[.ca] Viking Critical Library One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest (ISBN 0140236015)

Both book AND movie are great:
ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST is often said to be allegorical in its depiction of the rebel versus the establishment, but that aspect of it doesn't really interest me because Kesey doesn't even try to be subtle about it; no, I think the novel's value is in the sheer momentum of its narrative, which burns like the fuse on a stick of dynamite. Even for those who have never seen Milos Forman's fantastic 1975 film version of the novel, the sense that the story is leading up to something big and explosive is palpable and pulsating. But to tell the truth, the plot was not what interested me but rather the characters themselves. Each was so vividly described from appearance to personality; all were well defined and varied from one person to another. Perhaps it was just the fact that each of them had various different mental disorders that made them act the eccentric ways they do, like Bromden who is lost in his fog, hiding from the world and Harding who??s sophisticated speech contrasts with his squeaking laugher. Must also recommend the hilarious and wild KATZENJAMMER by McCrae. It too, deals with mental illness, a Fustian nightmare run amock, and a very bright, strange, and unchecked look at one man's insanity.

i couldn't put it down, it really drew me in...:
This book is phenomenal. The way that Ken Kesey has developed the characters drew me in to the book, and made me eager to see what would happen as the plot developed, I could hardly put it down and was always dying to pick it back up. At times the book is sad, at times hilarious, but all the way through it created a real emotional connection for me. This, in my opinion, is one of the keys to excellent fiction. Another of the keys to excellent fiction is when the reader can read it as a metaphor for larger issues and ideas. This book is packed with themes that question what insanity is, in a world that seems to be insane (another one that would tie in pretty well with this is Joseph Heller's "Catch 22"). The whole book deals with issues of authourity and control, and the efforts of powerless people to regain control in their lives. I believe this book is based on Ken Kesey's experiences working as a janitor in an asylum or mental health institute. His life and personality are fascinating, he seems to have been an absolutely amazing man. Another amazing book, which is based on Ken Kesey, is "The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test" by Tom Wolfe... it depicts the adventures of Ken Kesey and the Merry Pranksters, who drove through America taking loads of acid and giving it to people they met along the way. I would highly recommend "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" to anybody and everybody, and I would also highly recommend not to watch the movie. I couldn't even get through it, and it really is a great example of a movie that does injustice to the book it is based on. If you must watch it, read the book first so that you don't know the story and ruin the experience of reading this excellent book.

Unforgetable -- and Brilliant!:
In his attempt to convey what he believed to be "the essentially schizophrenic nature of mankind," Kesey, rather than telling the tale from the perspective of an uninvolved "God-Narrator," or from that of R. P. McMurphy, who might have been too involved in the main action, opted to present the story from the point of view of one of the psycho ward's bystanding schizophrenic inmates; "the Big Chief." By telling the tale through the Chief's schizophrenic eyes, Kesey was able to, not merely "tell" the tale from an "eye witness perspective," but actually "show" the tale in a sort of "poetic-sensurround;" the reader would come to understand and appreciate the healing effect provided by McMurphy's inspiring individualism as the Chief's narration became progressively less "schizophrenic," and more concrete and objective as the story moved forward. Additionally, it gave Kesey a viable way to provide the story with a mystical, supernatural quality. This, in turn, enabled him to give full force and effect, through the Chief's altered perception, to his allegoric and metaphoric symbolism; allowed him to have the Chief see and hear impressionistic and imaginary stimuli as though they were solid objects and real actions and occurrences, allowed him to turn the verbal and mental sparring between McMurphy and Nurse Ratched into epic battles waged between mythical, larger-than-life titans, between the very forces of good and evil itself. In sum, it enabled Kesey to convey a deeper, more personal and more spiritual reality in his story, on a variety of psychological levels, and in a manner that allows the reader to experience events 1st hand, as a bystanding schizophrenic, rather than merely collect story-related data like a detached observer. This is certainly one novel you simply don't want to miss! Unforgettable in every way. Along with ONE FLEW, I'd like to recommend another Amazon quick-pick: THE LOSERS CLUB: Complete Restored Edition by Richard Perez

One-Of-A-Kind!:
Chief Bromden has been a patient in the Mental Hospital for years, but has always been known as the guy who never speaks or hears anyone. He spends most of his time there sweeping and cleaning the ward, and over hearing everything that goes on around him. One day, Bromden watches a new patient join the ward, Randal P. McMurphy, who is a large and outgoing man who had himself committed to avoid doing work on a prison farm. McMurphy instantly gains a hatred toward the Head Nurse, Nurse Ratched, a deceiving and evil woman who has claimed a Dictatorship over her ward as well as the entire hospital. McMurphy plays mind games with Ratched, the ward Doctor, and his fellow patients as the story goes on, gaining the patients' respect and making Ratched determined to make him quiet and slow like all of the others. McMurphy's hatred grows so much, that he will go to any extent to over power Ratched, which is where I will stop as this leads forth to the shocking and vengeful conclusion. This is really a one-of-a-kind masterpiece. Truly a book that everyone must read! Also recommended: "THE LOSERS' CLUB: Complete Restored Edition" by Richard Perez -- an odd, often funny and strangely moving book.

Excellent:
Great characterization and writing style. The characters were well developed and portrayed, the antagonists were destestable, and one really cared for the protagonists. McMurphy, the novel's hero, was wonderfully 3-dimensional. Though not perfectly good, one was able to look past his flaws and see the depth of his character--the good he did in the asylum/hospital greatly outweighed his past wrongs. The people in this novel were realistic, with emotion and feeling. Great book! Highly recommended.