50th Anniversary: Kesey’s ‘Cuckoo Nest’

Three comments on this post so far. Add yours!

• 

  retro on February 09 at 5:15 p.m.

  I remember going to see Ken Kesey speak at the old Davenport Hotel to a packed house. It was not long after his son Jed was killed in a high school wrestling van wreck.

• 

  stebbijo on February 09 at 5:54 p.m.

  It’s not so much the book. I was too young at that time, it was the movie that made an impact, not only because I had real experience as a child going through the mental institutions to visit her mother and I remember the effects as a young child and what those barbaric shock treatments could do.

  After the death of my mother I researched her background and found out that she was a victim of shock treatments back when at the age of 16 years old and needed to recover in a nursing home.

  I believe that Kesey’s book may be more real than many of us want to accept, however, I know it was real because I lived it as the daughter of the victimized crazy lady who just happened to be my mother. It is a story I hope, someday, to be able to write.

• 

  strykermh on February 19 at 5:06 p.m.

  I posted a longer comment, but it’s out there in cyberspace I guess.
  Many years ago I read Kirk Douglass’s autobiography, “The Ragman’s Son”. In it, he revealed that during his heyday as an actor 1950-70’, he had purchased the publishing rights to make this book into a movie. He failed to mention the author, so I didn’t know it was Ken Kesey until today, believe it or not! Anyway…..he could never get any backers, so after many years he sold the rights to his son Michael who we all know very well. He obviously saw a good read, and apparently 13 years after it was written, he had the movie made. With a cast like that…..how could you go wrong, eh? I think that was J.Nickelson’s first nomination for an Academy for Best Actor ( although I don’t think he won). I’m pretty sure Loiuse Fletcher won for Female Best Supporting Actress, and I’m pretty sure it was one of Danny Davito’s first acting jobs, as I don’t remember seeing him before that!
  Anyway……”One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest” is one of my All-Time favorites, and everyone needs to see it.
  Why do you suppose Kesey didn’t want to see it? That baffles me!!

  I’ve loved all that I have read about The “Further” Bus, Ken Kesey & The Merry Pranksters, Neil Cassidy, Jack Kerouac, “The Acid Test”……and The Dead’s experiences with them, and all related items.
  Unfortunately, I am a terrible book reader……so I haven’t read “A Long Strange Trip”, didn’t know Kesey wrote this book until today…… but all things can change, so who knows maybe I pick up a copy soon.
  I did all my “testing” from between “Watkins Glen” Festival in 73’ and my H.S. Graduation in 76’ ( approx. 300 trips)…….so I had my fill, although 8 or 9 years later than those guys. The memories will still last a lifetime however…..you can count on that!!! :)
   STRYKER

« Back to Huckleberries Online

• ›Scanner traffic