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A review by camscampbell
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest: (penguin Classics Deluxe Edition) by Ken Kesey
dark
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I read this as part of a book club read over at Mike's Book Reviews on YouTube. I found it engaging and compelling, if not enjoyable. I'm not sure 'enjoy' is a word that I would use for such a dark topic, which is why I went with 'compelling' instead.
I said no above to the characters' being diverse, but it's a bit of a loaded term these days. In terms of background and pathology, I would have said yes to that question. We have a variety of mental health presentations among the patients, as well as backgrounds and level of education. My favourite character was Harding, once the 'bull goose loony' of the asylum before McMurphy appears. His erudition in his interactions with McMurphy added a lot to the story.
Of course, Nurse Ratched looms large throughout and it becomes a battle of wills. We get more of McMurphy's background than we do of Nurse Ratched's, which is a shame as it makes her appear a little wooden and caricatured. There's a brief mention of what she gets up to at weekends, but it's not enough to give us a picture of who she is and what her motivations might be.
The only character who gets a glimpse into the complexity of McMurphy's character is Bromden, the narrator of the story. All the others see is the bravado McMurphy, the gambler, the manipulator, the 'bull goose loony'.
It's a few days since I finished reading it and it has remained in my mind, so I guess it's one of those books that grows after finishing it. I read the introduction again after I finished it and found that to be helpful. Do be aware that it contains spoilers.
I said no above to the characters' being diverse, but it's a bit of a loaded term these days. In terms of background and pathology, I would have said yes to that question. We have a variety of mental health presentations among the patients, as well as backgrounds and level of education. My favourite character was Harding, once the 'bull goose loony' of the asylum before McMurphy appears. His erudition in his interactions with McMurphy added a lot to the story.
Of course, Nurse Ratched looms large throughout and it becomes a battle of wills. We get more of McMurphy's background than we do of Nurse Ratched's, which is a shame as it makes her appear a little wooden and caricatured. There's a brief mention of what she gets up to at weekends, but it's not enough to give us a picture of who she is and what her motivations might be.
The only character who gets a glimpse into the complexity of McMurphy's character is Bromden, the narrator of the story. All the others see is the bravado McMurphy, the gambler, the manipulator, the 'bull goose loony'.
It's a few days since I finished reading it and it has remained in my mind, so I guess it's one of those books that grows after finishing it. I read the introduction again after I finished it and found that to be helpful. Do be aware that it contains spoilers.