The DO Book Club, Aug. 2024: ‘One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest’

By The DO Staff

08.23.24

Many may be familiar with the movie, but “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” actually echoes a children’s song, which served as the origin for the 1962 novel. The book and song, which connect to the line “One flew east, one flew west, one flew over the cuckoo’s nest,” cleverly cover a variety of themes—the difficulty of confinement, the freedom enjoyed by birds far from the nest and the need for comfort. Author Ken Kesey’s counterculture novel is a difficult read, but its coverage of mental health disorders is, despite advances in treatment, still relevant today.

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