One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
KEN KESEY
Reviewed by J. F. Nodar - July 18, 2024
Reading Ken Kesey’s book many years after watching the movie on the big screen brought a mix of emotions. Jack Nicholson’s portrayal of Randle McMurphy was spot on, and Louise Fletcher’s performance as Nurse Ratched (Big Nurse) was so compelling that it warranted her win as Best Actress. However, I didn’t find her as menacing in the book for some reason.
What I really enjoyed about the book was experiencing the events from the perspective of Chief Bromden. This narrative choice provided extremely poignant and memorable moments, offering insights into which should have been dealt more in the movie.
The only thing I disliked was the font used in the book. It made the text feel compressed and hard to read, that is probably why I tend to lean to the movie more.