One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

Randle Patrick McMurphy, a prisoner whose term is nearly over, decides to have himself declared insane so he'll be transferred to a mental institution, where he expects to spend the rest of his time in peace.

McMurphy's ward in the mental institution is run by an unyielding tyrant, Nurse Ratched, who has cowed the patients--who are mostly there by choice--into dejected institutionalised submission.

McMurphy becomes ensnared in a number of power-games with Nurse Ratched for the hearts and minds of the inmates. All the time, however, the question is in the mind as to just how sane any of the players in this actually are. Eventually McMurphy overplays his hand and he is lobotomised.

Kesey's novel raises a number of interesting questions about the nature of the state and power structures and could be interpreted on a number of allegorical levels.

The film was widely acclaimed and won Academy Awards for Best Actor for Jack Nicholson (who played McMurphy), Best Actress for Louise Fletcher (who played Nurse Ratched), Best Direction for Milos Forman, as well as Best Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay. It ranked number 20 on the American Film Institute's list of 100 greatest American films, and consistently ranks in the top 15 on the Internet Movie Database. However, some mental health advocates have criticized the film for having unrealistic portrayals of mental hospitals and mental illness.

The film has been deemed "culturally significant" by the Library of Congress and selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry.

ISBN numbers

• ISBN 0606042393 (prebound, 1962)
• ISBN 0451163966 (mass market paperback, 1963)
• ISBN 0140043128 (paperback, 1977, reprint)
• ISBN 0140236015 (hardcover, 1996)
• ISBN 1556516851 (paperback, 1988)
• ISBN 0453008151 (audio cassette, 1993, abridged)
• ISBN 014028334X (paperback, 1999)
• ISBN 0822071541 (e-book, 1999)
• ISBN 0764586629 (paperback, 2000)
• ISBN 0791063399 (library binding, 2001)
• ISBN 0141181222 (paperback, 2002)
• ISBN 0791071189 (paperback)

Referenced By