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Quote by Anthony Burgess

Work

A Clockwork Orange (Restored Text)

A Clockwork Orange is a dystopian novel that delves into the psychological and societal consequences of free will versus determinism. The story follows Alex, a young man who is a member of a gang of violent criminals. After being imprisoned for his crimes, Alex undergoes a controversial rehabilitation program that strips him of his free will. The novel raises questions about the ethics of such interventions and the nature of human morality. more

Author

Anthony Burgess
Anthony Burgess

Anthony Burgess, born on February 25, 1917, in Manchester, England, was an accomplished British writer known for his distinctive literary style and profound insights into human psychology. His works spanned various literary genres, including novels, plays, and poetry. Burgess' most famous novel, A Clockwork Orange, is one of the most celebrated works of the 20th century, exploring themes such as free will, morality, and social control. more

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“The flock gets sight of a spot of blood on some chicken and they all go to peckin' at it, see, till they rip the chicken to shreds, blood and bones and feathers. But usually a couple of the flock gets spotted in the fracas, then it's their turn. And a few more gets spots and gets pecked to death, and more and more. Oh, a peckin' party can wipe out the whole flock in a matter of a few hours, buddy, I seen it. A mighty awesome sight. The only way to prevent it—with chickens—is to clip blinders on them. So's they can't see.”

“But the rest are even scared to open up and laugh. You know, that's the first thing that got me about this place, that there wasn't anybody laughing. I haven't heard a real laugh since I came through that door, do you know that? Man, when you lose your laugh you lose your footing.”

“And yet, Eomer, I say to you that she loves you more truly than me, for you she loves and knows; but in me she loves only a shadow and a thought: a hope of glory and great deeds, and lands far from the fields of Rohan. - Aragorn to Eomer, of Eowyn”

“My friend, you had horses, and deed of arms, and the free fields; but she, being born in the body of a maid, had a spirit and courage at least the match of yours. Yet she was doomed to wait upon an old man, whom she loved as a father, and watch him falling into a mean dishonoured dotage; and her part seemed to her more ignoble than that of the staff he leaned on. -Gandalf to Eomer, of Eowyn”

“The fears that assault us are mostly simple anxieties about social skills, about intimacy, about likeableness, or about performance. We need not give emotional food or charge to these fears or become attached to them. We don’t even have to shame ourselves for having these fears. Simply ask your fears, “What are you trying to teach me?” Some say that FEAR is merely an acronym for “False Evidence Appearing Real.” From Everything Belongs, p. 143”