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aimee_shmee's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Suicide
Moderate: Physical abuse, Homophobia, Racism, and Emotional abuse
goldenslug's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Graphic: Mental illness
Moderate: Medical trauma, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, and Racism
Minor: Misogyny, Alcohol, Drug use, Self harm, Sexual assault, Death, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Violence, Sexual harassment, Suicide attempt, Suicide, and Sexual violence
kcheyne's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Injury/Injury detail, Racism, Violence, Grief, Misogyny, Blood, Genocide, Suicide, Mental illness, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Self harm, Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual harassment, and Suicide attempt
skeptic_hecate's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
I believe that this book is especially about sexual repression. Women and men who are demonized by their use of sexuality. It is because of this sexism that no one can be free.
Also, nurse Ratched is properly evil, definitely one of the highlights of the book and one of my favourite villains. I highly recommend this book.
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Drug abuse, Suicide, and Death
Moderate: Violence and Homophobia
Minor: Sexual violence and Sexual assault
socialpsysteph's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This book counts for Popsugar 2022 for a book with an onomatopeia in its title.
Graphic: Mental illness, Death, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Racism, Drug abuse, and Drug use
foxo_cube's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
I will say that it isn't perfect. It's, shall we say, a product of its time: most common-or-garden varieties of discrimination are thrown in casually here and there, and it does make me cringe a little bit at points. Personally, I try not to hold older books to the same standard I'd hold new publications in that regard, but it's worth mentioning as it is a little off-putting.
The main storyline is that of a criminal, McMurphy, entering a psychiatric ward expecting an easier life than what he was experiencing on a work farm, and discovering that he has made a terrible mistake. Being a rebel by nature, he quickly makes it his job to break down the strict and cruel Head Nurse.
The clashes between the staff and McMurphy are great - sometimes funny, sometimes shocking, sometimes devastating, often some mix of all those things - but what I love so much about the book is how the patients of the ward have real humanity to them, and the slow but sure change in atmosphere throughout the war between McMurphy and Nurse Ratched is written beautifully. McMurphy is a rough, problematic, but undeniably charming character with a gentleness to him we only see through Bromden's eyes, especially when they form a friendship.
This aspect, the platonic love story, is one of my favourite things about the book overall. The way Bromden discusses him, and their conversations, even when they're focused on boosting Bromden's confidence (usually in pretty bawdy fashion), is written with a lovely tenderness. McMurphy is a grey-area character who most definitely manipulates the hell out of a lot of the patience for money and cigarettes, but his growing care towards the people on the ward and rage at the mistreatment they face is, nonetheless, very real.
Bromden is a proudly unreliable narrator who phases in and out of the "fog", as he describes it - seemingly dissociative periods where he exists on autopilot, or flashbacks to his past, or hallucinates. He has spent his time on the ward pretending that he can neither hear nor speak, meaning he gets to be a fly on the wall during private meetings and such due to the staff often using him as a cleaner. He hates the system he's in, the state of the world, and the treatment he faces on the ward, but feels powerless to stop it, meaning that McMurphy is both a godsend and a terrifying presence to him. His character growth is fairly subtle at first, but the end scenes - which are devastating - are a powerful culmination of the book's events: when McMurphy is lobotomised, Bromden performs the most sincere expression of love and respect that he possibly could have.
I've read this book a good few times now, and it's always a total rollercoaster ride of emotions.
Graphic: Mental illness, Blood, Suicide, Ableism, Misogyny, Bullying, Violence, Drug use, Forced institutionalization, Emotional abuse, Death, Racial slurs, Confinement, Sexism, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Cursing, Racism, and Gaslighting
Moderate: War, Sexual assault, Medical content, Panic attacks/disorders, Homophobia, Murder, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual violence, Grief, Sexual harassment, Physical abuse, and Injury/Injury detail
c3liaiswhoiam's review against another edition
3.0
Kesey is great at making the characters feel both vividly realistic and caricature-like at the same time. They're incredibly enjoyable characters and they play off each other really well. Having the story told from someone who essentially is a fly on the wall, but literally is within the story is clever. The story feels less subjective and very observative in that way even though it actually isn't. Following McMurphy's storyline and how he affects the others is also a joy all the way through, and the only time that lags is when McMurphy himself has a temporary change of heart halfway through.
It was an interesting, thoughtful, and enjoyable read that had to something to say about authority figures and how easily we trust (and betray) others.
Moderate: Chronic illness, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Suicide, Death, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Torture, Alcoholism, and Forced institutionalization
islajackson's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Moderate: Bullying, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Violence, Death, and Ableism
jeremie's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Ableism, Physical abuse, Alcohol, Misogyny, Suicide, Racism, Racial slurs, and Drug abuse
Moderate: Sexual assault and Sexual harassment
Minor: Pedophilia, Medical content, and Panic attacks/disorders
kstericker's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Forced institutionalization and Mental illness
Moderate: Sexual content, Medical content, Physical abuse, Alcohol, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, and Suicide
Minor: Racial slurs and Adult/minor relationship