Click on a thumbnail to go to Google Books.
Loading... One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1962)by Ken Kesey
Work InformationOne Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey (1962)
» 95 more Favourite Books (65) BBC Big Read (101) 1960s (4) A Novel Cure (82) Best Satire (45) Readable Classics (58) Unreliable Narrators (59) Top Five Books of 2016 (499) First Novels (20) Books Read in 2016 (1,890) 100 World Classics (55) Five star books (495) Read (71) Books Read in 2022 (2,296) Animals in the Title (16) Read These Too (25) Catalog (1) Overdue Podcast (216) Put a Bird On It (14) Penguin Random House (23) AP Lit (149) Books Read in 2018 (3,721) Books I've Read (33) 1970s (503) Books Read in 2012 (101) Pageturners (36) Books tagged favorites (286) Fiction For Men (90) Daria (8) Books Tagged Abuse (41) USA Road Trip (42) Fave Books (12) My Favourite Books (70) Speculative Fiction (15) Books tagged unread (15) Books Read in 2017 (4,180) LT picks: Blue Books (193) Unread books (908) Loading...
Sign up for LibraryThing to find out whether you'll like this book. No current Talk conversations about this book. #362 in our old book database. Not rated. This was a pick for my works book club, and I wasn’t too excited. I watched the movie years ago, and doubted the book would add much to the story. But boy, was I wrong! “What do you think you are, for Chrissake, crazy or somethin'? Well you're not! You're not! You're no crazier than the average asshole out walkin' around on the streets and that's it. ” In an Oregon State mental hospital ward, Nurse Ratched rules over her patients with manipulation, mind-numbing medication, and electroshock therapy. Her carefully curated regime is disrupted by the arrival of McMurphy - the swaggering, fun-loving trickster who resolves to oppose her. His struggle is seen through the eyes of Chief Bromden, a seemingly mute half-Indian patient who understands McMurphy's heroic attempt with the powers that keep them imprisoned. What is surprising about this book is how much fun it is! Through the character of McMurphy, Kesey portrays a rebellion against Ratched with ever increasing antics. The novel also highlights the institutionalization of individuals who do not fit society's expectations. Chief Bromden as the narrator allows the reader to see the events of the novel through the eyes of someone who is both inside and outside the system. His descriptions of the "fog" and the "combine" are confusing at first but are powerful metaphors for the way the patients are treated so that from the moment of McMurphy's arrival I felt completely on his side. A strange juxtaposition to how I would feel if I were to meet his behaviour in the real world. McMurphy's efforts to unite the patients and challenge Nurse Ratched's authority lead to a sense of camaraderie and mutual support among the patients, who had previously been isolated and oppressed until ultimately the characters are forced to confront the consequences of their actions and the limitations of their freedom. While it is worth noting that the novel's was written in the 60s and attitudes towards women and race may be considered outdated by today's standards, I still enjoyed the book immensely. A devastatingly honest portrayal of the boundaries between sanity and madness. This book is like watching a train wreck. Its starts of reel slow and builds up steam towards the inevitable ending. Now reader beware there are some very difficult and conflicting themes that are covered in the book such as how mental illness was treated in mental institutions using electroshock therapy and lobotomies. Also covered is racism, gender bias and violence. Having said all that, I can understand why this book is considered an American classic as the writing and the flow of the story is admirable. Having watched the movie and being a fan of Jack Nicholson I enjoyed the book as it is told from the viewpoint of the Indian chief which allows for his thoughts and emotions to come through in the story. I would recommend this book but not for sensitive readers.
In this masterful representation of the relationships that develop between patients and staff in an Oregon institution, Kesey explores the all-important questions of who is mentally well, who is unwell, and who makes that distinction. Both an allegory of individualism and a heart-tearing psychological drama, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest manages to be uplifting without giving an inch to the seductions of sentimentality. An outstanding book...[Kesey's] characters are original and real....This is a tirade against the increasing controls over man and his mind, yet the author never gets on a soap box. Nor does he forget that there is a thin line between tragedy and comedy The final triumph of these men at the cost of a terrifying sacrifice should send chills down any reader's back....This novel's scenes have the liveliness of a motion picture. [A] brilliant first novel...a strong, warm story about the nature of human good and evil...Keysey has made his book a roar of protest against middlebrow society's Rules and the invisible Rulers who enforce them. Belongs to Publisher SeriesIs contained inHas the adaptationIs abridged inHas as a studyHas as a commentary on the textHas as a student's study guideAwardsDistinctionsNotable Lists
Classic Literature.
Fiction.
Literature.
HTML:An international bestseller and the basis for the hugely successful film, Ken Kesey's One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest is one of the defining works of the 1960s. In this classic novel, Ken Keseys hero is Randle Patrick McMurphy, a boisterous, brawling, fun-loving rebel who swaggers into the world of a mental hospital and takes over. A lusty, life-affirming fighter, McMurphy rallies the other patients around him by challenging the dictatorship of Nurse Ratched. He promotes gambling in the ward, smuggles in wine and women, and openly defies the rules at every turn. But this defiance, which starts as a sport, soon develops into a grim struggle, an all-out war between two relentless opponents: Nurse Ratched, backed by the full power of authority, and McMurphy, who has only his own indomitable will. What happens when Nurse Ratched uses her ultimate weapon against McMurphy provides the storys shocking climax. BRILLIANT!Time A SMASHING ACHIEVEMENT...A TRULY ORIGINAL NOVEL!Mark Schorer Mr. Kesey has created a world that is convincing, alive and glowing within its own boundaries...His is a large, robust talent, and he has written a large, robust book.Saturday Review. No library descriptions found. |
Current DiscussionsNonePopular covers
Google Books — Loading... GenresMelvil Decimal System (DDC)813.54Literature English (North America) American fiction 20th Century 1945-1999LC ClassificationRatingAverage:
Is this you?Become a LibraryThing Author. Penguin Australia4 editions of this book were published by Penguin Australia. Editions: 0141187883, 0141024879, 0143105027, 0141037490 HighBridgeAn edition of this book was published by HighBridge. HighBridge AudioAn edition of this book was published by HighBridge Audio. |