NAAIP

One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest has so far been a great book. The narrator, Chief Bromden, is an elusive Native American, whose past the reader only sees through glimpses of his hazy perception of the world around him. We learn about the hospital and its inter-workings through the eyes of a seemingly relatable narrator. Yet, as the novel continues, it soon becomes evident that the Chief has a distorted view of the world around him. His descriptions of the "combine" and the passage of time are oddly believable. It is apparent that Kesey is making a larger point through the Chief's sometimes maniacal words about the machinery and controls of the Big Nurse and the hospital.

McMurphy is a lovable character. The moment he entered the novel it was clear that he had a depth to him that would be explored throughout the novel. At this point, I have read up to the fishing trip, and his antics up to this point are very entertaining. It takes a special type of character to turn an asylum into a casino-like baseball game watching hangout. One notion that has not yet been fully addressed is McMurphy's inability to leave the hospital, and his comrades choice to live there. I am waiting to see how McMurphy tries to escape (since I cannot imagine such a character leaving without quite the exit). I also am interested in learning more about the men in the asylum. It is clear that the hospital is a metaphor for something greater, perhaps the world. Some quotes characters make are obviously addressing a larger issue.

Thus far I have really enjoyed the novel and I anxiously await the final part III. It is a great book with detailed characters, yet each with his own mystique that Kesey skillfully creates. Kesey's thoughtfulness as a writer is clear in his multi-layered characters and their carefully depicted actions and reactions.