In an Oregon institution for the mentally ill, a group of men discuss their problem ad nauseum, as related by one of the Chronics, a half-Indian who seems to be delusional and hallucinates a lot. Their lives are controlled by Nurse Rachett and they get some respite by carefully assessing any new patients admitted as an acute case. The domineering Nurse Ratched tries to control every aspect of the men’s lives, and is in constant conflict with McMurphy, a devious but superbly talented psychopath. The use of punishment, electroshock therapy and even frontal lobotomy as control tools is frighteningly accurate, as I recall them, working as an orderly in a mental hospital in the early 70s.
This debut novel was made into a movie that I have not watched, but the reviews of it leave little doubt that the book is far better than the movie
The character development is superb and the fine line between sanity and insanity becomes blurred to the point of extinction. It can be very confusing to distinguish when the narrator is describing reality or a delusion or hallucination, but that is obviously intentional. The fishing expedition story is exceptionally entertaining.
4.5/5
The Passionate Reader 
Wow, 4.5! I think the last book that got 5/5 was that Small Things Like These novella, right?
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