 12 inspirational romance authors. Happily ever after guaranteed.

What started as a whim turned into an accidental - and very public - engagement. Can Layla and Seth keep up the façade in Chapel Springs this holiday season - for the sake of her career…and his heart?

Under normal circumstances, Seth Murphy - the best friend of Layla O'Reilly's ex-fiancé - would be the last person she'd marry. But the news of their upcoming (and phony) nuptials convinces a big client that Layla may be high-society enough to work for his agency - a coup that would put her fledgling home-staging business on the map.

Seth has secretly loved Layla for years, even when she was dating his best friend. Maybe she'll never forgive him for the way he hurt her back then, but he has to try. And Layla is willing to keep up their engagement farce until she's landed her client. For Layla, it's the chance to save her career. But for Seth, it's his last chance to win her heart.

TITLE: After the Woods

AUTHOR: Kim Savage

PUBLISHER: Farrar, Straus and Giroux

PUBLICATION DATE: February 23, 2016

FORMAT: Hardcover

LENGTH: 304 pages

GENRE: Young Adult, Mystery

ISBN: 9780374300555

Would you risk your life to save your best friend?

Julia did. When a paroled predator attacked Liv in the woods, Julia fought back and got caught. Liv ran, leaving Julia in the woods for a terrifying 48 hours that she remembers only in flashbacks. One year later, Liv seems bent on self-destruction, starving herself, doing drugs, and hooking up with a violent new boyfriend. A dead girl turns up in those same woods, and Julia’s memories resurface alongside clues unearthed by an ambitious reporter that link the girl to Julia’s abductor. As the devastating truth becomes clear, Julia realizes that after the woods was just the beginning.

What are you reading? Have you read any of these books and, if so, what did you think? Please let me know in the comments and, if you are also participating in this meme, leave me a link to your blog post so that I can stop by!

Sunday, December 4, 2016

Stacking The Shelves and Sunday Post

This meme is hosted by Tynga over at Team Tynga's Reviews, which she describes as follows:

"Stacking The Shelves is all about the books we are adding to our shelves each week, sharing with you our excitement for our newest titles and maybe have you discover a new book in the process!"

Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimberly @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog and showcase books and things we have received. Share news about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead. See rules here: Sunday Post Meme

We had a little bit of snow since it all melted away last week, and we are expecting a dump of 30 cm (that's 11.8 inches) by Wednesday. Then the temperature drops to a high -10 degrees Celsius (that's 14 degrees Fahrenheit) on Thursday and a high of -15 degrees Celsius (that's 5 degrees Fahrenheit) on Friday, so this time I think the snow will stick around! Here's what we look like now (I expect the snow on the picnic table will be much higher in next week's picture!):

The temperature is currently -1 degree Celsius, and it is supposed to go up to +1 today. I think these are the last few days of temps on the plus side.

I didn't buy anything new this past week, but I won a couple of giveaways!

I won this $10 Amazon Gift Card in the Gratitude Giveaway Hop challenge hosted by Angela Christina Archer.

Thanks again, Angela!

I also won this audiobook in a giveaway hosted by Linda Weaver Clarke:

Mystery on the Bayou by Linda Weaver Clarke
(Amelia Moore Detective Series, Book #6)

Thanks again, Linda!

I also downloaded this FREEBIE from Tantor Media:

More Favorite Stories of Christmas Past
Author Louisa May Alcott, Hans Christian Andersen, Charles Dickens, Lucy Maud Montgomery, Henry Van Dyke

Thanks again, Tantor Media!

Recap: Last Week On The Blog

Sunday: Stacking the Shelves and Sunday Post

Monday: It's Monday! What Are You Reading?
Monday: Christmas Spirit Read-a-Thon: Wrap-up Post
Tuesday: Top Ten Tuesday: Ten Books to Buy the YA Lover in Your Life

Wednesday: Waiting On Wednesday: Never Let You Go by Chevy Stevens

Wednesday: Book Review: 3 out of 5 stars for Let's Play Make Believe by James Patterson with James O. Born

Thursday: Audiobook Review: 2 out of 5 stars for A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess

Friday: Audiobook Review: 3 out of 5 stars for Dead Witch Walking by Kim Harrison
Saturday: Book Review: 5 out of 5 stars for The Rhyme Bible Storybook for Toddlers by L.J. Sattgast

What books have you added to your shelves this week? If you are also participating in either of these memes, please leave me the link to your blog post in the comments so that I can come and drool over all your goodies!

