Book Review: "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" by Ken Kesey

Before we start this review I need to tell you about my Uncle Paul. My Uncle Paul looks weirdly like Jack Nicholson. My Uncle Paul loves terrible jokes and talking about movies, if he likes a movie he will say "guaranteed you like it!" He also told my dad once "You should watch American Pie, it's just like us when we were teenagers, I guarantee it!" Then I threw my dad a side eye and said "You're never watching that movie, and that better have not been you when you were growing up".

The somewhat point of that pointless rant is to say, yes I know this is a movie. A great movie in fact, with a great cast, so good that it won 5 Oscars! And yes it was a stage play with Kirk Douglas as McMurphy and Gene Wilder (!) as Bibbit. (It got terrible reviews). I know some of you had to read this in college, maybe a psych course? If you didn't you probably should have, because dayum. It's also one of the most challenged or banned books in the US. And it's on Time Magazine's 100 Best English Language Novels Between 1923-2005 List.

Also, this is a cukoo

Ken Kesey was inspired to write this book while working overnight at a VA hospital in Oregon. He would spend a lot of his time chatting with patients and he decided that there was nothing wrong with them, society just couldn't figure out what to do with their unconventional behavior. (He was occasionally on psychotropic drugs, just an FYI). He generally liked the movie, except that he was angry that Chief wasn't the narrator of the movie like he is in the book, and he also wanted Gene Hackman instead of Jack Nicholson.

I know this is more like a "Things you didn't know..." instead of a review, but I'm going to bring it around right now, hand to heart. But it's going to be in broad strokes, so get ready.

Story takes place in a mental hospital in Oregon. Our narrator  is Chief, who everyone thinks is deaf and mute but he's not. What he is , however is schizophrenic and he hallucinates a lot. Mostly about fog and other more disturbing things. The ward is run with an iron fist by Nurse Ratched. She gives off the impression of professionalism and caring but really she's dead inside and if anyone makes her angry they are immediately fired (for staff) or taken away to either get some kind of "therapy" or put on the "disturbed".

The other ward inhabitants, beside Chief is made up of Chronics and Acutes. Actues are higher functioning, some of them are epileptic, arsonists, a repressed homosexual and a germophobe. They all generally can get around by themselves and have the hope of one day leaving the ward. The Chronics don't have a chance of ever leaving the ward, and most are immobile, usually confined to wheelchairs. One patient, Ellis, has suffered from too much electroshock therapy and now he stands against the wall with his arms outstretched in a Christ-like pose constantly. The Lifeguard, is an ex-pro football player who has cleat imprints as proof of the injury that damaged his brain.

Into this interesting mix comes Randall McMurphy. He comes from doing "farm work", which is like prison except youre on a farm and they make you work and he is not a fan. He says that he is at the ward because he's a pscyhopath, but the general consensus around the staff is that he just didn't want to work. He is in trouble in with the law due to assault and gambling problems, also he was accused of statutory rape (but not convicted as he would be fast to point out). When Randall comes everything gets turned on it's head. He talks back to Nurse R and tries to have all the men stand up for themselves. They even go on a field trip... Nurse Ratched and McMurphy circle each other for awhile but then there's a few major incidents that really put things over the edge, and things do not end well for him or anyone really...

The one problem that I have with this book is one of personal preference. I don't do well with unreliable narrators. I feel like me and my book have an understanding that we're going to be honest with each other with what is going on, and that doesn't happen in this book. Which you know, it's understandable, Chief has some issues.I give it a 2.5, I liked it but I don't think I'd read it again. If I need it another cuckoo re-acquaintance I'd probably just get my Netflix on.

ARC Book Review: "Across the Great Divide" by Monique Roy

I received a copy of this book to review from the publisher. Also I don't know what in blazes is going on with my text background. I know it's distracting. I'm ever so sorry.

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Helene and Oskar live in Berlin with their twin daughters Inge and Eva and their son Max. Oskar runs a successful diamond factory, and they live comfortably. But since it’s 1933 and their Jewish we know this won’t always be the case.

In 1933 Inge and Eva are about 16 years old, and they are each other’s most treasured companions. They have one other close friend, a girl from school named Trudy.She’s practically a member of the family and participates in all of the family actives even Shabbat, even though she isn’t Jewish.

Things start to go south for the family slowly at first. There is trouble for the girls and Max at school, restrictions on where they can and can’t go, and casual racisim from their peers. One day Eva goes to Trudy’s house to see her and Trudy’s mother won’t allow it. Trudy isn’t allowed to hang out with Jews anymore. Max gets more and more involved in the underground and resistance movements. He repeatedly tells the family that they need to get out of Germany before it gets too late. No one heeds is warnings.

Eventually Oskar is forced to sell his diamond business at an incredible loss. On his last day he smuggles out some of his most rare and special pieces so that he can support his family. He stuffs them into cream filled pastries and walks out the front door of his former business. A Nazi stops him, and takes on of the pastries. Oskar runs home, hoping that the soldier had picked one of the empty ones, but that’s not the case.

