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challenging
dark
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Type of read: Commuter Read.
What made me pick it up: 'One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest' has always been on my TBR and I'm slowly making my way through that very long list.
Overall rating: I'm sure I read 'One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest' sometime during high school, but I can't for the life of me remember. As I make my way through a miles-long TBR, I've been deliberate about making sure that classics are included. There's a certain brilliant mundanity to 'One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest' that almost makes you forget who the characters are and what setting they are in. McMurphy, Brombden, and the other chronics and acutes at the institution are simply trying to live their lives and maintain what sense of individuality and freedom they have - whether that be when or where they can go somewhere, what they watch on the television, or how they interact with one another and those charged with their welfare. In a classic us versus them mentality, the patients of the institution work to see how far they can push it before they, and the institution's staff, reach their breaking point.
Reader's Note: 'One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Next' takes place in a psychological institution and focuses heavily on the mental health, patterns, habits, and day-to-day of the patients and staff of the institution. It should also be noted, the original publication year of the book was 1962. Times have changed from 1962 to 2024 and certain phrases, terms, and imagery that were once unquestioned may have a different response as we have grown and learned as people.
What made me pick it up: 'One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest' has always been on my TBR and I'm slowly making my way through that very long list.
Overall rating: I'm sure I read 'One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest' sometime during high school, but I can't for the life of me remember. As I make my way through a miles-long TBR, I've been deliberate about making sure that classics are included. There's a certain brilliant mundanity to 'One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest' that almost makes you forget who the characters are and what setting they are in. McMurphy, Brombden, and the other chronics and acutes at the institution are simply trying to live their lives and maintain what sense of individuality and freedom they have - whether that be when or where they can go somewhere, what they watch on the television, or how they interact with one another and those charged with their welfare. In a classic us versus them mentality, the patients of the institution work to see how far they can push it before they, and the institution's staff, reach their breaking point.
Reader's Note: 'One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Next' takes place in a psychological institution and focuses heavily on the mental health, patterns, habits, and day-to-day of the patients and staff of the institution. It should also be noted, the original publication year of the book was 1962. Times have changed from 1962 to 2024 and certain phrases, terms, and imagery that were once unquestioned may have a different response as we have grown and learned as people.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Confinement, Mental illness, Forced institutionalization
Minor: Rape
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Racism, Forced institutionalization, Medical trauma
Moderate: Misogyny, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment
Minor: Rape, Suicide
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Suicide attempt, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Cultural appropriation, Sexual harassment, Classism
challenging
dark
reflective
relaxing
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Racial slurs, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicide, Forced institutionalization, Medical content
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Drug use, Mental illness, Suicide, Gaslighting
Moderate: Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Sexual harassment
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Rape, Sexual assault
It's a product of its time but that shouldn't cause people to avoid it. It should still be read.
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I was inspired to add this book to my TBR pile pretty much exactly a year ago, after watching the Netflix drama 'Ratched'. I enjoyed the series, but felt like I was missing something as I hadn't read the source material. Unfortunately, I'm still none the wiser.
I don't know what it is with me and books that are labelled 'classics', but I don't think I've found one yet that I've truly enjoyed. This was no exception - I just couldn't immerse myself in the story or even pick out moments of clarity that stuck with me. While I understand that this is written from the point of view of a mentally ill person confined to a hospital ward, and by choosing this narrator the author has allowed the reader to experience the 'fog' of confusion and twisted logic experienced daily by the patients, it's rambling relaying of events left me more lost than confused. I followed the general plot, but had no inclination to take more care with my reading to study the text and events in depth.
From a modern perspective, the methods outlined in the story are clearly not the right way to treat mental illness. But then I queried whether several of the characters illnesses were all that acute anyway. Yes, some people (the narrator included) clearly did have delusions or other issues that may require in-patient care, but there seemed so little character building on much of the supporting cast that it felt like they were there purely to pad out the cast list.
