Review by angh - One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

angh 's review for:

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey

3.75

dark reflective 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

Rating: 3.75/5 ⭐️

I’ll start with the things I liked about the book.

I watched the movie years ago and remember Jack Nicholson’s character being the protagonist, so I was a little surprised when I started reading and found out Chief Bromden is the narrator. But it’s certainly interesting, getting to see everything from his POV. McMurphy’s still the main character but following the story through Chief’s eyes was a smart move. He’s an interesting character, everyone thinks he’s deaf and mute, the staff talks around him thinking he won’t understand/repeat what they say, so through him we get to see conversations we wouldn't’ if McMurphy was the POV character.

I liked the way Chief described the ward, how the patients were classified, the chronics, those whose condition demands lifelong commitment, and the acutes, those who can be treated and might be released in the future; it reminded me a little of dystopian books and caste systems. Interestingly, most accutes are there voluntarily, while McMurphy is in the minority of acutes there that are sentenced.

McMurphy becomes a sort of hero for the residents, opposing Nurse Ratched who is in charge of the ward and rules with an iron fist. He convinces the doctor to make a recreation room, implement activities and other things in favor of the residents. He befriended them, played with them, and in a way, helped them believe in themselves; by the end all characters have had great development.

Here’s the thing, I know the context of time it’s important. The book was published in 1962, I’m aware a lot of the racial and homophobic slurs used in the book were more… freely used back then, so I’m trying to overlook that as a product of its time. Like some old Disney movies that now come with a content warning, because things said/done in the story can be offensive now. What I’m surprised people, even in the story, overlook it’s the fact McMurphy is there for sexually assaulting a minor. He was in a labor camp? (forgot the term they used) as his sentence, but convinced people he had mental issues, so he’s doing his sentence in a psychiatric ward. No one really bats an eye? Except for maybe Ratched, who tries to use that piece of info to make him look bad with the other residents, but they just ignore it? I don’t know, even back then something involving a minor would’ve had more of a reaction. So seeing him as a hero is a little difficult when you know the reason that brought him there.

He also opposes Ratched from the very beginning, before she even does something to him, just because she’s in charge? It’s been a long time since I watched the movie, so maybe I’m not remembering correctly, but I thought he would go against her after seeing how she treats the patients –and him– not from the moment he arrives, because he’s sort of a rebel and she’s the person in charge.

The book does comment on how psychiatric patients in this type of facility were treated, the use of some controversial methods like shock therapy, lobotomies, and more. The fact the author worked in one of these hospitals gave him a great perspective, everything feels very real. And I think that and its characters –the patients– are the strong point of the book. These people are also human, just because they can move in the case of some chronics, or have some type of mental illness like most of the acutes, doesn't mean they don't deserve to be treated with care and respect. Patients aren’t just cases, they’re people too.

The book is one of the most challenged and banned books, for sexual content, torture, violence, the subject matter of challenging authority. And while yes, those things happen to a degree, the main focus is challenging unfair authority and the treatment of patients by staff, two very important points. So if you can handle the content (I do recommend reading about the contents and reviews first), you should definitely read it.

Content Warnings