Rating: 
Summary: A Personal Favorite
Review: I bought this book, read ninety pages, and set it on my bookshelf. It was confusing, the transitions were strange and numerous, and it's a fairly hefty book to read through and not understand. A month or so later, I tried again. I read and read, I followed closely and, in the end, rarely have I enjoyed a book more. You'll hate and love and hate, be surpised and angered, but you'll be glad that you made it through the beginning. Everything makes sense in the end, which I found myself hoping wouldn't come too soon. It's one of those life affirming books that you so rarely come across. Read it, let it sink in; you'll realize it's better than you thought.
Rating: 
Summary: Dissapointing
Review: I do not see the appeal of this book. To give you a quick breakdown, the plot is essentially this: an extended family of loggers lives an ordinary life in small-town Oregon. That's IT. The characters are ordinary people, and their lives are uneventful. This book is an attempt to describe a simple way of life, and infuse some significance into it through vivid description and characterization. A true literature afficionado knows that it is possible to do lot with very basic building blocks such as characterization; unfortunately this book does not succeed as well as one might hope. This book relies heavily on basic descriptive elements because the plot is so sparse. It tries to come across as an abtract, post-modern novel, which is a very tricky thing to do and still succeed. Ken Kesey is trying to throw together a bunch of unexeptional, boring characters doing nothing more than going about their uneventful lives, expecting the book to be taken seriously as a "minimalist" or "post modern" work. Do not try to read too far into this book; there is very little underlying philosophical significance to it. This is a clear case of a minimalist book being mistaken for something with substance. As an alternative, I would suggest Kesey's _One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest_, which is by far his greatest work and is much more enjoyable than _Sometimes a Great Notion_.
Rating:
Summary: Sometimes a Great Novel
Review: Freshman year of high school after tearing into One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, I was hungrier than ever for another taste of Kesey. I eagerly picked up Sometimes a Great Notion, but found myself wholly unable to committ to it. Sitting down with the book felt like too much of a chore. I had to squint with concentration just to understand who was speaking, and it seemed too tedious to deserve my attention. I was, in essence, expecting another Cuckoo's Nest, and was therefore unable to enjoy Notion. So the book gathered dust on my shelf.
This year, as a senior, I rededicated myself to the task of reading the novel. I required a few years and a more refined literary palate to appreciate this novel's value, but after slogging through the first 60 pages, I found myself truly engrossed. I found myself in the middle of a big, robust, sweeping epic: The story of a family full of shocking betrayals and poignant emotional strife placed in the context of a small Oregon logging town aflame with bitter labor strife. The Stampers, the patriarchal logging family become the symbol for the town's entire body of troubles while dealing with its own inner rifts and complex relationships. Kesey presents a wise, homespun view of human socialization that reflects shared human qualities. I found aspects of myself projected in almost aching accuracy in many of the characters, which allowed me to sympathize with and personalize the struggles of the Stamper family. I found myself totally engrossed by the delicate character relationships. I became connected to the characters in a rare way, truly hoping for their survival and their happiness. I would advise those who appreciate multi generational family epics to give this book a try.
Although Kesey's choice of language appears difficult and superfluously experimental at first, it is amazing how tightly it truly comes together. Once I understood the various perspectives (indicated through a combination of capitalizations, parenthesis and italics) I found myself eager to get into the thoughts of each character. Kesey's characterization is very strong, so it is generally easy to note shifts in perspective once you get the hang of it. The switchbacks in perspective give the book the exansive feel of a film cutting in and out through different scenes. It is a surprisingly liberating format.
Try this book. If you can make it through the first 50 or 60 pages, you will be rewarded. Although it seems haphazard at first, it sews together with poised beauty.
Rating:
Summary: A great story, a horrible book.
Review: This book was recommended to me by an aquaintance partially because I grew up in Washington state and because I work in forestry. This book had a great story in it. It touched on many aspects of the masculine experience. The perception of strength and weakness versus actual strength, rites of passage, the effects of environment, confrontation and courage are all addressed in the story of the Stampers. It describes the weather, the land and the related emotions of the people beautifully and accurately. Kesey's writing style is purposely disorganized and confusing, switching perspectives frequently, sometimes multiple times in each paragraph. It seems like Kesey uses this sometimes to show the confusion of the situation, but mostly it appears to be an attempt to make the novel difficult for the sake of appearing artistic or free-thinking. This seems stylish during the first 50 pages but toward the end of the novel it becomes annoying and makes the book difficult to read and the story line hard to follow. The main problem with this book is that over 350 pages of material are unnecessary. It is, simply put, a 250 page story in a 628 page book. The pompous writing style is indicative of an author who thinks everthing he puts down on the page is too brilliant to be edited out of the final draft. The first 500 pages were absolutely miserable. After that the story becomes quite engrossing and ends brilliantly. The outrageous amount of filler and the obnoxious, distracting writing style take away from a great story. I would never recommend this book to anyone. It is absolutely miserable to read cover to cover. You may want to pick it up at the library and read parts of it, especially the last 150 pages, but I am glad I didn't waste my money buying it.