I guess the author's main aim was to try and make the reader consider whether McMurphy's illness was feigned or genuine. He reminds me a little of Campbell Bain in 'Takin' Over The Asylum' (although I'm sure in reality the latter was in some way influenced by the former); a manic depressive who, after a moment of inspiration, starts to subvert the normal order of things within his environment. But this right here sums up how hard I found the book to relate to; if I'm drawing parallels with the works of David Tennant (rather than just picturing him as my leading man), then you know my mind has wandered to a better place!
I also can't understand where this reputation for Nurse Ratched being one of literature's great villains has come from. To me, she seems like a no-nonsense, firm but fair person who is doing her best to do what must be an incredibly difficult job without letting it affect her, and doing what she thinks is best for her patients based in the knowledge of the time. Yes, it's clear that McMurphy gets under her skin and she does start to become a little vindictive about punishing him for his transgressions, but I just can't equate that with the totally twisted person I had been expecting going into this. I can only suspect that it's because the story is written through the male gaze at a time when women in positions of authority were rare and dangerous creatures...
Not what I was expecting or hoping for, and quite underwhelmed. Never mind. I tried.
I don't know what it is with me and books that are labelled 'classics', but I don't think I've found one yet that I've truly enjoyed. This was no exception - I just couldn't immerse myself in the story or even pick out moments of clarity that stuck with me. While I understand that this is written from the point of view of a mentally ill person confined to a hospital ward, and by choosing this narrator the author has allowed the reader to experience the 'fog' of confusion and twisted logic experienced daily by the patients, it's rambling relaying of events left me more lost than confused. I followed the general plot, but had no inclination to take more care with my reading to study the text and events in depth.
From a modern perspective, the methods outlined in the story are clearly not the right way to treat mental illness. But then I queried whether several of the characters illnesses were all that acute anyway. Yes, some people (the narrator included) clearly did have delusions or other issues that may require in-patient care, but there seemed so little character building on much of the supporting cast that it felt like they were there purely to pad out the cast list.
I guess the author's main aim was to try and make the reader consider whether McMurphy's illness was feigned or genuine. He reminds me a little of Campbell Bain in 'Takin' Over The Asylum' (although I'm sure in reality the latter was in some way influenced by the former); a manic depressive who, after a moment of inspiration, starts to subvert the normal order of things within his environment. But this right here sums up how hard I found the book to relate to; if I'm drawing parallels with the works of David Tennant (rather than just picturing him as my leading man), then you know my mind has wandered to a better place!
I also can't understand where this reputation for Nurse Ratched being one of literature's great villains has come from. To me, she seems like a no-nonsense, firm but fair person who is doing her best to do what must be an incredibly difficult job without letting it affect her, and doing what she thinks is best for her patients based in the knowledge of the time. Yes, it's clear that McMurphy gets under her skin and she does start to become a little vindictive about punishing him for his transgressions, but I just can't equate that with the totally twisted person I had been expecting going into this. I can only suspect that it's because the story is written through the male gaze at a time when women in positions of authority were rare and dangerous creatures...
Not what I was expecting or hoping for, and quite underwhelmed. Never mind. I tried.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Racism, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Medical trauma, Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Moderate: Ableism, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Misogyny, Sexism, Suicide, Violence, Suicide attempt, Murder, Alcohol, Sexual harassment
Minor: Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual content
medium-paced
Loveable characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
ahaha I forgot I had this app anyway book sucked everything sucked (except for Chief)
this thing was sooo unbelievably racist and sexist it was like every other page the black characters were being called slurs & the women were written based off tit size
this thing was sooo unbelievably racist and sexist it was like every other page the black characters were being called slurs & the women were written based off tit size
Content Warnings
Moderate: Rape
dark
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Of its time. Well written but hard to overlook the misogyny and racism of the book. I don't agree with books being banned, so I'm glad I read this. Interesting look at how mental illness was treated, and how wards operated. A shocker of an ending that wasn't expected. I'm glad I read it but won't be hurrying to read it again.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Misogyny, Racism, Rape, Suicide, Forced institutionalization
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Suicide, Medical content, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Alcohol, Sexual harassment
Moderate: Violence
Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Drug use
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
Content Warnings
Moderate: Mental illness, Misogyny, Suicide, Violence
Minor: Racism, Rape