52 in 52 Week 35: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey

I saw the movie in 1977 with my dear friends from our "Fearsome Foursome," Sandy, Bene, Betty, and me. Once we had a crazy late night when we started flickering lights saying, "It's medication time." You had to be there.

This is written by Ken Kesey, an Oregon native whose family owns the dairy that makes my favorite Nancy's Yogurt. Here is some background on Nancy:

Born and raised in California, Texas and Iowa, Nancy’s was the third generation in a lineage of health food enthusiasts. In 1966, Nancy moved to Haight Ashbury in San Francisco to attend college. It was 1969 when she met Ken Kesey, counterculture leader and author of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, and she was invited to take care of Ken’s Pleasant Hill, Oregon farm while he was in London recording stories with the Beatles. When Nancy heard Ken’s brother, Chuck, had a little creamery in Springfield, Ore., and was looking for a bookkeeper, she applied and soon found herself sharing her knowledge of making yogurt. (from:http://www.nancysyogurt.com/index.php/springfield-creamery/who-is-nancy)

Ken was a brilliant author. The book was hard to put down and hard to take. I sobbed at the end. It isn't pretty. It has bad language and crass references,  but just as the movie grabbed me in 1977, the book did the same.

What is wonderful about the book is that it is written from the perspective of the Native American, Chief Bromden. You don't know that when you watch the movie.

It is sad. It is about power and mental illness. Amazing book. Sorry that it has bad words though. 

Also, Jack Nicholson NAILS McMurphy. Just sayin.'