One Flew Over the Cuckoo's NestOne Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
Score Classic
What it's about
Randle McMurphy, a brawling, gambling con man, gets himself transferred from a prison work farm to a psychiatric hospital in Oregon, thinking it will be easier time. The ward is ruled by Nurse Ratched, who controls the patients through humiliation, routine and fear. McMurphy decides to defy her, and his rebellion brings the other patients back to life. The story is told by Chief Bromden, a huge Native American patient everyone thinks is deaf and mute.
Why it's worth reading
It's on TIME's list of the best novels and was a pick on the BBC's Big Read. It became one of the most acclaimed films ever made, with Jack Nicholson, and is a classic about freedom and authority.
You'll love it if you liked
Catch-22
Slaughterhouse-Five
1984Good to know
It includes violence, sexual content and racist language, and its portrayal of women has been criticized.
By the numbers
- Readers78 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics59 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller49 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
Why it made the list
Reads as
Thought-provoking
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Quick answers
Is One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest worth reading?
Yes. It's on TIME's list of the best novels and was a pick on the BBC's Big Read. It ranks #347 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 80.7 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest about?
Randle McMurphy, a brawling, gambling con man, gets himself transferred from a prison work farm to a psychiatric hospital in Oregon, thinking it will be easier time. The ward is ruled by Nurse Ratched, who controls the patients through humiliation, routine and fear. McMurphy decides to defy her, and his rebellion brings the other patients back to life. The story is told by Chief Bromden, a huge Native American patient everyone thinks is deaf and mute.
How long does it take to read One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest?
About 8 hours (336 pages), or about 2 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest?
If you liked it, try Catch-22 by Joseph Heller, Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut Jr. or 1984 by George Orwell.