Review
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
by Ken Kesey
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest was well written, expertly crafted, and the first classic novel that I have ever truly loved. The symbolism within the story was pervasive but clear and obvious enough that even less experienced readers should be able to detect and understand its function. The writer’s style, characters, and plot combine together to create a book that is not only masterfully created but genuinely enjoyable to read.
Wonderfully written and wonderfully readable.
★★★★★
Elements
Intellectually enjoyable with a compelling plot.
Thoughts
First Impression
It’s very … orange.
I happened to buy the Penguin Orange Collection edition of this book and though the color is quite bright, I really like this cover. Each of the images on the book jacket tie into the story in some way and the cover does a really great job of almost summarizing what the book is about.
One thing is for certain: this book is easy to spot on my shelf!
The Bad
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest is extremely well crafted and filled with rhetorical and literary devices. The book is overflowing with symbolism and hidden underlying messages (one of the reasons I liked this story so much). However, the high levels of symbolism, require a high level of literary understanding. This book is more of an intellectually challenging read (compared to your average heroes and villains story) and for that reason, it is not going to be for everyone.
There were several instances in which the line between imagination and reality became nonexistent and for those who are less experienced readers, this certainly could have been confusing.
The good
Kesey’s writing style is beautiful and artistic, but still easy enough to understand that the reading process was actually enjoyable. From the very first page of this book, I was intrigued and even through the slower parts of the story, there was such a great underlying element of suspense that I could not put this book down for too long. One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest combines an interesting plot line, intriguing setting, and a cast of characters that I grew quiet attached to. This is not just a good work of literature, it is a good story.
Reading this book felt almost like playing a game of I Spy: Look it’s a symbol! There’s another one! The text was simply filled with symbolism and metaphors, most of which Kesey made obvious enough to be easily understood. I felt like I comprehended the messages Kesey was trying to convey in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest and wow, was it powerful.
The Last Word
For those looking to try reading a book of deeper complexity, I highly recommenced One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest for both its accessibility as a classic work and its compelling characters.
Worth the read…
Rating: ★★★★★
Age Group: Adult (some mature subject matter)
Recommendation: Yes
Related Cause: Mental Health
Summary: Reality or imagination.
Series: N/A