One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

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Summary: A Powerful, and Hilarious, Anti-Authoritarian Novel
Review: Ken Kesey himself will be forever associated with the happenings of the 1960s, but "One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest" (1962), like other great novels, transcends its countercultural origins. Nearly forty years on, with over 8 million copies sold, it has become an essential part of postwar American literature.

The setting: a mental hospital in Portland, Oregon, in the 1950s. The terrified, ill-treated inmates cower under the evil Nurse Ratched, who is all-seeing, all-controlling. Enter the hero, Randall Patrick McMurphy, a brawling, gambling womaniser who, as his initials suggest, is there to induce a revolution. The slowly escalating conflict is played out in a simple four-part structure, building towards an inevitable and moving climax. "One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest" is narrated in the first person by Chief Bromden, a half-Indian thought by all to be deaf-mute, and his extended flashback of events allows Kesey to mix reality and hallucinations to brilliant effect. By presenting the mental hospital, explicitly, as a microcosm of broader society, Kesey urges us to consider our own lives in the light of the events he describes.

Its simple structure belies the fact that "One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest" is a feast of allegory: of good versus evil, man versus machine, sexual freedom versus repression; of McMurphy himself as humorously subversive Christ figure, as bringer of fertility, and many more - and watch out for the white whale shorts and stuttering Billy, "Faulknerian brain burning", and even some hidden rhymes at the end of part 3!

But spare us the half-baked Freudian interpretations which Kesey himself so roundly mocks. And pay no heed to the charges of sexism and racism levelled at Kesey's novel: his playful plotting and comic-strip characters make such criticism futile. Kesey balances it beautifully: amidst the ribald humour, there is just enough realism to keep us engrossed; and this reviewer little doubts that the systematic cruelty and dehumanisation practised by Ratched and her aides is commonplace in our prisons, mental hospitals and wherever else we lock away the "undesirables".

Indeed, it isn't surprising to find that Kesey worked in a mental hospital before writing "One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest", and his acquaintances there filtered into the novel; some a little too obviously, perhaps, viz. the (originally female) "Public Relations" who sued Kesey in order to get her character changed. Kesey also tried out electric shock treatment firsthand, and was part of a government program testing psychoactive drugs, his experiences with LSD forming the basis of Bromden's electrifying hallucinations. Now, although Kesey himself may be pretty wacky, he has no personal experience of schizophrenia, and his portrayal of mental illness and its causes has been justly criticised as simplistic. But "One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest" is not, primarily, meant as a contribution to psychiatric therapy, and criticism of it on these grounds is somewhat wide of the mark. We should be glad that Kesey successfully attempted a greater task: to write an anti-authoritarian novel of immense power, forcing us to question the "Combine" seeking to control us all.

Kesey's next book "Sometimes A Great Notion" (1964) is more subtle: a long, complex, involving tale set in an Oregon logging town. Fans of "One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest" should perhaps first try "The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test" by Tom Wolfe, in which Kesey himself challenges 1960s America with some crazy escapades of his own, thumbing his nose at authority in the same spirit, one senses, as his hero Mr McMurphy.

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Summary: A Masterpiece of Social Criticism
Review: The longing to be free is an inherent human characteristic. So is distrust of authority. Author Ken Kesey weaves both of these essential human components into his masterpiece, ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST.

The setting of this novel is an insane asylum, darkly and fearfully portrayed by Chief Bromden, the book's narrator. For it is within the wall's of this harsh, bleak institution that Authority--coined the "Combine" by the Chief--controls, directs, and manipulates every aspect of the lives of the patients. Nurse Ratched, who controls the Chief's ward, is the ultimate authority figure--a menacing, cold, callous, larger-than-life authoritarian who will stop at nothing to make sure the "Combine" stays firmly in power. Kesey, through the Chief's narrative, creates a gloomy, hopeless world, a world where the facility's patients have nothing to look forward to except the inexorable clutches of insanity.

Into this world appears Randle Patrick McMurphy. This character isn't insane, he's simply trying to beat a work farm rap. More importantly, McMurphy is a strong, self-willed individual; instantly, the "Combine" senses a threat to its control. The story subsequently becomes a battle of wills: McMurphy's relentless defiance against Nurse Ratched and the Establishment. Granted, McMurphy achieves a series of victories, but in the end, Authority prevails. Or does it?

