Reviews tagging 'Colonisation'

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey

8 reviews

therat8's review against another edition

dark reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Racism, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Forced institutionalization, Mental illness, Sexism, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Body horror, Confinement, Colonisation, Cursing, Death, and Suicide

Minor: Alcoholism, War, and Adult/minor relationship

asolis's review

challenging dark emotional tense medium-paced

• 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

I'm reading classics this month, and I came to this book as a bit of unfinished business. I think I read about 5 pages in high school and not much more. I remember thinking it was strange. 

 I wonder what I would have gotten out of it if I had read it all the way through back then. But reading it now, its richness was a pleasant surprise, and it is well-deserving of Classic status not just due to age but because of its quality. Now, I appreciate the many layers to this book, and the invitation to consider its themes of race, gender, sexuality, power, and conformity. A remarkable exploration of what it's like to be a kind of person society tries to erase. 

By reading it now, I got to connect with the PNW setting, and understand the implications of the various places mentioned. The Native narrator, albeit written by a white man, brings in some exploration of treaties, land rights, and the generational trauma of displacement. This piece is a great companion read to contextualize that aspect of the book: https://commonplace.online/article/ken-kesey-meets-lewis-and-clark/

Many summaries describe Nurse Ratched as the ultimate villain. And while she is the primary adversary, this ignores the whole point that she is only the local arm of the "combine," the societal machine that enforces conformity and compliance. If Professor Umbridge is the evil middle-aged jailer of our (millenial) generation, Nurse Ratched was her literary ancestor. But where the professor is pure evil and as such wholly unsympathetic, the cracks in the nurse's facade, the pain we know shaped her, makes her human. You may not root for her, but at least you understand her.

I felt pain when she was exposed at the end, the gendered violence, but it fit the book.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Gaslighting, Self harm, Confinement, Misogyny, Medical trauma, Forced institutionalization, Mental illness, Emotional abuse, Medical content, Racial slurs, and Death

Moderate: Racism, Sexual violence, Drug use, Alcohol, Sexual assault, Suicide, Cursing, Homophobia, Colonisation, Physical abuse, and Drug abuse

isirla's review against another edition

challenging emotional funny sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This book. This book made me laugh. It made me cry. It made me so angry. And it made me feel peaceful at times. Some parts didn't age well. But I could see past it. After seeing the movie starring a young Jack Nicholson at least three times, I knew I needed the experience the book could bring. And it didn't disappoint!!

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture, Suicidal thoughts, Self harm, Racial slurs, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Colonisation, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Medical trauma, Gaslighting, Suicide, Confinement, Mental illness, and Panic attacks/disorders

Moderate: Misogyny, Drug use, Racism, Death, Dementia, and Incest

arinheck's review against another edition

challenging dark hopeful sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Sexual assault, Violence, Racial slurs, Suicide, Body horror, Confinement, Colonisation, Forced institutionalization, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

Moderate: Drug use, Death of parent, Ableism, Bullying, and Alcoholism

cranedphoenix's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense medium-paced

• 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

5.0

So first off there's racism all up in the book let's just get that out of the way (well there's actually a hell of a lot of things that could count for a warning that I tried to tag)

The book overall while feeling slow in parts is a very good read and I think might be considered an important read on "mental hospitals" coming from someone who is antipsych partly because of how these institutions are still horribly ran

I think some of the important little notes

when you find out most of these guys are self admitted because of course society tells you there's something wrong with you if you don't fit their mold of a "normal healthy mind" and since so many people nowadays still play straight into psychiatrys hand by telling everyone "therapy is for everyone"

Also the fact that

two of them are seemingly in there because of seizures like these institutes are well known for forcing disabled people into them for simply being disabled

And while Mack's character is loveable in some ways

still disturbing that he's seemingly a pedophile but I can appreciate how far he went for these guys like he could've left multiple times near the end but didn't not to mention you can tell that the two characters who did die during the story both had an impact on him

I also love the aspect of the Chief and his backstory especially

the bits when he's getting electroshock therapy

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Racism, Suicide, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Colonisation, Racial slurs, Chronic illness, Ableism, Emotional abuse, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Antisemitism, Drug use, Forced institutionalization, Misogyny, and Sexism

Minor: Murder, Pedophilia, Violence, and Excrement

charliebeth's review against another edition

dark emotional funny sad 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? It's complicated

5.0

best book i’ve ever read. but i wouldn’t recommend to anyone who’s mentally struggling. super triggering. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, and Mental illness

Moderate: Alcohol, Colonisation, Cursing, and Mental illness

mwreadings's review against another edition

challenging reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

0.75

I study this for A-Level so I had to read it. I hate it with a passion. The racism, ableism, homophobia and the misogyny are so deeply ingrained in the characters and the plot. Ken Kesey's descriptions often reveal these prejudices and make him such an unlikeable author. I think the premise of society being a Combine that creates identical people is such a good concept and he is a decent writer but his political opinions are not aligned to mine. I dislike the message of the book and the depictions of women and African Americans in particular.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Blood, Body shaming, Colonisation, Death, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Violence, and Hate crime

Moderate: Addiction, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Homophobia

ashmash's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny sad 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

4.5

I found the first couple of chapters challenging to read due to the 1960's slang which used in the a few of the character's dialect. Eventually I got used to this style of writing and found myself thoroughly enjoying the book. The Mental Institute worked well as the setting for the rebellious, anti-establishment characters. It contains some humorous moments, making the dark subject matter more easy to consume. The characters are not good people, yet I still found myself wanting things to work out in their favour. Overall, an interesting book for readers with a darker sense of humour.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Chronic illness, Forced institutionalization, Racial slurs, and Mental illness

Moderate: Colonisation, Death, Medical content, Medical trauma, Sexual assault, and Sexual harassment