One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest [1962]

By Ken Kesey 

Rating 5/5 

321 pages [Kindle Digital Edition]

Genres : classics, mental health, psych ward.

The ending is an absolute gut punch. I didn't see it coming. I didn't expect this to cause such an emotional stir within. I guess somewhere along the line, like all the acutes on the ward, we fall in love with McMurphy. He has become One of my absolute all time favorites!! 💗 Totally, totally love the character of McMurphy!  He has taught me something valuable by his way of being himself even in face of adversity. Being tough meaning to be able to see funny side of things .. even in those that are painful and unbearable. 

But sadly, I don't see nothing funny in the ending to this book. It is too unfair and traumatic. Did the author intend to make the reader have an painful reading experience? Leaving them in tatters and tears? 

Every page from the start till the end was filled with fear and curiosity .. I was totally sucked in and sitting on the edge of my seat. I couldn't stomach some of the stuff and had to read other lighter books along the way .. but I am proud of having completed this one. 

Its a mental hospital and a psych ward. They are a bunch of guys  too afraid to speak up against a Nurse who once worked for the Army and now has strict control over all her inmates. She has them wrapped up around her finger and swallows them whole when she feels like it. To this ward, a guy enters who tries to make light and fun of everything .. he wanted to escape prison life by pretending to be insane. Little did he know what life had in store for him. But I felt like he was inviting danger all along the narrative with his brazen behavior. How can one be so head strong and strong willed?? What was his soul strength? Anyways, an ego war starts between the nurse and the guy McMurphy right away .. she trying to get him under electric shock therapy and he trying to evade it. But eventually things get crummy and the guy who tries to beat the system gets beat .. or did he really? 

Its a very powerful novel and very evocative of hope and despair, mirth and sadness .. all combined and delivered at the same time. There are elements of fun and games .. but always with an element of danger .. toeing line against the forces which are way more powerful. :/  while some chickens go east, some chickens fly west .. there was one chicken that dared fly right over the cuckoo's nest and that's McMurphy.