"One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest" has got to be one of the best books I've ever read! It is extremely heavy on metaphors as well as subliminal comments on society. A warning to easily offended readers: it does have a bit of swearing and some sexual content. The setting is an asylum probably in the 60s. The story revolves around the patients, and they are a really interesting set of characters. If you don't consider yourself an advanced reader you probably shouldn't pick up this book. The reason for that is the same reason that it's so great. It's really easy to get lost while reading, and if you do you will be missing out on a lot. It is written from the perspective of Chief, one of the asylum's patients. So since he is mentally ill he does drift around in what he says and he does use lots of metaphors. But that's what makes the book so great! It is a really interesting perspective. He's almost looking at things from a third-person perspective while still being there. You need to read it to understand. So the in this asylum whole ward is (metaphorically)controlled by Ms. Ratched (the Big Nurse as she's called by Chief). She controls everyone, even the other nurses and the orderlies, with a strict regime where she "implants things in people" in order to make them the way she wants them, it really is no way to live. One day a man named McMurphy is admited at the ward from a prison work farm, he's a conman but a hardworker (he's been a farmer and he's fresh off a prison work farm) who knows how to make people laugh. Well he's obviously not a character accepted by the Big Nurse. McMurphy is a betting man so he bets that he only needs a week and he'll be able to topple the Big Nurse's regime. I don't want to spoil the story, but for those of you who've read it you'll know what I mean when I say that the ending despite maybe not being the expected could not have been more satisfying of a conclusion to this story. One of my favorite moments from the story is when McMurphy makes people bet on whether or not he can lift a control panel. He begins boasting and saying how easy it'll be, until he tries. He tries so hard he tears his hands and starts bleeding. "But I tried, didn't I? Goddammit at least I did that!" that's what he says as he walks away leaving everyone silent. This scene was extremely powerful in my opinion. It's funny, it's tragic, it's deep/metaphorical, it's engaging, and it's just a great read. It is quite advance however it is not as complicated as many of the books released during the book's time. I loved it and I think you would too. If I talked about every moral situation and symbolic events this book had I'd write a whole essay here. I still find it hard to believe how much was packed in such a short novel, I just can't even get close to saying how influential this book was for me. Warning: it will make you rethink your life. So that's all, and remember, one flew East, one flew West, and one flew over the cuckoo's nest.
|
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. Archives
June 2015
Categories |