From the Bookshelf of Catching up on Classics (and lots more!)…

One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest

Ken Kesey

Start date: March 1, 2016

Finish date: March 31, 2016

Discussion: New School Classics- 1915-2005

Why we're reading this: Revisit the Shelf Group Read, March 2016

Previous Group Reads:
- Book of the Month, November 2010
- Revisit…more
[close] Revisit the Shelf Group Read, March 2016

Previous Group Reads:
- Book of the Month, November 2010
- Revisit the Shelf Group Read, August 2014

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New School Classics- 1915-2005

The Stepford Wives - Spoilers
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What Members Thought

Feb 22, 2019 Vikas rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: nbtr

Having seen the movie a long way back and loving it, I was excited to read this book and finally got around to seeing the movie after founding myself in a run of the reading list which contains classics and Top 100 books to read. So yeah I was finally got around to reading it and my oh my how it was. So thinking of movie if followed the book almost page to page and was a very faithful adaptation so yay to that.

The story is set in a mental institution like most of us already know through the mov Having seen the movie a long way back and loving it, I was excited to read this book and finally got around to seeing the movie after founding myself in a run of the reading list which contains classics and Top 100 books to read. So yeah I was finally got around to reading it and my oh my how it was. So thinking of movie if followed the book almost page to page and was a very faithful adaptation so yay to that.

The story is set in a mental institution like most of us already know through the movie or having read the book and is told through the viewpoint of Chief Bromden a gigantic half-Native American who is an inmate who is playing deaf and dumb to be passing his time and all inmates are under the thumb of the head nurse Ratched who is a tyrannical figure in the asylum.

All are shaken up after the arrival of a new member McMurphy who may or may not be crazy but his upbeat behavior brings a spell of improvement in the life of the inmates. Since the book is told through Chief who himself is mental patient his narration is flaked out with unreliable details but this book is a remarkable and funny and sad and unreliable and very reliable narrative set in the asylum and we learn about the lives of the members staying there and I so hate Nurse Ratched that I can sparsely speak or even type and that's why this review got delayed while I allowed the hate to brew and rise up and it still wasn't enough. The movie villain was hateable and oh boy did I hate her but reading about her ugh I can't even. Well, let it be the end of it then.

So yeah watch the movie, read the book both are wonderful thankfully.

People who don't read generally ask me my reasons for reading. Simply put I just love reading and so to that end I have made it my motto to just Keep on Reading. I love to read everything except for Self Help books but even those once in a while. I read almost all the genre but YA, Fantasy, Biographies are the most. My favorite series is, of course, Harry Potter but then there are many more books that I just adore. I have bookcases filled with books which are waiting to be read so can't stay and spend more time in this review, so remember I loved reading this and love reading more, you should also read what you love and then just Keep on Reading. ...more

12 likes · Like · see review

Aug 20, 2018 Ashley rated it it was amazing

I’m in awe at how amazing this story was. The characters are unforgettable and so I suppose I’ll always remember them... always. Just wow.

1 like · Like · see review

Sep 24, 2011 Adam rated it really liked it

It was all so much easier for Nurse Ratched and the orderlies before that McMurphy came in. Whether by accident or on purpose it only takes one to make that tipping point. McMurphy manages to get himself admitted to the asylum as it is a lesser evil than prison. His asylum - mates; once complacent and well behaved gobble up McMurphy's antagonistic, rebel rousing, adventurous attitude to find a little bit of life outside the asylum walls. ...more

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Dec 16, 2015 Alisa rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: audio, psychology, classics, 2016

The book built from something incredibly dull to something interesting, funny, sincere, and engaging. I enjoyed it and I can see why it's such a hit in literature classes—there's a lot of possible angles to think about and explore. I'm glad I read it (even with its machismo overtones). ...more

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Mar 15, 2018 Peter rated it it was amazing

Shelves: to-buy, classics, favorites, reviewed-sort-of, read-2018

Having never seen the movie I decided to pick it up last week, then thought I'd read the novel before watching it. Intended to read it over the weekend and hopefully squeeze in the movie as well.

Ended up finished it in a day in two sittings, and I'm not really a fast reader. ...more

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