Pitching an extraordinary battle between cruel authority and a rebellious free spirit, Ken Kesey's One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest is a novel that epitomises the spirit of the sixties. This Penguin Classics edition includes a preface, never-before published illustrations by the author, and an introduction by Robert Faggen. Tyrannical Nurse Ratched rules her ward in an Oregon State mental hospital with a strict and unbending routine, unopposed by her patients, who remain cowed by mind-numbing medication and the threat of ...
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Pitching an extraordinary battle between cruel authority and a rebellious free spirit, Ken Kesey's One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest is a novel that epitomises the spirit of the sixties. This Penguin Classics edition includes a preface, never-before published illustrations by the author, and an introduction by Robert Faggen. Tyrannical Nurse Ratched rules her ward in an Oregon State mental hospital with a strict and unbending routine, unopposed by her patients, who remain cowed by mind-numbing medication and the threat of electroshock therapy. But her regime is disrupted by the arrival of McMurphy - the swaggering, fun-loving trickster with a devilish grin who resolves to oppose her rules on behalf of his fellow inmates. His struggle is seen through the eyes of Chief Bromden, a seemingly mute half-Indian patient who understands McMurphy's heroic attempt to do battle with the powers that keep them imprisoned. The subject of an Oscar-winning film starring Jack Nicholson, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest an exuberant, ribald and devastatingly honest portrayal of the boundaries between sanity and madness. If you enjoyed One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, you might like Anthony Burgess's A Clockwork Orange, also available in Penguin Modern Classics. 'A glittering parable of good and evil' The New York Times Book Review 'A roar of protest against middlebrow society's Rules and the Rulers who enforce them' Time 'If you haven't already read this book, do so. If you have, read it again' Scotsman
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Seller's Description:
As New in As New jacket. Book. Inscribed by Author(s) 1990 First Edition Library FIRST THUS FACSIMILE copy in NEW condition with a New DJ and pristine slipcase. It is Boldly **SIGNED & INSCRIBED** and RARE as such.
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Seller's Description:
Fine in very good jacket. Octavo, 311pp. A crisp, clean copy, about fine, in the publisher's green cloth. In a very good first-issue dust jacket with mild fading (as often) to the spine, and some shallow wear to the spine ends. A singular copy, with a significant inscription by Malcolm Cowley on the front free endpaper: "This is the very rare first printing, withdrawn from the bookstores because of a passage the [sic] Gwen Davis claimed to be libelous. Malcolm Cowley." Kesey was one of Cowley's writing students at Stanford, and Cowley helped Kesey get this hit novel published at Viking. Davis, a therapist steeped in the 60s counterculture (she was famous for "nude encounter therapy") believed the minor character of Gwendolyn (spelled "Gwen-doe-lin") was based on her, and she threatened Viking with a lawsuit, which resulted in a number of first printings being removed from bookstores, and the book quickly reprinted with the character changed to "Public Relation, " a heavyset man who cynically promotes the institution to unwitting outsiders. The first issue is uncommon, particularly with such a meaningful inscription from one of Kesey's most important colleagues. An excellent copy. (Note that the book is NOT signed by Kesey.).
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Seller's Description:
Near Fine in Near Fine jacket. First edition, first printing, first state with "fool Red Cross woman" on page 9. Signed by Ken Kesey on the dedication page. Bound in publisher's green cloth with spine lettered in yellow. Near Fine with light tanning to pages. In a Near Fine unclipped ($4.95) dust jacket with five-word Jack Kerouac blurb on the front flap, with light wear to the extremities, fading to the spine, a small spot of browning to the front flap and blindside of the spine panel. Served as the basis for the 1975 film starring Jack Nicholson.
excellent story about the inadequacies in mental health....too bad kesey was not adequately paid for this masterpiece!
Blooberry
Feb 26, 2009
Read The Book Before Seeing Movie!
The movie was great, but not nearly what Ken Keasy intended when he wrote the book. There is such depth in his characters!
Alibris was very quick about getting the book out to me and it's a great quality issue, since my son loves older copies. (I'm stocking him up on the 'classics'!)
Thanks Alibris!
Jes4punk
Feb 9, 2009
Review of SELLER not book
I ordered this book from Books To Treasure. It is in really good condition. I am satisfied. The cover isn't what is depicted above, but to me, it doesn't matter. The only wear and tear of the book is common (bent pages) probably from it being read. It was worth my money and I would buy from this seller again.
RP86
Aug 10, 2007
A heartbreaking story. Every character in the story incites different emotions; Nurse Ratched, despair; McMurphy, hope; and Chief, sorrow. The story has a wrenching reality quality. I couldn't help crying over the injustices that occured.
![One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest [Inscribed By Malcolm Cowley]](https://www4.alibris-static.com/imageid/2079508856_t.jpg)
