One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest cover art

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

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One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

By: Ken Kesey
Narrated by: Ken Kesey
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About this listen

 One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest is one of the most electrifying, most admired novels of our time. Set in the bleak confines of a state mental hospital and narrated by a half-Indian patient named Chief Bromden, it's the story of a titanic battle of wills between two unforgettable characters.

On one side is Big Nurse, who rules her ward with iron discipline. On the other is Randle Patrick McMurphy, a lustful, brawling, life-loving new inmate who refuses to knuckle under to Big Nurse's soul-destroying methods. In the end, McMurphy pays the ultimate price for his defiance, but not before the rebellious spirit has shown Chief Bromden the way to reclaim his future.

©1962 Ken Kesey (P)1993 HighBridge Company Classics Fiction Genre Fiction Literary Fiction

Critic Reviews

"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)
All stars
Most relevant  
Tried listening to this as I read along with the original novel, but the audiobook skips sentences and phrases and sometimes even complete paragraphs and key ideas. Use the audio book narrated by John C. Reilly instead.

good book terrible narrator

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What disappointed you about One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest?

I liked the book but the audiobook skipped many paragraphs so it was impossible to read along with my copy of the book

Has One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest put you off other books in this genre?

No, but it has put me off other audiobooks as I don't want to read another book that skips parts.

How could the performance have been better?

Ken Kesey sounded drunk whilst reading and skipped parts

If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest?

NONE! I'm complaining about the fact scenes were cut.

Any additional comments?

Frankly the audiobook was a disappointment.

Skips Paragraphs

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The story is great but it's read out by the author and he is an obnoxious narrator. Constantly yawning, speeding up and down and laughing.

Great writer, horrible narrator

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Half of the narrative is missing!
this fellow ripped off his version of Ken keseys work.
I think he fancys him self as a mcmurphy.
skipped narrative so he could get to do mcmurphys dialogue.

feeling ripped off

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In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.