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13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A great read., February 25, 2004
This review is from: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (Penguin Classics) (Paperback)
I had the pleasure of reading this classic a few months ago after I chose it off a list of books for an english paper. Little did I know that I had made a great choice. I have always enjoyed books that centered on individuality and rebellion's against the rest of the society. This book is no different. It follows the story of Randall McMurphy, who throughout the novel tries in every which way to disobey those with power in order to find a way out of the mental hospital for himself and to help the other members of the ward in escaping as well. He becomes a teacher for the ward, a helper for them. Many characterize him as a Christ like figure, as Kesey does provide enough evidence that he may have been notioning such an idea from the beginning through language, character descriptions, and events that parallel events from the Bible. This novel has become one of my favorites and opened up my heart to other classics such as The Great Gatsby and Catch-22. If it were not for "One Flew Over," I'd probably still be content with more recent novels. Thank you, Mr. Kesey, for such a fantastic book. It reads rather quickly and leaves you with a satisfied feeling at the end. "One Flew Over" has one of the best endings I've read in a very long time, possibly ever. I did not believe it would end as it did, but it makes complete sense when you sit back and think of the novel as a whole. Well done, Kesey, your effort is well appreciated and strongly recommended!
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
One of the best, May 3, 2003
This review is from: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (Penguin Classics) (Paperback)
Ken Kesey's "One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest" is a modern classic and an excellent novel. Cuckoo's Nest follows the life of Chief Bromden as he silently observes the antics of the patients and staff of Big Nurse's ward in an insane asylum. Cuckoo's Nest is well written and after the first 50 or so pages I was hooked. This is the type of book that raises a large number of questions about our society. On one level it treats the issue of man vs. machine as the inmates square off with the emotionless staff at the asylum. On another it will cause you to question who really is insane and are those people insane because they are truly mentally challenged or do they simply see the world differently than the majority? Kesey shows how even the insane remain human and desire freedom and emotion and thus follows the tale. While very different in approach, this novel shares some central themes with the modern "Life of Pi". This connection is revealed in perhaps one of the most thought provoking statements of the novel "It's the truth even if it didn't happen" I would recommend this book to all who can stand a serious, thoughtprovoking read.
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8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A sixties novel that remains current today, June 27, 2007
This review is from: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (Penguin Classics) (Paperback)
I knew this book as one of the anthems of the sixties, bringing to the fore the themes of rebellion against arbitrary authority and the rejection of conformity. But I did not actually read the book till recently.
I found that Kesey's "sixties" novel passes the test of great literature. It transcends its moment in time and gains universality. The struggle between the individual and the demands of society is nowhere portrayed as sharply and brilliantly as in this novel. McMurphy is a bit extreme, as is Nurse Ratched, but the interplay of extremes is fascinating.
Do not ignore the fact that Bromden, the narrator, actually shows serious signs of mental illness. His constant references to the "Combine" and his fear of the "fog" are paranoid delusions. It's an amazing tribute to Kesey's skill that he chose to tell the story this way rather than in a more conventional mode of narration, and that he succeeded.
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