From the Bookshelf of Never too Late to Read Classics…

One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest

Ken Kesey

Start date: February 1, 2019

Finish date: February 28, 2019

Discussion: Lesser Know/Wilderness Classics

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Showing 2 of -1 topics — 2,734 comments total

Lesser Know/Wilderness Classics

* 2025 Must Read Lesser Known Classics: Scheduled Reads
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last updated Sep 06, 2025 07:14AM

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What Members Thought

Jul 18, 2018 Chrissie rated it it was ok

Shelves: audible-us, philo-psychol, classics, hf, 2018-read, medical

Quick, quick, ask me to say in a word how I feel about this book? “It’s OK,” is my reply. I persist in following the GR rating system. A book that is OK gets two stars. Two stars does not mean I dislike it. I find it necessary to repeat this over and over again.

I totally struggled through the first half of the book. I found the events, the language, the characters extremely off-putting. I tried to feel empathy rather than disgust, but I failed. Also, I did not know whom or what to believe. What ...more

42 likes · Like · see review

Oct 17, 2018 Kelly_Hunsaker_reads ... rated it it was amazing

Shelves: classics, 1001-books, historical-fiction, history

This book is the strongest and most realistic portrayal of mental health treatments of the time that I have ever encountered. Kesey used humor, compassion, wit, and sarcasm to illustrate the horrors of disease and the further horrors of the barbaric (by today's standards) treatments. McMurphy is certainly a troublemaker but he also gives the other patients so much hope.

This book was an emotional read for me as mental illness is a big part of my life. I lost a brother in law to suicide in 1997. I ...more

7 likes · Like · see review

Feb 25, 2010 Laura rated it really liked it

Shelves: read-2010, health-issues, audio-books, 1001-books-you-must-read-before-you, contemporary-fiction, banned-books, book-and-movie

From IMDb:
Upon admittance to a mental institution, a brash rebel rallies the patients to take on the oppressive head nurse.

A rebellious 1950s mental hospital patient confronts the system. Adapted from the stage show of the novel. Stars Bob Sherman.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0089hkg ...more

1 like · Like · see review