One Flew East, One Flew West, One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest

[FlewtheCuckoosNest]

To understand the significance of the title of the novel

Edited May 5, 2010 by Chrissy
Spoilers added

[Kell]

It is, indeed, a marvellous read. I read it years back when I was still in school. I remember there was an old copy in the school library and nobody had ever borrowed it! Mine was the first date stamp to appear in that copy, even though the date card in the front was an older style than the ones we used at that time. I remember thinking it was such a shame that the book had sat in the library for so long without being borrowed, so I borrowed it ... and was blown away!

 

I had seen the film beforehand, which was what had led to me searching for the book, but although the film is truly excellent, the book blows it out of the water.

[poppy]

A long time since I've seen the movie but I can remember it making a big impression on me. I've read the book more recently and I too am a big fan. You've pointed out some very interesting symbolism there, things to look out for on a future reread.

[FlewtheCuckoosNest]

I have that same experience at the 3 local libraries, one located on the UF CAMPUS, which you would think a book so admired would be bothersome to find, however there were 3 copies of this book, and after 15 years had been checked out only once, my stamp was the second.

 

It is sad that so many people do not read, they're so many things that you miss watching films, based on Books. Every time I read One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest, I learn something new from that book, something I never knew, which just gives me a surge of energy.

 

I can not say enough about the Marvelous work Ken Kesey came up with, I do not mean to degrade all the brilliant writers who came before him or after him by making such a fuss over this Book, but I clearly think it does deserve some praise.

[julie]

When I saw what this thread was about, I just had to respond . I think I was 18 when the movie of this came out . At the same time, I was in my senior year in nursing school .we had to spend different lengths of time in each area of hospital work. We only (thankfully) had to spend one week in the mentally ill ward . I must say it was the absolute most horrid area I'd ever been to . Just unbelieveably scarey -- the sounds, sights, smells .. wow... Sensory overload. I'd never been around anyone like these people -- adults tied in beds-- some in huge "cribs" with tops on them so they couldnt escape and harm anyone . Some wore helmets to prevent damage to themselves --some stood and beat their foreheads on the walls constantly . This place had to be scarier than any fiction film could EVER be . The end of that week was when I went to see the Cuckoo's Nest movie . By the end of it, I felt like I needed to be tied down and given IV Valium ....

So, I must say I've never read the book and never will -- it'd bring back way too many horrid memories of the places where people like that have to live. It's really not a place I ever want to visit again,even by reading a book about it .

[itsmeagain]

Sadly the book is absolutely riddled with obnoxious racism..McMurphy is actually a psychopath after all, and truly racist.