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Not sure which cut you watched, it does have a happy ending for the protagonist. He enjoys Beethoven again. EDIT: A friend who read the book initially just sai
by jlg23 9y ago
Not sure which cut you watched, it does have a happy ending for the protagonist. He enjoys Beethoven again.
EDIT: A friend who read the book initially just said it was not happy, but agreed it is when you only know the movie.
- BashiBazouk 9y agoThey both have happy endings. In the book, the final chapter is about Alex starting to mature into an adult. The book is also organized into three sections of seven chapters meant to represent the three phases of childhood and ending in chapter 21: adulthood. The movie was pretty close to the book it just left off the 21st chapter as did the American version of the book.
- bigger_cheese 9y agoI had to study the novel in high school as you mentioned the 21 chapter thing is important because the book is divided into 3 parts of 7 chapters and there is supposed to be an element of symmetry in the progression. One of the central themes running through the book is free will and choice. It has been a fair amount of time now since I've read it but I believe the book opens with the quote "So what is it going to be then?" and ends with Alex making the choice to set aside his past. Importantly he also says something along the lines that if he ever has children he won't try to stop them making the same choices as he has. One of the things our teacher repeatedly stressed was Saint Augustine and Anthony Burgess's Catholic background.