Book: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

After watching the Kesey movie (below) I realized, although I'm a big fan of the movie, I'd never read the book. So on my way home from work Monday -- having left at 8:30 in the morning -- PERMANENTLY! -- my first act as a retired person was to stop by the excellent bookstore on the way home and pick up the first of many Great American Novels I've always wanted to read.

I'm about 3/5th of the way through it -- keep stopping to do other stuff -- but enjoying it. Amazing how well Michael Douglas captured the story and characters in the movie. This is, so far, one of those rare cases where the movie is as good as the source material.

That is a great book. I read it before the movie came out. I can't envision how I would have accepted the movie had I not read the book, but I do know that having read the book lent a lot more to the characters. I think that one of the biggest problems with many movies is that they can't take the time to flesh out the characters as a book can. I really do like the movie and have watched the DVD a few times over the years. I have been planning to read the book again (as soon as I find it).

I was surprised to read that Ken Kesey never liked the movie; he thought not having "Chief" Bromden narrate the movie was a big mistake.

That said, I have a hard time picturing how a character who is thought to be deaf & dumb through 4/5 of the movie would do narration.

Narrations are difficult to pull off well. The original release of Blade Runner had a narration. It was fucking horrible. The "Director's Release," which kicked ass, had no narration. Much, much better.