If anyone has read any of these books, I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Saturday, December 3, 2016

#Book #Review: 5 out of 5 stars for The Rhyme Bible Storybook for Toddlers by L.J. Sattgast @LindaSattgast @Zonderkidz

TITLE: The Rhyme Bible Storybook for Toddlers

AUTHOR: L.J. Sattgast

ILLUSTRATOR: Toni Goffe

PUBLISHER: Zonderkidz

PUBLICATION DATE: March 28, 2000

FORMAT: Hardcover

LENGTH: 256 pages

GENRE: Childrens/Religions

ISBN: 9780310700784

The fun-time, anytime read-aloud Bible rhyme! Boys and girls love the soothing rhyme in L.J. Sattagast's bestseller The Rhyme Bible. Now toddlers have a Bible rhyme book designed just for them! From the story of creation ('In the beginning God made the light. The light was for day. The dark was for night.') to the resurrection of Jesus ('All his friends were happy then. Jesus was alive again!'), this is the perfect choice for parents who want to introduce their toddlers to the Word of God. Joyful illustrations and classic stories told in vivid verse make this a sure favorite that will entertain your young ones and teach them biblical lessons that last a lifetime.

MY REVIEW:

Despite the title of the book, this bible is NOT just for toddlers!

I have read this bible aloud to my children dozens of times over the years. Although the bible indicates on the back that it is suited for Ages 1-4, my younger daughter is eight years old and still enjoys it and we read it at least once a year! She is also at the age where she can pick up this bible and read the stories to herself. The bible stories are brief, and they are told in rhyming verse and I find that it engages the attention of any squirmy toddler! The illustrations fill both sides of the page, and they are bright and colourful. There are 12 stories from the Old Testament, and 14 stories from the New Testament.

Whenever anyone asks me what bible they should get for their young children, this is always my top recommendation and my go-to baby gift! I think it is a perfect first bible for any child.

MY RATING:

5 stars!! It is superb, and we love it! We have read it many times, and we will continue to read it again and again!

This book qualifies as:
#52 for my 2016 You Read How Many Books? Challenge
#52 for my 2016 Outdo Yourself Reading Challenge
#43 for my 2016 Women Challenge
#17 for my What An Animal IX Reading Challenge
#2 for my The Hard Core Re-Reading Challenge 2016
#2 for my 2016 Nonfiction Reading Challenge

View all my reviews

Friday, December 2, 2016

#Audiobook #Review: 3 out of 5 stars for Dead Witch Walking by Kim Harrison @TantorAudio

TITLE: Dead Witch Walking

SERIES: The Hollows, Book #1

AUTHOR: Kim Harrison

NARRATOR: Marguerite Gavin

PUBLISHER: Tantor Audio

PUBLICATION DATE: June 27, 2007

FORMAT: Unabridged audiobook

LENGTH: 13 hrs and 14 mins

GENRE: Urban Fantasy

Rachel Morgan is a runner with the Inderland Runner Services, apprehending law-breakers throughout Cincinnati. She's also a witch, one of the many Inderlanders who revealed themselves after a genetically engineered virus wiped out 50 percent of humanity. Witches, warlocks, vampires, werewolves: the creatures of dreams and nightmares have lived beside humans for centuries, hiding their powers. But now they've stopped hiding, and nothing will be the same.

On the run with a contract on her head, Rachel reluctantly teams up with Ivy, Inderland's best runner...and a living vampire. But this witch is way out of her league, and to clear her name, Rachel must evade shape-changing assassins, outwit a powerful businessman/crimelord, and survive a vicious underground fight-to-the-death...not to mention her own roommate!

Fun, sassy, filled with action, humor, and romance, Dead Witch Walking is the perfect summer listen for anyone who likes vampires, paranormal fantasy, romance, or just a great beach book.

MY REVIEW:

I love urban fantasy and the paranormal, and I have seen this series recommended over and over again on other blogs and review sites. It appears that I am in the minority here, but I have to admit that this series-starter was a bit of a disappointment!

Rachel Morgan is a witch, and she works for Inderland Security (“IS”) which was established to pick up the cases that the human-run police force can’t handle. Rachel’s job as a bounty hunter brings her into contact with all sorts of supernatural beings, known as Inderlanders. Fed up with being given only the rookie assignments, she quits but winds up with a price tag on her own head as a result. She pairs up with a vampire named Ivy Tamwood who also worked at IS, and they start their own business. Rachel also has her own pixie as back-up, and his name is Jenks.

Harrison’s urban fantasy world has great potential, but Dead Witch Walking kind of fell flat for me. I actually love Rachel’s character! She’s smart, cocky, and a bit snarky and sarcastic. It wasn't that I didn't like the book, because I did but I just expected MORE. I thought it was a bit slow, and there wasn’t a whole lot of action going on. I bought the first two audiobooks in the series, so I will continue with the second book and hope that the series picks up and gets better!

Marguerite Gavin is a new-to-me narrator, and I thought she did a really good job at conveying Rachel’s spunk and attitude! She made each person’s voice unique and distinctive, and she was very easy to listen to. You can listen to a sound clip of the narration on SoundCloud.

MY RATING:

3 stars!! It was good, and I enjoyed it.

