Into the all-powerful mental institution comes McMurphy, a brawling gambling man of immense charm, who wages total war on behalf of his cowed fellow inmates. What follows is at once hilarious and heroic, tragic and ultimately liberating, as McMurphy's war is first won, then lost.

'Kesey can be funny, he can be lyrical, he can do dialogue, and he can write a muscular narrative. In fact there's not much better come out of America in the sixties . . . If you haven't already read this book, do so. If you have, read it again' Scotsman