Kesey's allegorical tribute to the indomitable human spirit is brilliant, fascinating, and timeless. His negative social critique of authority unchecked makes ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST one of the literary masterpieces of the 20th Century, a novel most enthusiastically recommended.
--D. Mikels

Rating:
Summary: One of a kind
Review: Want to get people's attention and have a break-out, runnaway movie and book? Set it in a mental institution. And while that alone is a great premise--enough to make the thing work, what Kesey does with this material is beyond compare, for what sounds like a good idea, frequently doesn't play out in the world of books and movies. Not so with "Cuckoo." This brilliant, funny, disturbing, and ultimately sad novel took my breath away when I first experienced it as a movie, many years ago. Recently I bought the book, hoping that I wouldn't be disappointed. I wasn't, and the story still packs a wallop. Trust me, if you're looking for a harrowing adventure, this is it. The characters are just beyond compare and the writing is excellent. The crazieness of the situations reminded me of something out of Vonnegut (Slaughter House Five) McCrae, (Bark of the Dogwood), or possibly even some of Pelzer's work. The question being, "Who is really the insane one here?" If you like a good story, a well-written book, and above all, a novel that will move you, this is it.

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Summary: Chief, Interrupted
Review: Had 'One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest' been written in the 90's and not in the 60's the narrator an Indian Chief would be called a Native American Chief. PC-ness aside, actually it is hard to believe that such a book would be written in the 90's. It smells counterculture; it smells like the sixties. This story wouldn't come from a mind of a contemporary writer, because by our time the issues have change. Have they?

Ken Kesey's 'One Flew...' is usually read as an allegory of the individualist. Free-spirited McMurphy is the rage against the machine --personified as the nurse Mrs. Ratched. After the new patient is admitted into the hospital the 'fatal attraction' is instant and mutual. They both represent different things, and fight for different sides.

The story is told by Chief Broom an Indian --or a Native American, pick which one you prefer-- that pretends to be deaf and dumb, just to be left a lot and not be bothered by the other inmates. As he is an almost invisible presence --at least before McMurphy arrives-- he is allowed to some 'privileges' that the other ones are not. He can clean the meeting room white a meeting is taking place, and he can hear --although the staff thinks he cannot-- what is being discussed. Having this character as a narrator gives the reader the chance of knowing the inside side of the story; at the same time one can have the required distance with the Chief's observations and comments.

Sarcasm is one of the Chief's chief use of language. He has a unique mind to comment the events around. For instance, at some point, talking about the hospital he says that 'there is something strange about a place where the men won't let themselves loose and laugh'. Besides, even being considered a lunatic, he has a very down-to-earth view of reality. When thinking about the nurse after she has another big fight with McMurphy, the Chief tells to his readers: 'to beat her you don't have to whip her two out of three or three out of five, but every time you meet'.

This is a wise person --after all, Indian Chiefs are the smartest ones in their tribes--commenting that the system, the Establishment is powerful and knows that it is not easy to defeat it. But it is not impossible either. This was the purely 60s way of thinking --and one must be grateful to that, otherwise the world would be even worse.

There is a movie version, directed by Milos Forman and staring Jack Nicholson and Louise Fletcher. The author Kesey abominated the movie --and reportedly never watched it-- because the Chief is not as important in the film. However, it is still a good and interesting movie.

A contemporary writer would probably tackle the issues in another way, not so plain and sincere as Kesey did, creating a metaphor that will last until the day we have master and slaves. And, the last time I checked, it is not going to end very soon.

Rating:
Summary: A Mysterious Insight into Insanity
Review: This novel is a dark look into the life of an insane asylum, told through the eyes of the committed Chief Bromden, who has faked being deaf and dumb for his entire ten-year stay at the ward. Randle Patrick McMurphy is a newcomer to the asylum, and his self-assured competitive outlook on life upsets the rules and regulations of the ward. He is the first to challenge the ultimate authority, the Big Nurse, and he helps the other men gain the bravery and willpower to stand up for themselves. McMurphy helps Chief Bromden find himself and ultimately break out of his shell. This book presents some ideas and images that are difficult to follow, but this only makes the book more realistic, because it is expected that it would be hard to comprehend the workings of a troubled mind. As the characters evolve and adapt to their changing surroundings, Kesey sheds light on human morals, and the sometimes corrupt short-term solutions to problems that people come up with to make their lives easier. Through the power struggles between the Big Nurse and her patients, Kesey also demonstrates that there is a fine line between sanity and insanity. Many of the narrator's mysterious observations are metaphors for how people act in reality, and it is fascinating to journey through his warped mind and see the world as he sees it. I highly suggest this book to anybody who likes to read books that call for a fair amount of thought and deciphering, but are rewarding in the end.

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Summary: An Interesting Book!
Review: I read this book sometime in the late 70s when I was a young girl, I think I was about 11 or 12 years old and I was probably too young to be reading this book and I seem to recall my parents not being too happy that I read it as they thought it was way to mature for me. Well anyway I read the book and liked it, it is interesting, disturbing and sad and if you like this book and you haven't seen the teriffic movie sarring Jack Nicholson then I think you will like it and I recommend both book and movie.

