Prime logo Prime members: New to Audible?
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest  By  cover art

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

By: Ken Kesey, Robert Faggen - introduction
Narrated by: John C. Reilly
Try for $0.00

$14.95/month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $15.75

Buy for $15.75

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.

Editorial review


By Seth Hartman, Audible Editor

ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST CONTINUES TO CHALLENGE THE STATUS QUO

My introduction to One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest was certainly not a standard one. Rather than starting with the novel by the counterculture writer Ken Kesey or watching the iconic film starring Jack Nicholson, I was cast in a high school theatrical production of the work. Having only done lighthearted musicals up to that point, Cuckoo’s Nest was my first taste of dramatic acting. I remember feeling both shocked and intrigued by the script, pulling from my one year of AP Psychology to try to understand the medical terminology peppered through the pages.

Though I had been exposed to politically motivated works in school before (classics like 1984, Animal Farm, and Fahrenheit 451), I had never experienced one that addressed these issues with such realism. Rather than creating a world that is close to home yet different in some way, Kesey transports us to what feels like a real-life psychiatric hospital in the 1950s. Nurse Ratched and her gang of nurses, orderlies, and security personnel rule over the ward with an iron fist, threatening anyone who steps out of line with electroshock therapy or, for those "beyond fixing," lobotomy treatments. With the arrival of upstart patient Randle McMurphy, the lives of everyone in the hospital are changed forever.

Our narrator in this story is Chief Bromden, a larger-than-life Native American inpatient who is always sweeping the halls. Other standout characters are Dale Harding, an insecure man who hides his homosexuality by voluntarily committing himself, the nebbish Billy Bibbitt, and the overly talkative Charles Cheswick. McMurphy—who enters the ward as a means of dodging the draft, not because of overt mental illness—challenges the status quo, bringing a rebellious spirit to these men and others in the ward, while slowly driving Nurse Ratched up a wall.

Continue reading Seth's review >

Publisher's summary

A 50th-anniversary edition of Ken Kesey's searing American classic.

Boisterous, ribald, and ultimately shattering, Ken Kesey's One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest has left an indelible mark on the literature of our time. Turning conventional notions of sanity and insanity on their heads, the novel tells the unforgettable story of a mental ward and its inhabitants, especially tyrannical Big Nurse Ratched and Randle Patrick McMurphy, the brawling, fun-loving new inmate who resolves to oppose her. We see the story through the eyes of Chief Bromden, the seemingly mute half-Indian patient who witnesses and understands McMurphy's heroic attempt to do battle with the powers that keep them all imprisoned.

Hailed upon its publication as a "glittering parable of good and evil" (The New York Times Book Review) and a "roar of protest against middlebrow society's Rules and the invisible Rulers who enforce them" (Time), Kesey's powerful book went on to sell millions of copies and remains as bracing and insightful today as when it was first released. This new deluxe audio edition commemorates the 50th anniversary of the original publication of the novel on February 1, 1962, and will be a must have for any literature lover.

©1990 Ken Kesey (P)2012 Penguin Audiobooks
activate_proofit_target_DT_control

Featured Article: 55+ Quotes for Whenever You Need a Little Encouragement


We all have bad days and dry spells. We all experience moments of disappointment, sadness, and self-doubt. And occasionally, we all need an encouraging word—or several—to lift our spirits, boost our confidence, and fill us with hope. Straight from the works of best-selling and widely admired authors, here's a collection of positive and reassuring words you can turn to anytime you're in need of support.

What listeners say about One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    6,816
  • 4 Stars
    1,283
  • 3 Stars
    283
  • 2 Stars
    79
  • 1 Stars
    46
Performance
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    6,816
  • 4 Stars
    680
  • 3 Stars
    185
  • 2 Stars
    40
  • 1 Stars
    27
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    6,085
  • 4 Stars
    1,177
  • 3 Stars
    328
  • 2 Stars
    93
  • 1 Stars
    43

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Great reading’

I really liked the performance by the reader. He really made the book come to life for me.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Riveting and beautiful

John c Riley did an INCREDIBLE job. This book was phenomenal. It moved me to tears at many different points and was very poignant.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

CrAzY Adds Color to the World!

Where does One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

One of the best. The story's not perfect, but most of it is very interesting. And the performance is great.

What did you like best about this story?

The characters. Colorful as they all were.

Which scene was your favorite?

Probably the scenes where all the patients are together talking in their group meetings. Quite funny.

If you could take any character from One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest out to dinner, who would it be and why?

Harding. Love his brilliance!

Any additional comments?

Their outing was unnecessary and a bit out-of-place. Should have kept it all in the cuckoo's nest. Overall though, definitely recommend this one!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

The best narration I’ve heard!

John C Reilly is a very talented man. He made this book extremely enjoyable. I hope he decides to narrate others!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

awesome

amazing book, now words, studied Kesey and the pranksters before. His method of writing is fantastic.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Terrifying and real

A truly terrifying tale of mental illness, helplessness and the cruelty of those who abuse their power. It is written from the viewpoint of a character who is an observer though most of the book, but some of the story gets twisted by his paranoia and warped sense of reality. One of my favorite aspects of this book is how the [mild spoilers] big nurse often displays psychopathic tendencies towards the patient who claims to be one himself, kind of blurring the lines of who should be in power and who actually has the patients' wellbeing in mind.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Thoughtful exploration of humanity and sanity

Any additional comments?

This is an unflinching look at mental illness, psychiatric hospitals and friendship. The book explores the questions of sanity - what is it; what defines it? It also explores hopefulness, loyalty and heroism within the construct of a rigidly structured hospital ward reigned by a sadistic, insane (or compassionate, sane?) nurse and her similarly formed minions. With vivid symbolism, this book is considered an allegory for Christ's sacrifice to save humanity. The question is was the ward truly saved? How one answers this question, I believe, turns on one's view of Flowers for Algernon - is it better to never have experienced freedom/sanity/happiness/intelligence or better to have experienced it briefly then lose it in a consciously helpless way?

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Seriously the best narration ever

I’m in awe... just fantastic ❤️ everything about this narration was perfect. The music, the voices, the tone... the accents. My favorite audible narrator ever

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Great experience

The voices that the reader did, helped significantly for understanding the story, especially for one that has so much dialogue. And being able to speed it up allowed for me to blow through it in about two days which was nice.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Great book!

I was looking for something different, and this was it. Great storyline with insightful themes and symbols. You fall in love with the characters and their quirks, as well as appreciate their development throughout the book. I found the story surprisingly inspiring and relatable. I would highly recommend.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!