Rating: 
Summary: Outstanding piece of work
Review: Expressive style. A sad, horrific story of power and vulnerability. Get it in hardback.
Rating:
Summary: Outstanding piece of work
Review: Expressive style. Sad, horrific story of power and vulnerability. Get it in hardback.
Rating:
Summary: A harrowing descent into the mind of a madman
Review: This is the greatest work of fiction I have ever read. A fascinating, lurid, and disturbing look at the inner workings of a mental institution, this book had me in its grip right from the first page. This is a seminal work in the history of American counter-culture in the second half of the twentieth century, and is a watershed moment in American literature in general. Along with _Siddhartha_ by Herman Hesse, this is the greatest novel of the twentieth century, and in my expert opinion, the greatest work of fiction ever.
Rating:
Summary: A Book Never Moved Me More
Review: I have never read a book that has changed the way I think more than this one has. This book truly made me think about the way I think and act, and how society has such a large impact on my life. It is a very personal and insightful book about the way society changes the way we think and act, and how we have to be ourselves and find our own place in society.The story is told through the eyes of an Indian who pretends to be deaf and dumb so that no one will bother him. He tells the story of a new patient who is introduced into the ward. He is nothing like that of the others, and his name is RP McMurphy. He quickly becomes the leader of the patients, always trying one scheme or another to get on Nurse Ratched's nerves. Through these "battles" of sorts, McMurphy eventually comes up with a showdown with the Nurse. When I first got this book, I started reading it and felt totally lost. My English teacher had recommended the book, and so I chose it as my book for our project. But after reading the first few chapters, I didn't understand anything that was going on. The Chief's viewpoint was so very unique, and I have never read any other book that is like it. I then made the decision to watch the movie first. I know most people are totally against this, but it actually benefited me. I thought the movie was excellent, and already I understood so much more about the portion of the book that I had read already. I quickly zipped through the rest of the book, stumbling much less than I had before. If there was ever a movie that was so similar to its book, it is this one. And because of this fact, it made my reading of the book much more enjoyable. I hope that you will go out and buy this book, and the movie, as both are truly classics.
Rating: 
Summary: A book that gives real meaning to the word "Cuckoo"
Review: When I read this book it was so confusing in the beginning but, in the end that is what made the book so wonderful. This book really shows you how to expand your way of reading a book. The main character McMurphy gave people hope; he taught others how to not get pushed around and fight back. Letting them know that they have rights. I felt that he was a very strong leader. He set the bar for others.
I recommend this book to anyone who wants to know the real reason about why there are no more "Cuckoo's Nests". The author showed the whole country about the punishment that these inmates were getting. Just with this simple book he changed the whole counry. I am glad that he wrote this book because not many writers would have the courage to write something so powerful. The real question is "Was getting ride of Mental Hospital for the good or bad?"
Rating:
Summary: Combine
Review: Ken Kesey uses both shock and humor to express his exasperation with the paranoid and oppressive society we live in. He also brings to our attention the unjust conditions existing in mental institutions at that time. Excellent read!
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful Classic
Review: The book One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey, is a great classic and still highly regarded book today. The book takes place at an insane asylum, where Randle McMurphy tries to take over Nurse Ratched. McMurphy is a man from a work farm that comes there because he got into to many fights at his farm and thought to be insane. Really, his purpose is to get out of his work duty and relax in a nice building out of the sun. When he gets to the ward right away he gets in a battle with Nurse Ratched challenging her authority. He does not like how she has total control over everyone in the hospital. This book kept me entertained trying to think of what McMurphy was going to do next to the Nurse.
The book is told through they eyes of Chief Bromden. It is interesting reading the story from his perspective. He is a really tall and big Native American man. Everyone in the hospital thinks that he is deaf and mute but really, he does it to protect himself. He is considered one of the vegetables on the ward but Randle finds out his secret and takes him out of his mute state. In the end though, it's like the old saying, "everything that goes around, comes around."
There are many other characters that add a lot to this story including the horrible Nurse Ratched and Billy Bibbit. I would recommend this book for everyone and if you have to read a classic for school, this is the one. It kept my interest all the way through the book, and that is quite odd for me.
Rating:
Summary: A book not to be missed
Review: This book is one that should be read by any dedicated reader. Although the beginning two chapters are a little difficult to get into, the rest of the book picks up a lot of speed. Parts of the end of the book are a bit confusing, but it adds to the plot. This story of a mental ward and the people that are there gives excellent insight into a whole different world. The characters were very well developed and easily loved or hated. Kesey did a marvelous job delving into the minds of those on a mental ward. He gave a veiw point that is both rare and enjoyable.
Rating:
Summary: Gripping
Review: I had heard so much praise of this book, I just had to read it. I approached it excitedly... yet, I thought, perhaps I would be disappointed, perhaps I wouldn't find it such a good book as everyone else?
Guess what, I did.
Even though it was written some while ago, it's still pretty modern. Ocurrences, events, memories, they're here, breathinga and alive, in this day and age, in our society. Much has changed, fortunately, but much still needs to reform, to be thought over.
Read it. You'll never be the same again
Rating:
Summary: A Change
Review: Be prepared to change mentally, emotionally, as well as physically, after losing sleep to read this book. As readers, we enter a world with which many of us are unfamiliar with: a mental institution. The story is told by one of the patients, Chief Bromden, who has schizophrenia. As a result, one gets a sense of what the disease really does to its victims. For the entire ten years the Chief has been there, he has been making everyone believe that he is deaf and gives way for an insightful and understandable read. We are drawn into the imaginative, uncertain, and unfortunately scared minds of the patients as a consequence of fear and hatred set in by the Big Nurse, Miss Ratched.
Soon, a new patient, Randle McMurphy, is brought into the ward. The institution and its patients would never be the same. From him, the other patients are introduced to his world of gambling, breaking rules, drinking and many more surprises. For the first time in the Big Nurse's dictatorship-like care a patient has challenged her authority. Inevitably, McMurphy's touch of the real world gives the other patients laughter, something to stand up for, courage, a sense of purpose, and hope.
I could not recommend a single book more. On the few times I put the book down, I would fall asleep guessing what would come. The definition of freedom is reiterated when reading about the physical, mental, and emotional state the patients are in, as well as bravery when they attempt to win their freedom back. This book will find a spot close to your heart. Be prepared to find yourself shocked, laughing, and crying with the patients. After reading this book, you will not be the same.
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