Upon (short) reflection, this story is more complex than it seemed on reading. The two main themes are a malthusian nightmare that leads to food shortages & odd societal responses, & the the strands of history that guide the apparently unguidable. Must note that The Wanting Seed is not for those who insist on political correctness in their books, who can't deal with the rough & tumble of the "real" world. This is not for those who insist that a writer from the early Sixties write as if he was writing in 2019. At that time ZPG & overpopulation must've been overwhelming concerns -- something we hear much less than the current fears of climate change. For me it was interesting that some of the effects that Burgess predicted due to overpopulation (e.g., multiculturalism & the social acceptance & perceived advantages of homosexuality), have occurred, but not as threats to societal stability. Published the same year as his more renowned A Clockwork Orange, this is also a dystopian (is anyone getting tired of that word?) journey. Despite his immense vocabulary, this was an easy though not quick read, mostly linear & told with a light & comic tone until the last couple pages. During the read I was right there moving along, but looking back Burgess hits so many issues from religion & cannibalism (they overlap) to the fragility & resilience of family & society. Not quite the masterwork that is A Clockwork Orange, but a worthy companion. While reading it often reminded me of Brave New World, & while I don't think it's quite to the level of that one or the other early classics such as 1984, Fahrenheit 451, or The Handmaid's Tale, it certainly deserves a seat at the table & a place in the conversation.

Даю одну звезду за идею, вторую — за сарказм (возможно, непредумышленный). Все остальное — диалоги, метафоры, персонажи, язык — отвратительно.

Amazing book; thought provoking and disturbing (obviously, Anthony Burgess). However, it demonized the hell out of homosexuality and spit a mad ton of heteronormative nonsense. So... recommended with a disclaimer.

Reminiscent of Children of Men, this novel takes place in the not-so-distant future and the messy man/woman relationship necessary to procreate has been eradicated.

The last couple left in love is in hiding because one is a high-ranking officer who should be above an emotional relationship with a woman. And she's married to his brother.

I was surprised I had never heard of this book before. Burgess is a treasure beyond Clockwork Orange.

If you like unbelievable use of Vocabulary you will like Anthony Burgess. And Burgess' novel The Wanting Seed will not let you down in that fashion. Overall the novel is dealing with population control in a futuristic dystopian society. More acute themes deal with desires, sexual, for life, and love. And how one can never give up trying to pursue what they believe in... especially love. The wanting seed is pretty epic as it follows the life of the main character Tristram. The journey reminded me a lot of Peer Gynt's journey in Ibsen's play. We get to watch the main character grow up and change over a wild adventure that leads him all over Britain. The beginning and end of the book are wonderful. The storytelling is very crisp and enticing. However, the middle of the book gets muddled down, and seems to lose focus. Thus, the three stars.
However, if you like linguistics and vocabulary, or other novels from Anthony Burgess, this is a must read.

Υπέροχη πλοκή πού έχει στόχο να προβληματίσει καί νά θέσει ερωτήματα σχετικά με τον πόλεμο,τον υπερπληθυσμό κ.α, με μια ατμόσφαιρα "κουρδιστου πορτοκαλιού"νά είναι μόνιμα παρούσα .

Επίσης η χρήση της αγγλικής γλώσσας από τόν συγγραφέα είναι άρτια.

Μιλάω για Σαιξπιρικο γράψιμο.

Σκοτεινό και πνευματώδες.

Είχα καιρό να διαβάσω μία τόσο καλή ιστορία .

