Mental ward at a time when disorders were not understood (red pills, 'disturbed' and electro shock therapy in extreme cases), even though I halfway wondered why the characters in the story were admitted in the ward in the first place, it sounded more like the staff that ran the facility had ego/ power trips than therapeutic intentions.

First person, Indian (not PC) 'Chief' was the most insightful of course and with reminiscence of watching his tribe and settlement being taken over by the white man, who couldn't blame him for being 'insane', even though he his insights never hinted of it; McMurphy being the hero of causing chaos and giving life to the ward patients (fishing trips, gambling, 'sluts' and booze) with unaccounted tendencies... I couldn't help but hope for this guy to win war with the nurse and topple the bureaucracy.

In some ways, both sides win at the end...the nurse's willing patients unadmit one by one leaving a failed rehabilitation clinic, while McMurphy is fried and scalpled to a vegetable at her content and discretion.

Became a great read as I came further to the end, all character's had personality...more interesting was reading later that Kesey wrote this book during is graveyard shift working at a ward in Menlo Park, and even underwent electro-shock and took the drugs. Muy Bien and Kesey is pretty much amazing.

Next: Demon Box