One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest by Ken Kesey is a powerful, captivating read that will leave you thinking long after you have finished reading. The novel takes place in a psychiatric ward, following the story of a patient named Bromden and his life in the ward under the rule of the tyrannical Nurse Ratched. When a new patient, McMurphy, arrives, he is unlike any of the other patients on the ward. McMurphy is loud, boisterous, and unafraid to speak his mind and stand up against Nurse Ratched. As the story unfolds, the reader joins Bromden in watching McMurphy exercise his influence over both the patients and the staff on the ward. Is McMurphy the patients’ hero, or is he merely a con man? It is hard to know for sure, but one thing is clear; after he arrives, life on the ward will never be the same. This story wrestles with ideas of power struggles and freedom, and it raises the question—are people solely right or wrong, or can they be somewhere in between?  

I personally loved reading this book. I enjoyed the complexity of the characters, particularly the character of McMurphy. The book was also a pretty easy read, despite presenting complex ideas and topics. Overall, I appreciated the way it was both entertaining and engaging as well as deep and thought-provoking. If you enjoy books with complex themes and ideas, and even more complex characters, I would recommend that you read One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. 

I enjoy reading books as well as hearing about books other people have read and enjoyed, and attending C Milton Wright’s book club is a great experience for me to do that. We meet monthly to talk about the books that we’ve read over the past month and share suggestions. I really enjoy having the opportunity to hear about new books as well as following the book club’s monthly genre schedule, which gives me the chance to try new types of books I might not usually read.