4.5/5

Две по милост, Няма да попадна на толкова хомофобско расистко и сексистко четиво, опитах се да го гледам от страна на годината на писане, но уви това не помогна.
Добре дошли в бъдещето Земята е пренаселена до толкова, че всички се гърчат в кутийки и има 24-часовия ден е разделен на 4, но човек трябва да се плоди. Грешка, не човек, жената. Мъжете хич не искат деца или се правят на гейове, но за това след малко. Та нашата прекрасна героиня русокоска от изчезващ вид с красива с бяла кожа, живее в свят на различни раси, което е в момента Англия и всички живеят идилично, всяко черно се смята за грозно, чернокожите са носачи или престъпници. Абе изобщо идилия, а тя нищо не прави, някои жени работят, но не и тя, тя няма голям дом за поддържане и има порциони т е. едва готви. За да се намали това множене властта поощряват всички да станат хомо и това в свят, където най-накрая са измислени и мъжки противозачатъчни ( защото с презерватив е прекалено уморително), за женските се знае но авторът не знае как се пият или тези са някакви ъпгрейтнати. Та в този свят хомо-двойките са на почит, но същото това правителство допуска и хора с по 6 деца, които си се множат и накрая просто ги арестуват, такава умна идея може да мине само на някоя висша раса като англосаксонската, защото главната героиня призова тя пак да даде ред в света. Тя е невероятно красива, защото е руса и прозрачна, това го разбрахме и се гнуси от хомота, и как може човек да се преструва (тя смята,че се преструват в името на облаги), самата тя си има любовник и се преструва и то изневерява с брата на мъжа си, но това е нищо, толкова е по-гнусно да видиш две прегръщащи се жени, изобщо съм забелязала, че който отрича еднополовите дойки винаги клони към кръвосмешение. Та същата тази героиня която никога не би се преструвала?(освен през целия си живот) губи детето си и тъжи за него 2 часа, след което прави всичко възможно да си направи ново. С брата на мъжа си, който го играе хомо, но е голям мачо та чак й прави близнаци. А не ви се е доповръщало, о после следва 1/3 канибализъм похапване на вкусно сготвено човешко, супер-дупер хетеро мъжът й отива в затвора после в армията за пушечно месо, където като малоумник се сме е на китайският йероглиф за човек(предполагам му напомня разкрачена жена) понеже вижда йероглифите са "сготвен човек". разпръснати идеи, изведнъж всички почват да се плодят да ядат вкусно човешко и да се убиват за още човешко. Но не и мацк��та, за нея няма скорбут или подобни заболявания ражда си по витлеемски и кърми близнаци и си говори с морето. поне е спряла да се гнуси.
Но не и аз още ми се гади от тоя шедьовър все пак предполагам доста хора ще я гледат като "пророческа" как трябва да мразим различните или смесени раси(понеже са грозни), как красивите жени не могат да живеят без тръпката на изневярата и еднополовите двойки са гнусни, понеже трябва да се множим, докато Земята не се пръсне по шевовете и не замирише на вкусно печено човешко... Нелогична антиутопия с щрихирани герои.

A dystopic satire set in a future in which an overbearing government tries to deal with horrendous population growth. The government obsesses about whether it can feed the vast population. So very Malthusian in that sense. As a means of doing so doctor's hasten the deaths of the sick whose corpses are turned into fertilizer. As until recently in China, fertile couples are allowed only one child. London has grown so wildly that it has reached its south and east-most shores. It can only grow north and west now. Soon it will swallow Wales and Scotland. First published in 1962.

Grim and evil and funny, real funny.

Czym jest właściwie ta książka z intrygującym tytułem?

Poznajemy Beatrice Joanne i Tristrama Fox, nauczyciela, historyka, którzy stracili pięcioletniego syna. W ich związku wszystko tylko pozornie układa się dobrze, bo Beatrice ma romans z bratem Tristrama – Derekiem. Warto dodać, że bracia się nie cierpią, a Derek dla swojego interesu udaje homo. Pewnego dnia Tristram dowiaduje się o romansie i wtedy zaczyna się prawdziwa przygoda.

Obserwujemy życie tych ludzi na tle gwałtownych przemian społecznych i politycznych, o których Tristram opowiada swoim uczniom. Te pojęcia i ogólnie to, co Tristram mówi młodzieży na zajęciach może być trudne do zrozumienia dla czytelnika, ale warto przez to przebrnąć. Te zmiany w społeczeństwie nie mają pozytywnych skutków – głód, kanibalizm i ogromne rozluźnienie seksualne (np. publicznie dobieranie ludzi w pary, którzy idą potem szaleć na polu).

‘’Z tabletką, z tabletką unikniesz ciąży letko.’’

