Pitching an extraordinary battle between cruel authority and a rebellious free spirit, Ken Kesey's One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest is a novel that epitomises the spirit of the sixties. This Penguin Classics edition includes a preface, never-before published illustrations by the author, and an introduction by Robert Faggen. Tyrannical Nurse Ratched rules her ward in an Oregon State mental hospital with a strict and unbending routine, unopposed by her patients, who remain cowed by mind-numbing medication and the threat of ...
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Pitching an extraordinary battle between cruel authority and a rebellious free spirit, Ken Kesey's One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest is a novel that epitomises the spirit of the sixties. This Penguin Classics edition includes a preface, never-before published illustrations by the author, and an introduction by Robert Faggen. Tyrannical Nurse Ratched rules her ward in an Oregon State mental hospital with a strict and unbending routine, unopposed by her patients, who remain cowed by mind-numbing medication and the threat of electroshock therapy. But her regime is disrupted by the arrival of McMurphy - the swaggering, fun-loving trickster with a devilish grin who resolves to oppose her rules on behalf of his fellow inmates. His struggle is seen through the eyes of Chief Bromden, a seemingly mute half-Indian patient who understands McMurphy's heroic attempt to do battle with the powers that keep them imprisoned. The subject of an Oscar-winning film starring Jack Nicholson, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest an exuberant, ribald and devastatingly honest portrayal of the boundaries between sanity and madness. If you enjoyed One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, you might like Anthony Burgess's A Clockwork Orange, also available in Penguin Modern Classics. '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 'If you haven't already read this book, do so. If you have, read it again' Scotsman
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Seller's Description:
Used-Very Good. 9 by 11-1/2 inches. Director's scrapbook for the 1983 Cornell University student production of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, starring Jimmy Smits and Margaret Reed. Smits' performance as Chief Bromden was widely acclaimed and helped launch his professional career. *** This is a record of the production kept by the chairman of the Cornell Univesity theater arts program, Richard Shank, who directed the play. The book, bound in library buckram by Shank after the play's run finished, includes 1) two copies of the Samuel French script, one for reproduction and the other extensively annotated by Shank with notes on the staging; *** 2) fold-out plans for the set; *** 3) publicity clipping, flyers, programs, and other ephemera from the production; *** 4) five still photographs taken during a performance of the play; 5) Shank's extensive clipping file of reviews of earlier productions, often with notes about how to respond to criticisms of the play; 6) call sheets and other communications with the actors. *** In all, a remarkable, one-of-a-kind record of a notable production of this play based on Kesey's classic novel. Two of the actors, Smits as well as Margaret Reed (Nurse Ratched), went on to have notable careers as television and film actors. Smits was one of the first Mexican American actors to earn national acclaim. Fine or nearly so. One call sheet is signed by both Reed and Smits (and all the other actors). [JSP02; JHG2019].
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SIGNED. 311 pp. Octavo [22 cm]; black leather with raised bands, a gilt stamped title on the spine, and gilt stamped decorative patterns on the spine and covers. All edges gilt. Moire endsheets. Fine condition. Signed in bright colors by Ken Kesey on the page before the half title page. With publisher's certificate of authenticity. Kesey attended the University of Oregon and received a degree in Speech and Communications. He was also awarded a Woodrow Wilson Fellowship to enroll in the Creative Writing program at Stanford. His classmates in the program included Robert Stone, Larry McMurty, Ken Babbs, and Wendell Berry, all of whom would become noted writers and lifelong friends of Kesey. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest was his writing project at Stanford. Kesey published this work in 1962. The novel was an immediate success. Dale Wasserman adapted it into a stage play, and Milos Forman directed a screen adaptation in 1975.
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Seller's Description:
Near Fine. Book. Signed by Author(s) First edition, stated third printing. Signed and inscribed by author Kesey directly on flyleaf to Burwood Stockwhip, to whom Kesey writes: "Whatta name! " Near fine green cloth hardcover.
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Good in Good jacket. Book. Signed by Author(s) First edition, first state. Published in 1962 by Viking Press stated on copyright page and with the following points: "that fool Red Cross woman" on pp. 9, lines 12-13, and "It's the plump Red Cross woman named Gwen-doe-lin, with the blond hair the patients are always arguing about." pp. 85-86. SIGNED AND INSCRIBED by author Kesey. This book is from the personal collection of author and prominent reviewer Michael Hargraves, to whom Kesey dedicated his inscription. Good original green cloth in a sunned good NON-priceclipped dust jacket. Significant drops of stains to green cloth front cover, dampstain to title and dedication pages, previous owner's inscription to rear flyleaf. Protected dj has minor interior tape repairs, tape remnants to interior flaps, and sunned spine. A rare signed copy of the first state. Scans available.
