We are lucky to have this book, and the stage play and movie based on it, since Kesey seems to be another of those self-medicating authors. We shouldn't judge the novel based on Kesey's life, but it's hard not to. Can you imagine if Faulkner or Fitzgerald had gone on a tour promoting alcohol use? Drink yourself into oblivion! Ruin your health! Reach an early grave! Ludicrous? Well, Ken Kesey went on a bus tour promoting drug use. At least he produced this one novel before he killed his creativity.
The novel is a Christ analogy, with McMurphy as Christ, giving hs life to set free the other asylum members. It's very well done, although the analogy is a little obvious at times. If you have seen the movie (with Jack Nicholson), the book had a big difference. The novel is narrated entirely by Chief, the big native-american, and everything is filtered through his medicated and insane brain. That's what I call an unreliable narrator!
Nurse Ratched, who has become an icon in popular culture because of the movie, really doesn't come off that bad in the book, at least in my opinion. Remember, everything is filtered through Chief's troubled mind. Yes, she runs the ward lik a military operation, but I remember the movie being much worse on her character than the book.
By all means read this book - you will get a much different take on the story than the movie.
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