One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey

             Born in La Junta, Colorado, the accomplished author Ken Kesey lived from 1935- 2001. Kesey earned a bachelor's degree at The University of Oregon and later studied creative writing at Harvard University. Although he received an exceptional education, Kesey later volunteered in a number of government drug experiments which led to an addiction to psychedelic drugs such as LSD(circa 1960). Soon after this, Kesey took a job at a mental hospital, at which he spoke extensively to the patients. This experience invariably led to the author's most heralded work throughout his career- the novel One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest: a book based on the repressive state of mental hospitals in the early 1960s (kclibrary.nhmccd.edu/kesey.html). Kesey would later release a number of publications which include: The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test (1968), Garage Sale (1973), Demon Box (1986), Caverns (1989), Sea Lion (1991), and Sailor Song (1992)(Ken Kesey Timeline). Outside of writing and participating in seminars and short story classes, Kesey is well recognized for leading a psychedelic bus trip known as "FURTHER." During this trip, Kesey, friends, family, and relatives (who became known as "The Merry Pranksters") would travel to and from various cities conducting what would become referred to as Acid Tests- psychedelic parties that condoned and encouraged the use of experimental acids such as LSD. First started in 1962 and still running today (albeit without the acid), these bus trips that Kesey led would have a great influence on the counterculture which arose during the 1960s (View- The Acid Test).
             BOOK SUMMARY
             One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest illustrates the troubles of a group of mental patients being hospitalized under a harsh administration in the Oregon psychiatric hospital. Narrated by Chief Bromden (a Native American mental patient of ten years who is nicknamed "Chief Broom", be...

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One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey. (1969, December 31). In MegaEssays.com. Retrieved 05:09, March 28, 2024, from https://www.megaessays.com/viewpaper/16505.html