影片以第一人称的形式讲述了一个名叫阿历克斯的少年犯的故事。在不远的未来社会里，几个充满暴力倾向的少年在阿历克斯率领下到处寻欢作乐，在痛打一流浪汉后，他们找到一群欲强奸一少女的流氓，为报私怨大打出手。一场恶战后，阿历克斯和同伙驾车飞驰，在马路上肆意地逆行。郊外的一处寓所，阿历克斯以发生交通事故为由向这里的户主作家亚历山大夫妇借用电话，当门打开时，他们就戴着面具冲入屋内，殴打作家，轮奸作家的妻子。在疯狂的发泄完暴力与性欲后，他们才回家休息。
第二天，阿历克斯痛打对自己不忠的手下，从而确立了自己老大的地位。晚上他们就又一起准备以相同的方法进入富婆“猫夫人”家中，不料“猫夫人”早有防范，不但没有开门，还在阿历克斯进入前给警察通了电话。阿历克斯由窗户进入“猫夫人”的寝室，两人展开搏斗，阿历克斯失手将“猫夫人”打死。当他慌忙逃出猫夫人的公寓时，却被手下报复而当场击昏，最后被赶来的警察逮捕。
阿力克斯以杀人罪被判入狱14年，为了缩短刑期，阿历克斯自告奋勇，愿意把自己当作小白鼠一样送去为一项叫做“厌恶疗法”的充当实验品。疗法很简单：在注射某种药物后，医生们就让阿历克斯目不转睛地观看各种令人发指的色情、暴力影片，以使其对色情暴力在生理上产生条件反射式的恶心。但最令阿历克斯无法忍受的是，放映纳粹暴行的影片时，竟然同时播放着他最喜爱的音乐——贝多芬《第九交响曲》！这样，阿历克斯在实验结束后成为了一个打不还手、骂不还口、无法接近女色而且绝对不会危害社会的"新人"。 出狱后回到家的阿历克斯发现家里已经没有自己的位置，祸不单行，流浪街头，又遭到曾经遭到自己痛打的老流浪汉的报复，正在这时，此时两个警察前来解围，他们竟是原来的手下！这两个手下为报前仇，把阿历克斯带到郊外毒打折磨。最后，几乎奄奄一息的阿历克斯爬到一户人家前，他万万没想到这竟是他从前的受害者作家亚历山大的住所。亚历山大利用阿历克斯报复，意图推翻现任政府。
The title is taken from an old Cockney expression, "as queer as a clockwork orange"¹, and alludes to the prevention of the main character's exercise of his free will through the use of a classical conditioning technique. With this technique, the subject’s emotional responses to violence are systematically paired with a negative stimulation in the form of nausea caused by an emetic medicine administered just before the presentation of films depicting "ultra-violent" situations. Written from the perspective of a seemingly biased and unapologetic protagonist, the novel also contains an experiment in language: Burgess creates a new speech that is the teenage slang of the not-too-distant future.
The novel has been adapted for cinema in a controversial movie by Stanley Kubrick, and also by Andy Warhol; adaptations have also been made for television, radio, and the stage. As well as inspiring a concept album, the novel and films are referred to in, and have inspired, a number of songs and bands.
第二天，阿历克斯痛打对自己不忠的手下，从而确立了自己老大的地位。晚上他们就又一起准备以相同的方法进入富婆“猫夫人”家中，不料“猫夫人”早有防范，不但没有开门，还在阿历克斯进入前给警察通了电话。阿历克斯由窗户进入“猫夫人”的寝室，两人展开搏斗，阿历克斯失手将“猫夫人”打死。当他慌忙逃出猫夫人的公寓时，却被手下报复而当场击昏，最后被赶来的警察逮捕。
阿力克斯以杀人罪被判入狱14年，为了缩短刑期，阿历克斯自告奋勇，愿意把自己当作小白鼠一样送去为一项叫做“厌恶疗法”的充当实验品。疗法很简单：在注射某种药物后，医生们就让阿历克斯目不转睛地观看各种令人发指的色情、暴力影片，以使其对色情暴力在生理上产生条件反射式的恶心。但最令阿历克斯无法忍受的是，放映纳粹暴行的影片时，竟然同时播放着他最喜爱的音乐——贝多芬《第九交响曲》！这样，阿历克斯在实验结束后成为了一个打不还手、骂不还口、无法接近女色而且绝对不会危害社会的"新人"。 出狱后回到家的阿历克斯发现家里已经没有自己的位置，祸不单行，流浪街头，又遭到曾经遭到自己痛打的老流浪汉的报复，正在这时，此时两个警察前来解围，他们竟是原来的手下！这两个手下为报前仇，把阿历克斯带到郊外毒打折磨。最后，几乎奄奄一息的阿历克斯爬到一户人家前，他万万没想到这竟是他从前的受害者作家亚历山大的住所。亚历山大利用阿历克斯报复，意图推翻现任政府。
The title is taken from an old Cockney expression, "as queer as a clockwork orange"¹, and alludes to the prevention of the main character's exercise of his free will through the use of a classical conditioning technique. With this technique, the subject’s emotional responses to violence are systematically paired with a negative stimulation in the form of nausea caused by an emetic medicine administered just before the presentation of films depicting "ultra-violent" situations. Written from the perspective of a seemingly biased and unapologetic protagonist, the novel also contains an experiment in language: Burgess creates a new speech that is the teenage slang of the not-too-distant future.
The novel has been adapted for cinema in a controversial movie by Stanley Kubrick, and also by Andy Warhol; adaptations have also been made for television, radio, and the stage. As well as inspiring a concept album, the novel and films are referred to in, and have inspired, a number of songs and bands.