After Kristallnacht the family decides that they need to get out of Germany, like now. They are only able to get as far as Belgium, thanks to Max’s underground connections and Oskar’s smuggled diamonds. One of the people that helps them along their way is a member of the underground named Isaac. There’s a little mutual attraction thing between him and Inge but there’s not a lot of room for romance when you’re on the run from the Nazis, amirite?

They eventually get to Antwerp and are surprised by the thriving Jewish community and settle in quickly. Oskar even finds a job in a Jewish owned diamond factory and even better, he meets an associate named Carmen (a Jew who had escaped with his family from Krakow) and he has a little mutual attraction thing with Eva.

In 1940, Isaac and Inge get married, however their joy is short lived because as they are celebrating the wedding with family and friends the Nazis come rolling into town, literally, in their tanks. Not long after Belgium is invaded France and the Netherlands fall. The family realizes that they need to get all the way out of Europe if they want to survive. Carmen and Eva get married in a small, quiet ceremony behind locked doors, and the next day the family of 7 starts to make their way out of Europe.

Through much trouble and scary situations they end up in Brazil. They struggle to settle in, and find jobs. No one spoke the language so they feel increasingly isolated. In 1944, after 2 years of struggle in Rio, the family (including a pregnant Eva) decides to move to South Africa.

Things go well in Cape Town. Eva’s baby is healthy, Isaac becomes a college professor, Carmen and Oskar get back into the diamond business successfully, Max enrolls in university and things feel good. But there are rumblings in South Africa that trouble (most) of the family – apartheid. 

In South Africa Max gets into trouble, an old friend makes an appearance, and the family gets to know more about the Cape Town that they don't often see....


I liked this book. I was a little scared about taking on two such weighty subjects in a 215 page book. I like that the story was based on the author's family story.I give it a 3.5. I have but one complaint about the book...

Coco Chanel said "Before you leave the house, look in the mirror and remove one accessory" (I'm no fan of Ms Chanel but she has a point here). I think maybe the cover art should have taken a note from this quote. I know what they are getting at, but there's a lot going on here and it's a bit distracting



MOST IMPORTANTLY!
There is a giveaway going on here! Enter to win a copy of the book!



As a last note: Monique gets a virtual high five from me, because when I received my copy of the book to review, there was a lovely handwritten card tucked into the pages. The art of the thank you note is a dying one and it slays me. So snaps to her.




AUTHOR BIO
Monique loves writing that twitches her smiling muscles or transports her to anothertime or place. Her passion for writing began as a young girl while penning stories in a journal. Now she looks forward to deepening her passion by creating many unique stories that do nothing less than intrigue her readers.

Monique was born in Cape Town, South Africa, and her grandparents were European Jews who fled their home as Hitler rose to power. It's their story that inspired her to write Across Great Divides, her debut, historical fiction novel.

Monique holds a degree in journalism from Southern Methodist University in Dallas and is also the author of a children's book Once Upon a Time in Venice. In her free time, she loves to travel, play tennis, pursue her passion for writing, and read historical fiction. 

In 2008, she was chosen by the American Jewish Committee's 
ACCESS program to travel to Berlin, Germany, on the 70th anniversary of 
Kristallnacht, to explore German and Israeli relations along with 20 other Jewish professionals from across the U.S.


AUTHOR LINKS
Website - http://www.monique-roy.com
Amazon Author - 
http://www.amazon.com/Monique-Roy/e/B00FOG5FXC/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/AcrossGreatDivides

Twitter - https://twitter.com/MonWriter1

ARC Book Review: "Open Your Eyes: 10 Uncommon Lessons To Discover a Happier Life" by Jake Olson

Happy New Years Eve everyone! I hope that you are cuddled up warm in your jammies thinking about your NYE plans, but I bet some of you are at your (ghost town) of a workplace like me! The book that we are talking about was sent to me for review from the author's publishing team. I thought that it was a good inspirational book to end the year on. (Here I will also reiterate my promise that I will never accept a book that I don't think is a good fit for the blog). The book is released today! Happy New Years my friends. Be safe have fun!

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Jake Olson was 8 months old when he was diagnosed with retinoblastoma. Retinoblastoma is a rapidly developing eye cancer. It's mainly in children, but is rare, only 3% of cancer diagnosed in children is retinoblastoma. His left eye was removed at 10 months old, but doctors were able to preserve his sight it in his right eye, though they knew that it wouldn't last forever. The cancer returned in 2009, when Jake was 12 years old and he knew that he would end up losing his sight. ( I know I told you that this book was inspirational but we need to get through the sad stuff first.)

Knowing that he had limited time with sight left Jake set out to see everything that he could. His parents decorated their house in early November so he could experience the Christmas lights once more. He golfed the Pebble Beach golf course. He played in his team's football games. However one of the greatest experiences for Jake involves the USC football program. His dad went to USC so they were big Trojan fans to begin with, Jake especially. When he finds out that he is going to lose his sight he wishes that he could get up close and personal with the Trojans football team. When the coach at the time, Pete Carroll hears Jake's story he makes it happen. