One Hand Clapping

Summary

«One Hand Clapping» is a satirical work in which Anthony Burgess masterfully explores themes of consumerism, intellectual emptiness, and the moral decline of modern society. The main characters, Howard and Janet Shirley, live in a world where material goods and superficial pleasures replace true values. Howard, possessing a phenomenal memory, wins a large sum of money on a TV quiz show, which becomes the catalyst for subsequent events. The couple embarks on a journey that exposes their internal contradictions and leads to tragic consequences. Burgess, using wit and irony, creates a vivid portrait of a society mired in illusions and forgetting true humanity.