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Seller's Description:
Very Good. 8 x 5.5", green cloth, 311pp, covers lightly rubbed, extremities lightly worn, spine ends bumped, hinges loose, eps toned a bit, in a rubbed and edge-worn, spine end chipped, spine sunned, price clipped dustjacket. Second Printing but BOLDLY INSCRIBED "For Phil at Phifty! " AND SIGNED BY THE AUTHOR, KEN KESEY, who includes a multi-colored inkstamped totem pole next to inscription (some light toning on inscribed page).
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Seller's Description:
Good. NF-/VG. 1st edition, 1st printing. Author's first book. Basis for the 1975 film starring Jack Nicholson and Louise Fletcher. INSCRIBED by author on dedication page. Ticket stub and program from a 1986 Demon Box reading laid in. Book has light stains on front board, owner name on front fep and toned and lightly soiled page edges. Second state jacket has chipping at spine and flap fold ends and creases along folds. We offer a LIFETIME GUARANTEE. Contact us for details.
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Seller's Description:
First edition, first printing, first state with the 3 Red Cross woman passages present; these were quickly changed due to a lawsuit. Dust jacket is first state with the Kerouac quote on the front flap. INSCRIBED AND SIGNED by the author on the dedication page: “For Dennis: Hey you know this 1st edition (signed) is worth about $900 on the book market. Ken Kesey” Fine in Fine dust jacket. There is a small (about 0.5 inch squared) red stamped advert at a lower corner of the rear paste-down endpaper: Bell's Books Palo Alto. This could probably be lightened or removed by careful erasure, but we consider it a positive for the copy, as Bell's, founded in 1935, was and still is about a 5 minute drive from the Menlo Park VA facility where Kesey worked, took psychoactive drugs in a US government project, and was inspired by staff and patients to write this novel. The jacket is complete with no tears, but has some slight rubbing and a few small thin scrapes near the spine top, 2 thin scrapes in the brown background under the author's name on the spine; there is some light tanning to the interior of the jacket, especially near the folds. The inscription is not dated, but our source acquired the book already signed in 1988, so that provides a terminal date.
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Seller's Description:
As New in As New jacket. Signed by Author(s) First Edition, First printing SIGNED by Ken Kesey on a laid in signature. This ORIGINAL sophisticated First Issue dustjacket is vibrant in color with NO chips or pieces missing. The book is in excellent condition. The binding is tight, and the boards are crisp with light wear to the edges. The pages are clean with NO writing, marks or bookplates in the book. Overall, a wonderful copy SIGNED by the author. We buy SIGNED Kesey First Editions.
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Seller's Description:
Near Fine in Very Good jacket. First edition, first printing, first state with "fool Red Cross woman" on page 9. Signed by Ken Kesey on the half-title page. Bound in publisher's green cloth with spine lettered in yellow. Near Fine with toning to pages. In a Very Good first state dust jacket with five-word Jack Kerouac blurb on the front flap, with general wear, fading to spine and toning to blank verso. Served as the basis for the 1975 film starring Jack Nicholson.
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Seller's Description:
Fine in Fine jacket. Signed by Author(s) First Edition, First Printing SIGNED by Ken Kesey. A beautiful copy. This ORIGINAL First Issue dustjacket is rich in color with slight wear to the edges. The book is excellent condition and appears UNREAD. The binding is tight with NO cocking or leaning and the boards are crisp. The pages are exceptionally clean with NO writing, marks or bookplates in the book. Overall, a stunning copy of this TRUE FIRST EDITION in collector's condition. We buy Kesey First Editions.
excellent story about the inadequacies in mental health....too bad kesey was not adequately paid for this masterpiece!
Blooberry
Feb 26, 2009
Read The Book Before Seeing Movie!
The movie was great, but not nearly what Ken Keasy intended when he wrote the book. There is such depth in his characters!
Alibris was very quick about getting the book out to me and it's a great quality issue, since my son loves older copies. (I'm stocking him up on the 'classics'!)
Thanks Alibris!
Jes4punk
Feb 9, 2009
Review of SELLER not book
I ordered this book from Books To Treasure. It is in really good condition. I am satisfied. The cover isn't what is depicted above, but to me, it doesn't matter. The only wear and tear of the book is common (bent pages) probably from it being read. It was worth my money and I would buy from this seller again.
RP86
Aug 10, 2007
A heartbreaking story. Every character in the story incites different emotions; Nurse Ratched, despair; McMurphy, hope; and Chief, sorrow. The story has a wrenching reality quality. I couldn't help crying over the injustices that occured.