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Summary: I FLEW OVER THE CUCHOO'S NEST
Review: One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey is a great description of the United States' mind in the 60's. The United States' mind in the 60's was to be rebellious and to fight the machine. Ken Kesey put this thought into his novel but switched things around such as: The United States is a Insane Asylum, the rebel Is Randle Patrick McMurphy (aka Mack), and the machine is personified as Miss Ratched.

An Indian inmate called Chief Bromden tells this book in the first person. He pretends to be deaf and dumb so he can avoid being annoyed by other inmates, and this makes his appearance almost invisible. This is important to the story and the reader he is then able to go into staff meetings that other patients are not allowed in and is then able to know what is going to happen to the other men or the asylum. He has done this ever since he has arrived to the hospital. This changes though after McMurphy arrives.

It is hard however in some parts of the story to know if what he is seeing is actually happening since he is insane and has hallucinations at random parts in the novel. This can be confusing and also weird at times. Such as the fog he sees over and over in the asylum.

The story picks up right away in the first five pages of reading. It starts with Chief Broom mopping (he helps out with cleaning around the asylum) and then a new inmate is brought into the hospital and is named Randle Mcmurphy. The instant Randle steps in he is automatically taking charge of the inmates and introducing himself as a gamboling man and would like to play with the inmates sometime. Miss Ratched instantly knows McMurphy will be a problem in the ward. "That is exactly is what the new patient is planning: to take over. He is what we call a 'manipulator'" (Ken Kesey page 29). It then picks up with McMurphy starting to hang out with the Acutes (patients in the ward that have not been there a better part of their lives) and becomes basically their leader. McMurphy is then introduced to group meetings and does not like how they are done, so he then starts to use him into his and other patients advantages such as turning the bathing room into a gamboling room and starting a basketball team. He also does other big things with this advantage but you will have to read to find out.

Something though does not settle right with Mack. He notices that No one in the ward was or has ever laughed sense his arrival and that it seemed no one ever spoke or even asked of something to Miss Ratched. He then spoke to one of his better friends (later becomes his best) in the ward: Harding. Harding then starts to tell Mack about the shock therapy treatment and worse the lobotomy that Miss Ratched is capable of using on patients. This then gives McMurphy another reason to get on the Nurse's bad side. After that Randle starts coming up with more and more outrageous stuff to do in the ward.

Chief Broom then reminds us about that Miss Ratched has always got the upper hand on things and that if you wanted to win the war with her you cannot win two out of three or three out of five, but you must win them all, then you have your victory.
The thing I loved most about this book was how Chief Broom's literature got better as his state of mind got better, such as: in the beginning it is really weird on what is happening or not and that his words were messed up, and as the story progresses his literature gets a whole lot better and he starts using better and more advanced words in his sentences. This change struck me as very cool. Another great thing about this book was the character development, with your antagonist and your other protagonist. These characters also change as the story progresses. The conversations between inmates in this book (especially McMurphy and Harding's) are hysterical and witty. All of these things give the book a very good realism affect.

I would suggest this book to anybody who likes reading comedy, adventure, drama, and conversations. Overall this book is one of the greatest of all classics out there to read and enjoy. It is one of my personal favorites. This book made me laugh, cry, get the true meaning of life (but I'm not going to tell), and maybe a little bit of pee came out. It lives up to its name.

Rating:
Summary: a common theme, a different approach
Review: the topic explored in one flew over the cuckoo's nest is not innovative by any means, it is touched on in other novels like a clock work orange and 1984, perhaps more clearly. the detail that sets it apart from these other novels, though, is the setting. placed at a mental hospital, it allows the book to dabble in the socially taboo subject of dementia, daring to explore the effects of government intervention and ostracism. this is not a book that makes you feel particularly happy or enlightened, but an excellent read nonetheless.

Rating:
Summary: 4.5, good
Review: Don't watch the movie before you read the book! This book has a little bit of everything in it and it's funny, catchy and crazy all at the same time. I'm not going to describe the plot like everyone else, just read this. It takes hardly any time to read but it's a great book and the author describes things very well. Make sure you know what all the words mean (ie. the diagnoses, etc) before you read though!

Rating:
Summary: Everything
Review: Hilarious, sad, disturbing, side-splitting, infuriating, raging, comic, warm, wonderful, and insightful, this book covers all the bases. What brillance to write about a mental institution this way. I've run across Nurse Ratchett more times than I care to remember. The characters are so real. I'm reminded of the movie "King of Hearts" only that is truly comic, tinged with sadness. "Cuckoo" is VERY disturbing but a must read. The film ain't half bad either.

Also recommended: McCrae's BARK OF THE DOGWOOD