Customer Reviews

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (Penguin Classics)

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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!

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.

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.

As I commented on one young reviewer's post...there should be a rule stating that if you have not read the book then you should not be allowed to write a review for it or even rate it. Most of the poor reviews and low ratings for this novel are from ignorant teenagers whose reviews are barely coherent and furthermore who have not even actually read the book beyond a few pages. Rant over, thanks.

Moving on, I have owned this book for several years but simply never got around to reading it until now. Things to keep in mind: I did see a stage production of One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest, but I have never seen the movie. I am not going to summarize the book, I will just get to my point. I will say that Cuckoo's Nest is not by any means a breezy read, and I also had a little bit of difficulty in the beginning fully comprehending some of what was going on mainly because it is not written in any typical fashion and yes, it is written from the perspective of a mental patient whose perception is not always clear...or is it? Not only that but Kesey was volunteering to take part in LSD testing during the time he wrote the book, which he wrote from his experience working in a Veteran's hospital. The first portion of the book is a bit slow, but once you get past the introductions, so to speak, and adjust to the style of the narrator's prose it takes a turn and you can't help but care for these characters and feel what they feel and go through and how they change and evolve. You might even see some of your own experiences or selves in the situations in Cuckoo's Nest, mental patients or not.

I finished what started as a difficult read within two days and it turned out to be one of the most rewarding novels I have read in a long time. I actually cried; this is now one of only three books that has ever hit me in such a way! It's an inspiring and sad story about the power of ideas, spirit, conformity and freedom. Although it may be a little rough at the start, I highly recommend getting through that part and finishing the story...you'll be glad you did!

ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST is more than a social commentary: it is an allegory-like hyperbole of the psychopathic obsession of the 1960s. The decade marked a drastic proliferation of books that looked at psychiatry and mental illness but garnered little diagnostic or therapeutic value. Despite the prestige of these publications that usually attuned to academic standard in intellectual circles, none of such literature had the widespread impact of this novel written by Kesey who worked the graveyard shift at a mental hospital in Menlo Park, California. He participated in government-sponsored drug experiments during his employment with this hospital and became sympathetic to the patients and began to seriously question the boundaries that had been created between the sane and the insane.

ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST is an unforgettable story of a mental ward in which the despotic Nurse Ratched reigns over the doctor and all the inhabitants. She exercises a somewhat cultic tactics to render her patients completely submissive. In what she embellishes a Therapeutic Community, an outwardly democratic entity run by patients, she imperceptibly manipulates them into grilling each other as if they are criminals. She has over the years has welded an insurmountable power over the ward that even the doctor is rendered frightened, desperate and ineffectual. She has no need to accuse or to enforce obedience because all it takes to maintain that tight grip of power is insinuation, which allows her to force the trembling libido out of everyone without an effort.

The Nurse's unchallenged tyranny begins to whittle as McMurphy, a 35-year-old Korean veteran who has history of insubordination and street brawls, resolves to oppose her every step of the way and raises the racket in her ward. His defiance is justifiable: he is surprised at how sane everyone is in the ward. Nobody and nothing in life have got much of a hold on this boisterous personality, who knows that there is no better way in the world to aggravate somebody (like the Nurse) who is trying to make it difficult for him than by acting like he is not bothered. McMurphy's fun-loving arrival at the ward brings about a different shade of opinion among the staff and the patients. The latter come following him as if he is their Savior, for he is utterly different and has not let what he looks like run his life one way or the other.

ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST is narrated by a patient in the ward, a Columbia Indian whom everyone thinks deaf, mute, and unintelligible, but who throughout the years of his commitment has overheard all the trickery of staff meetings. He epitomizes the mishap of the erroneous boundary with which the sane separates them from the insane. McMurphy's arrival and his friendship with the Indian Chief spur him on to recover his own identity and rebuild his self-esteem. The novel examines the notion of madness in the sense of its own and in the sense of the term being patronized by mental institution. The narrator's seamless observation and eagle-eyed description of the ward illustrate salient flaws of such a mindless system that targets only at reducing patients' mental capability. Kesey considers whether madness really means the common practice that confines to a mindless system or the attempt to escape from such a system altogether. Like its audacious protagonist, the novel itself is a literary outlaw.

I found this Kindle version to be unreadable due to very frequent typos. Amazon needs to pay someone a few to proofread this if they're going to charge thousands of people $15.00 for it. For example page 93 "I Ic" is written instead of "He". Page 96 "1" is written instead of "I". Page 102 "I low" is written instead of "How". Page 104 "1" for "I". Page 104 "I le's" for He's". That is a small sample of the typos throughout the whole book.

This review is for the Penguin Books paperback edition, 2003, with illustrations by Ken Kesey and introduction by Robert Faggen. ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST, first published in 1962, was Ken Kesey's debut novel.

The setting is a ward at a hospital for the mentally ill, probably in the late fifty's. Chief Nurse Ratched has absolute control over her ward. Through insinuation and intimidation, she has oppressed the patients, aides, junior nurses and even the ward doctor into wimps. We see this through the eyes of the narrator, Big Chief Bromden Jr., a half-Indian who pretends he is a deaf-mute. The staff ignores him, and allows him to clean the staff room during their meetings. He's the all knowing fly on the wall.

Enter the new admission, Randal Patrick McMurphy, the roughneck gambler who got himself transferred to a mental hospital to escape the rigors of a prison work farm. McMurphy considers most of the patients essentially sane, and cannot understand why they have allowed Nurse Ratched to dominate and humiliate them. McMurphy rallies his fellow inmates towards mutiny in a long battle to undermine Nurse Ratched's authority.

Weaved into ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST is a social commentary on the mid-century ideas for treatment of those who could not or would not conform to normality. The novel, and the subsequent movie and play, undoubtedly helped popularize the need for change. Although that is behind us, this entertaining and often hilarious read remains.

Kesey's anti-establishment novel has proven itself through numerous printings and cover art changes. The truth is that this is a work that should be recommended reading at every college campus. Using a classic formula of good vs. evil, overlord vs. underdog, and man vs. society, Kesey takes readers through life in a now outdated, but largely stereotypical model of a mental institution. His humor is wicked and the characters are unforgettable. You will find yourself wondering if you are merely a cog in the wheel or if you, too, have been persecuted for being an individual. Find out where many modern cultural references originated and read this book. Questioning authority is necessary today--possibly more than ever.

One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest by Ken Kasey *****


One of the most important pieces of literature ever, and not just for American literature. One Flew Over The Cuckoos nest is simply put....perfect. It is the classic tail of good versus evil as told through the eyes of an Indian Cheif as he watches his once comfortable solitude be interupted by a one McMurphy who is just claiming insanity to escape a court ordered work farm. The head nurse, Nurse Racthed is maybe the most hanious villion in all of American literature. The book cronicles the up rising of the insane wards 'inmates' and their struggle to maintain their new found power. Easily one of the five best novels ever written.

While One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest has a slow beginning (perhaps an attempt by Kesey to explain to his reader the maddening monotony of a mental ward,) it quickly picks up an intriguing plot centered around the observant Chief Bromden and the boisterous R.P McMurphy. When McMurphy bursts into the lives of his fellow patients, his presence forces the others to reclaim the manhood they have given up upon entering the ward. Though his influence is short when compared with the amount of time the men have spent apart from society, his rebellious ideas change their outlook on their lives and situation in a drastic way. Thick with irony and the traditional themes of literature, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest is by no means a common or ordinary read. By employing the escalating presence of power struggles, Kesey reminds his audience of the importance of inner strength and always making an attempt, even when a goal appears impossible and makes his work one to remember.