Re: Today's ISFDB weirdness

On 31 May 2024 08:54:28 GMT, Jaimie Vandenbergh
<jaimie@usually.sessile.org> wrote:

On 30 May 2024 at 15:21:15 BST, "James Nicoll" <James Nicoll> wrote:
>

The Burgess omitted a vital chapter.

>
Is that a literal misprint issue at the publisher, or a "Burgess really
needed to finish the novel and didn't, leaving it a pointless unpleasant
mess" snark?

According to this:

https://www.anthonyburgess.org/blog-posts/did-anthony-burgess-hate-the-american-ending-of-a-clockwork-orange

it's a myth that Burgess didn't like the American version of the book
which dropped the final chapter.  Burgess himself approved the change.

The American version ends like the movie did, with Alex still a nasty
bastard, having "recovered" from his treatment.

The British version has a final chapter in wich Alex grows up, reforms
himself and starts to consider settling down and having a family.

Maybe it's just because I saw the movie long before I read the book,
but I think it works much better without that last chapter.

  -- Bob