Państwo przedstawione przez Burgessa dba tu o równowagę, a dokładniej unika przeludnienia, aby zasobów ziemskich starczyło dla wszystkich. Praktycznie nie istniały podziały etniczne. Śmierć człowieka nie była dla urzędników i władzy powodem do smutku, a wręcz przeciwnie – martwe ciało zyskiwało nazwę pięciotlenku fosforu, które miało ‘’nakarmić’’ Ziemię. Ciężko więc o jakiekolwiek zaufanie do lekarzy, którzy, chociaż mają ratować życie, mogą przyspieszyć śmierć. Dla wielu matek odejście dziecka to wręcz powód do radości, bo kondolencje jakie otrzymają od ministerstwa, są w formie pieniężnej i chętnie rozmawiają miedzy sobą z uśmiechami na twarzach w jaki sposób zginęły ich pociechy. Nie ma znaczenia w jakiej rodzinie się urodziłeś i jakie masz wykształcenie – liczy się ilość urodzeń, bycie homo albo zostanie kastratem. Robienie dzieci uznano za zajęcie dla ‘’przeciętniaków’’. Jeśli chcesz awans w pracy, to mimo dużego stażu, dostać go mógł byle młodzik tylko dlatego, że jest homo albo kastratem.

O Bogu coś się mówiło, ale władza niemal go wyeliminowała z myśli ludzi. Nie było też wojen i bomby atomowe czy gaz musztardowy były tylko odległą historią.

Język Burgessa jest bardziej dosadny, ostrzejszy, pełen przekleństw i niektóre sceny mogą nawet obrzydzić. W porównaniu z ,,Mechaniczną Pomarańczą’’ tu nie ma stylizacji językowej, więc książkę na pewno będzie czytać się łatwiej. Wbrew pozorom nie jest to dzieło śmiertelnie poważne, ma w sobie coś z czarnego humoru, który do jednych trafi, a do innych nie. Do mnie trafił i podoba mi się ten klimat.

Jednak to, co mnie zdziwiło była spora ilość błędów w tekście jak, np. jedna litera oddzielona od pozostałego słowa (‘’w ięc’’, chociaż w przypadku Burgessa jestem skłonna uwierzyć, że to zamierzone), kilka braków w oddzieleniu dialogu od myśli/czynności, brak wielkiej litery, przecinka, a nawet słowa (‘’Teraz już poczuł, że może chodzić, ale mu bardzo zimno.’’). Trochę to razi w oczy, jeśli zwraca się uwagę na takie szczegóły. Problemem może też być to, o czym wspomniałam wcześniej – niezrozumienie niektórych słów i pogubienie w bardziej fachowych terminach, nawet jeśli otrzymujemy wyjaśnienie od bohatera.

Warto przeczytać ,,Rozpustne nasienie’’ tak samo jak ,,Mechaniczną pomarańczę’’, bo jednak zmuszają one do myślenia i chociaż sama wizja raczej nie ma szansy narodzić się w naszym społeczeństwie, to jednak w obu dziełach autor stawia dość aktualne pytanie: czy eliminowanie zła kosztem wolnej woli, czy nawet życia, dla dobra społeczeństwa powinno mieć miejsce?

‘’Wrócimy do domu,
Do swojego domu
W styczniu, w maju albo czerwcu.
Przyjdzie na to pora,
Z rana czy z wieczora,
Tylko miej nadzieję w sercu.’’

This book offers a great story and a less discreet parody of society. It is highly critical of government interference, and more importantly those people who rise in government. It is a lighter Brave New World. On the face, it is a malthusian comedy as the back cover will suggest, but really it's that circle of societal affects that becomes apparent in dystopian novels. Our hero is unhappy but achieves in the society, and on some level whether an epiphany or something bad happens, he demonstrates to the audience of how it is so difficult to escape.
Again, it is very funny. I have not read A Clockwork Orange or any other Burgess book, but I enjoy the dystopian themes and recommend it.

i learned 100 million thousand billion archaic words from this book. i mean, googling a word every other page kind of gains. the cover of my copy says something like "imagine a world where cannibalism is the solution and homosexuality is the norm" so as you can imagine i had no choice but to buy it and lock the hell in. it's kind of like if 1984 and hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy ran headlong into each other. what fun!