A truly great novel! It is such a classic book I feel ashamed it took me so long to finally read it! I love that the story is told by Chief Bromden who, for most of the story, was just a fly on the wall watching all the mishaps and hijinx taking place on the ward. You just love to hate the evil Nurse Ratched and wish that the Doctor or someone would just stand up to the old bat and not let her take control of everything. McMurphy’s power struggle with Nurse Ratched is so entertaining and he creates fun for the paients and brings a much needed levity to the ward. Even though McMurphy’s motives were selfish at times you truly feel he cares about the guys. Ken Kesey’s masterpiece is funny, emotional and the endearing and zany characters will stay with me forever.

After volunteering to be a subject in drug trials – and one of those drugs being LSD-25 – Kesey worked the night shift at a mental hospital. He observed many of the traits that he put into this book, but it was a hallucinogenic trip that gave him the idea of a big Indian narrator.