This book qualifies as:
#51 for my 2016 You Read How Many Books? Challenge
#51 for my 2016 Outdo Yourself Reading Challenge
#24 for my Mount TBR Reading Challenge 2016
#24 for my 2016 TBR Pile Reading Challenge
#42 for my 2016 Women Challenge
#13 for my New Author Challenge 2016
#11 for my 2016 New Narrator Reading Challenge
#14 for my 2016 New To You Reading Challenge
#6 for my 2016 It's New To Me Series Starter Challenge
#46 for my Backlist Books Reading Challenge
#38 for my 2016 Audiobook Challenge
#16 for my What An Animal IX Reading Challenge
#1 for my 2016 Witches & Witchcraft Reading Challenge
#12 for my R.eaders I.mbibing P.eril Reading Challenge
Task #10 for my Goodreads Fall 2016 Scavenger
#2 for my #BiteOber Reading Challenge
Task #1A for my Semi-Charmed Winter 2016 Book Challenge
#16 for my 101 Fantasy Perpetual Reading Challenge (Item #66 on the list)

View all my reviews

Thursday, December 1, 2016

#Audiobook #Review: 2 out of 5 stars for A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess @HarperAudio @TomHcllander

TITLE: A Clockwork Orange

AUTHOR: Anthony Burgess

NARRATOR: Tom Hollander

PUBLISHER: HarperAudio

PUBLICATION DATE: June 12, 2007 (first published 1962)

FORMAT: Unabridged audiobook

LENGTH: 7 hrs and 42 mins

GENRE: Classics, Science Fiction/Dystopia

A vicious fifteen-year-old droog is the central character of this 1963 classic. In Anthony Burgess's nightmare vision 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?"

This edition includes the controversial last chapter not published in the first edition and Burgess's introduction "A Clockwork Orange Resucked."

MY REVIEW:

This classic wasn’t at all what I expected, and I almost gave up on it! I hung in there, and I am glad that I did.

The audiobook starts off with Burgess’ introduction to the book. He reveals that he would have preferred that this story be forgotten about because he values his other books more. However, due to the popularity of Stanley Kubrick’s 1971 movie by the same name, A Clockwork Orange increased in popularity. Interestingly, the United States version of the book is not the same one that was published elsewhere in the world. The original book was divided into three parts, with seven chapters making up each part. The American publisher cut the book’s 21st chapter, which is a pivotal chapter in the main character’s development. This audiobook includes the final chapter.

Well, after the author’s introduction, I actually was quite intrigued and couldn’t wait to start the book! However, I was immediately put off by the book’s nonsensical gibberish. The main characters speak in a slang of their own invention, which had me wondering what the heck that I was reading! Here is an example:

They had no licence for selling liquor, but there was no law yet against prodding some of the new veshches which they used to put into the old moloko, so you could peet it with vellocet or synthemesc or drencrom or one or two other veshches which would give you a nice quiet horrorshow fifteen minutes admiring Bog And All His Holy Angels and Saints in your left shoe with lights bursting all over your mozg. Or you could peet milk with knives in it, as we used to say, and this would sharpen you up and make you ready for a bit of dirty twenty-to-one, and that was what we were peeting this evening I'm starting off the story with.

With my eyes glazed over, I listened to the first seven chapters that made up the first part of the audiobook. It was very difficult to understand what was going on. The main character was a 15-year-old troublemaker named Alex. He hung out with his three buds: Pete, Georgie, and Dim. They took pleasure in beating people on the street. On the premise of wanting to use a stranger’s telephone to make a phone call and get a glass of water for his sick friend, Alex gains access to a couple’s home and then the rest of the crew barges in and restrains the husband while they gang-rape his wife. By the end of Part One, Alex is arrested and taken to jail. It is in Part Two of the story where I started to enjoy the book a bit better. After Alex was involved in a prison beating that caused the other inmate’s death, the prison officials decided to use him as a guinea pig for a Reclamation Treatment which they claimed would kill his criminal reflex and that he was at no risk to re-offend and could be released from prison after just two weeks of treatment. That last little bit there, the guarantee of Alex’s release, is what cemented his decision to agree to the treatment. I found this part of the story interesting, as well as Alex’s eventual release and the aftermath.

I like the story better with the addition of the original final 21st chapter. It would have been a completely different story to end the book without it. The last chapter deals with Alex’s new outlook, and it ends the story on a positive note instead of a negative one.

I had my doubts that I would be able to finish this one! I was going to give this book two stars, but it really is more like 2.5 stars for me.

Narrator Tom Hollander is new-to-me, and he was exceptional! He is the reason why I continued to listen to the story, and I do not think that I would have continued reading this one if it wasn't an audiobook. I think that being able to carry off that Nadsat slang the way he did as though it was proper English is a testament to his ability. Here is a sound clip:

I haven't watched the movie yet, but I requested the DVD from the library and will come back to add in my thoughts on it after I watch it.

MY RATING: