One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest

Petey

Petey

RIP
I read the novel from Ken Kesey in the last days and must admit it was one
of the best i ever put my hands on - WOW really a big one - i almost cried on the end...

I know Buk liked the movie very much but did he ever mentioned that he read the novel
or met Ken Kesey?
 
Johannes

Johannes

Founding member
It is a great novel. I loved it too.

I don't think B. ever met Kesey, probably would have mentioned it somewhere in the letters or else. But maybe he did and didn't know/care about Kesey then.
 
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Rekrab

Rekrab

Usually wrong.
It's a great movie. I rewatched it a couple months ago. In September I took a tour of the old Oregon State Hospital building "J" where it was filmed, most of which is going to be torn down soon to make way for a new hospital. One of the oldest buildings around here so naturally they will demolish it. So much for history. I need to read the book.
 
Gerard K H Love

Gerard K H Love

Appreciate your friends
One of the great side affects of having studious children (unlike their dad), is we have many books in the house. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest is a book that I started a couple of month's ago and put aside. Now I pick it up again.

The movie was a big influence to a me a small time in my life when I was 23 and dated a girl I thought was 18. "She was 16 going on 35 if you know what I mean, Doc." was the line that got me to pull her beautiful face off of my lap and promptly leave the Drive-In to safer ground. She had just informed me she was going to be a junior in High School that fall. I swear she told me she was 18, when we met.
 
falcune

falcune

I read that book last summer. It's one of the best I've read. For more on Kesey read The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test by Tom Wolfe.
 
Petey

Petey

RIP
Glad that you all liked the book the plot of the whole story is a symbol of our society.
No individual thoughts will be accepted you have to integrate your free mind to the majority.

Back to the topic - did Bukowski ever mentioned that he read the novel ?
(we know the movie with Jack Nicholson was one of his faves)
 
Rekrab

Rekrab

Usually wrong.
I don't recall Bukowski mentioning the book, but there are others here who would know for sure.
 
harrystuped

harrystuped

I bought the Movie a couple of months ago, one of the things I like about old movies are the cast they had on board, Christopher Lloyd for example,

I guess I need to start searching for the book!
 
Johannes

Johannes

Founding member
Rekrab said:
I don't recall Bukowski mentioning the book, but there are others here who would know for sure.
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He mentions it randomly in one of the later letters, in "Reach For the Sun", if I'm correct, but I can't name the page.

Something about him and his girlfriend going to a looney ward and it being very depressing, "nobody was flying over the cuckoo's nest there". When I'm at home I'll try to locate it.
 
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P

procrastinator

I seem to recall in one of Buk's letters ( jesus, I don't remember which one) that when Buk moved to San Pedro and managed to get cable t.v., one of the very few films he actually liked were One Flew.... and Eraserhead.

I managed to get Ken Kesey to sign my copy of One Flew.. and instead of writing " your either on or off the bus" he wrote "your either on or UNDER the bus".
 
CRBSMILE

CRBSMILE

I managed to get Ken Kesey to sign my copy of One Flew.. and instead of writing " your either on or off the bus" he wrote "your either on or UNDER the bus".
Click to expand...

Did he sign on the outside of the book, as he was known to do with his signiture sometimes? WOW! what a wonderful autograph to have. CRB:)
 
P

plasteredpoet

I saw Kesey on Letterman years ago. Dave asked if he had seen the movie and he said it would be like someone saying "Hey, the Hell's Angels are raping your daughter in the parking lot, you wanna watch?" You really can't blame him. With passages like this omitted from the narration the movie is a pale version of a novel that is full of life:

".......It's as if the jolt sets off a wild carnival wheel of images, emotions, memories. These wheels, you've seen them; the barker takes your bet and pushes a button. CHANG! With light and sound and numbers round and round in a whirlwind,and maybe you win with what you end up with and maybe you lose and have to play again. Pay the man for another spin, Son, pay the man."
 
S

slimedog

Just a little trivia about "The Chief."

On the Celtics team in the eighties the stars were Larry Bird, Kevin McHale and Robert Parrish, the later who was nicknamed "The Chief."

I figured it was because he was a leader but the real story is it was because he was the Center, the tall dude, and they named him after the character in One Flew Over.
 
Rekrab

Rekrab

Usually wrong.
I got to touch that big heavy marble and chrome washstand water-therapy thingy the chief throws through the window of the mental hospital -- when I toured the building (I saw it when I toured...he didn't throw it when I toured.) That was a thrill.
 
P

procrastinator

The Cheif may have been a strange motherfucker, but in the "good sense". I completely related to him. It was my interpritation that Kesey used that character to pretty much describe how he felt how the "system" works and I think he nailed it. Christ, you should see where I work - no shortage of assholes there.

Also, I saw an interview with the actor who played Billy ( the guy who stutters) and he said of all the actors, it was the Chief ( shit, I can't recall his real name) who actually did time in jail (10 years I think) for a crime he didn't commit.
 
CarversDog

CarversDog

RIP
On a related note, I saw the awesome documentary "Gonzo: The Life and Times of Hunter S. Thompson" last night; was surprised to learn that major portions of Tom Wolfe's "Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test" were based on research and recorded interviews HST did with Kesey and other Merry Pranksters.
 
james

james

CarversDog said:
On a related note, I saw the awesome documentary "Gonzo: The Life and Times of Hunter S. Thompson" last night; was surprised to learn that major portions of Tom Wolfe's "Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test" were based on research and recorded interviews HST did with Kesey and other Merry Pranksters.
Click to expand...


yes indeed, great documentary. i saw it twice this summer at the little art house cinema in nashville that has a full bar ;)
i, too, was surprised to learn that hst had something to do with "acid test". i read half of that book, very much enjoying it, and then lost it...
 
Digney in Burnaby

Digney in Burnaby

donkeys live a long time
CarversDog said:
On a related note, I saw the awesome documentary "Gonzo: The Life and Times of Hunter S. Thompson" last night; was surprised to learn that major portions of Tom Wolfe's "Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test" were based on research and recorded interviews HST did with Kesey and other Merry Pranksters.
Click to expand...

I seem to remember that the Hell's Angels showed up at some of Kesey's parties in the mid-1960s. Hunter was doing his book on the bikers and was there as well. I seem to remember a scene from Hunter's book where Hell's Angel Terry the Tramp was up a tree babbling incoherently while on an acid trip. (Can one babble coherently?)

During that time frame I would guess Hunter and Tom would have known each other professionally. Makes sense that information would be exchanged. (I guess it makes sense. Maybe not.)
 
Rekrab

Rekrab

Usually wrong.
Fascinating about Wolfe using HST's research. I wonder if Hunter S. Thompson minded, felt robbed, or didn't care? Then again, he presumably gave Wolfe the material, so he must have known how it would be used and was okay with that. I bring this up because from what I've seen, many authors are very tight with information they've gathered in theior own research and don't want other author's making books out of it.
 
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