Stanley Kubrick’s Clockwork Orange.

KUBRICK, Stanley & Anthony Burgess.

$8,800.00

Item Number: 3062

New York: Abelard-Schuman, 1972.

First edition of the book recreation of Stanley Kubrick’s epic film adaptation of Anthony Burgess’ dystopian masterpiece. Octavo, original cloth. Presentation copy, inscribed by Kubrick, “To Mark Best wishes Stanley Kubrick.” Additionally signed by Anthony Burgess on the front free endpaper. Very good in a very good dust jacket with a few small closed tears. Books signed and inscribed by the legendary director are rare.

The cinematic adaptation of A Clockwork Orange was accidental. Screenplay writer Terry Southern gave Stanley Kubrick a copy of the novel, but, as he was developing a Napoleon Bonaparte–related project, Kubrick put it aside. Soon afterward, however, the Bonaparte project was cancelled and, sometime later, Kubrick happened upon the novel. It had an immediate impact. Of his enthusiasm for it, Kubrick said, "I was excited by everything about it: The plot, the ideas, the characters, and, of course, the language. The story functions, of course, on several levels: Political, sociological, philosophical, and, what's most important, on a dreamlike psychological-symbolic level". Kubrick wrote a screenplay faithful to the novel, saying, "I think whatever Burgess had to say about the story was said in the book, but I did invent a few useful narrative ideas and reshape some of the scenes."