Rating: 
Summary: It's a good story...
Review: Saw the movie in 1977, and it really "got to me". A few years back, I read the book. A good read, and Kesey's description of the bar fight, and when the prodigal son returns are riveting. Usually, the book is better than the movie, but in this case, I would say that the movie gives the book a good run for its money. I mean, the last scene can only be truly appreciated by seeing the movie, and the part where Joby dies is also more vivid from the movie. And seeing burned logging equipment is so much more vivid than reading about it. If you like Kesey, you should read it. If you liked the movie, you should read it. If you like the genre of larger-than-life heros who come to tragic ends, read it. If you like novels that have lots of chainsaws in them, read it :-)
Rating:
Summary: Northwestern Masterpiece
Review: Looking through previous reviews, I notice that most of the reviewers, particularly those who love this book like I do, are from the Northwest. I think that is because those of us who are from that region recognize the truth of this novel for the people who make their living logging, farming, and fishing in the rough and tumble rural regions. The book is filled with real characters who have real life sturggles and search for some meaning in thier endeavours. The Stampers, the old time logging family who has built a business from nothing and "Never give an inch" are the types of people imagine by most Western idealists--they are hard working, rugged individualists. They do their job the best the can without complaining and don't care about getting help from anyone else. It is a terrific story. What Kesey also does well is create passion--for the characters, their work, and their lifestyles. He writes with a sense of urgency, and though his writing can meander and wander, it always comes back to the heart of the matter.
Sometimes a Great Notion is a terrific novel and I would recommend it to anyone who wants to understand the Northwest a little better, likes great writing, and enjoys American sociology, because this book certainly provides insights into the logging society. I can not recommend it highly enough.
Rating: 
Summary: Big but beautiful; tough but tender
Review: Well yes it could use a litle judicious editing, but only a little. Those who object to 'rambling' kind of miss the point. It's not often you get as disoriented in a novel but I found this added to my pleasure, accustomed as I am to a more linear (and antiseptic) idea of plot and structure. You sometimes feel he's gone a bit too far, but there's always some ingenious resolution, generally in the sort of incandescent prose that no-one appears to be capable of nowadays. His descriptions of a small part of Oregon enchanted me such that I've spent hours on the net (here in Australia) looking for maps that show the Wakonda and surrounds. Of course it doesn't exist - though there's a Wakonda in Wisconsin. Coos Bay, Eugene, Mapleton and Florence seem to be the boundaries of the area and Kesey's son is in Pleasant Hill, so when I finally have the cash to do so, I'll have an idea where to start exploring. It's a great book but not just because of it's unique poetry and the struggles it descibes between ancient and modern, city and country, collective and individual - it's the incidental pleasures that make it great for me. The lesser characters are more real than many a protagonist - Floyd Evenwrite being perhaps the most memorable. They are all utterly individual but also universal types - everyone knows someone like that.. it might even be me. But there's never bitterness or ridicule; Kesey's heart seems as big as the country he describes. You'll need a week to do this book justice, but it's worth every minute.
Rating:
Summary: Overlooked work is a struggle about struggle
Review: First of all: I agree with a lot of the reviewers who appreciate this book, and feel that it has been overlooked. Yes, it's not a pure masterpiece like _'Cuckoo's Nest_, but it is a fine novel. I liked the characters and the themes, and the viceral scenery too. But the books drags, man, it drags. The reader ends up like the Stamper family, pushing forward through the long pages until one can go no further.
Rating:
Summary: A fantastic book
Review: Although "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" is Kesey's more well-known book, "Sometimes a Great Notion" is his true work of genius. The incredible story of a conflict between brothers, and the downfall of a man, "Sometimes..." provides an appalling look at the dark and dangerous side of the human psyche. The main characters are all seriously flawed, yet Kesey manages to capture their humanity. Forceful prose drives the story, and excellent characterization makes it engrossing. It is entirely worth reading.
Rating:
Summary: WORTH THE EFFORT
Review: "NOTION" IS A CHALLAENGING READ BUT WELL WORTH THE EFFORT. THE CHARACTERS ARE COMPLEX AND FULLY DEVELOPED. THE STORY LINE CAN BE A BIT CONFUSING AS KESEY JUMPS BACK IN FORTH IN FLASH BACK STYLE OVER A 70 YEAR PERIOD AND BETWEEN FIRST AND SECOND PERSON, AND BETWEEN CHARACTERS. THE BOOK IS WORTH IT JUST TO READ THE ONE LINE "WHY THAT'S ALL THERE IS HONEY, WORK, EATING, SLEEPING, AND LOVIN', AND THERE AIN'T NO MORE." (PARAPHASED WITH MY APOLOGIES TO THE DEPARTED MR KESEY). ALSO DON'T FORGET MR. KESEY'S MASTER PEICE (AND A MUCH EASIER READ) "ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOOS NEST"
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