One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey - Restarting March 24th 2018

[Dannii]

In this classic of the 1960s, Ken Kesey's hero is Randle Patrick McMurphy, a boisterous, brawling, fun-loving rebel who swaggers into the world of a mental hospital and takes over. A lusty, life-affirming fighter, McMurphy rallies the other patients around him by challenging the dictatorship of Nurse Ratched. He promotes gambling in the ward, smuggles in wine and women, and openly defies the rules at every turn. But this defiance, which starts as a sport, soon develops into a grim struggle, an all-out war between two relentless opponents: Nurse Ratched, back by the full power of authority, and McMurphy, who has only his own indomitable will. What happens when Nurse Ratched uses her ultimate weapon against McMurphy provides the story's shocking climax.

[Dannii]

1/4: (view spoiler)[Wow! The casual racism and the horrific treatment of the psychiatric patients is so hard to read about. (hide spoiler)]

[Dannii]

2/4: (view spoiler)[This is a slow-paced read and an intense character study, in this enclosed environment, but it still a compelling read. The psychiatric ward seems like a horrible place to reside and I am glad a change seems eminent and that tyrannical Nurse Ratched has met her match in McMurphy. (hide spoiler)]

[Dannii]

3/4: (view spoiler)[This is still just as horrific but am beginning to realise how untrustworthy the insight is, due to the perspective coming from one of the patients. I am sure Nurse Ratched is a disgusting individual but how much is insight the narrator's head? This is so interesting! (hide spoiler)]

[Dannii]

4/4: (view spoiler)[I am enjoying the portion at sea less than the scenes set in the psychiatric hospital, for some reason. It is less compelling now action takes a more central focus and character studies and societal insights move to the background.

The end returned to the philosophical insights I earlier appreciated and I ended up really appreciating how this novel made me think. (hide spoiler)]

[Abi]

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Reading from the 24th of March 2018

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