Mere Mortals Book Reviews

One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest (Ken Kesey) - Book Review


Listen Later

For a bunch of people in a mental hospital there is a whole lot of decent sense making going on.

'One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest' by Ken Kesey is an exploration of social stigma, overbearing control and fighting for the defenceless. The overbearing power of The Combine matched with the machinery of the institution forms a force that seeks to bring order by squashing all before it. Taking place in a mental hospital, it's narrated by one of the patients (The Chief) as he watches the slick newcomer (Randall McMurphy) as he battles the personification of these processes (Nurse Ratched). 

I summarised the book as follows. "It's a rather bleak story overall but this hits afterwards as during the reading it's mostly amusing. What I really enjoyed were the solid characters that popped out for their uniqueness. It's a great book but I wouldn't put it in my best of all time as many people seem to do. Although I found the themes fascinating it didn't hit as hard as I think it may have during the different era of when it was published." 

I hope you have a fantastic day wherever you are in the world. Kyrin out!

Timeline:
(0:00) - Intro
(0:34) - Synopsis
(4:02) - The Combine: Squashing everyone down to size ...... until it can't.
(11:08) - Institutions: What happens if 'order' goes too far?
(15:59) - Observations/Takeaways
(20:31) - Summary


Connect with Mere Mortals:
Website: https://www.meremortalspodcast.com/
Discord: https://discord.gg/jjfq9eGReU
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcast/

Support the show
...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

Mere Mortals Book ReviewsBy Kyrin Down & Juan Granados

  • 4.7
  • 4.7
  • 4.7
  • 4.7
  • 4.7

4.7

12 ratings


More shows like Mere Mortals Book Reviews

View all
The LRB Podcast by The London Review of Books

The LRB Podcast

292 Listeners

Modern Wisdom by Chris Williamson

Modern Wisdom

3,729 Listeners

Uncommon Knowledge by Hoover Institution

Uncommon Knowledge

1,981 Listeners

Today in Focus by The Guardian

Today in Focus

987 Listeners

Artist Personal Journalist by Alejandro Alvarez

Artist Personal Journalist

0 Listeners

The Learning Curve by Pioneer Institute

The Learning Curve

19 Listeners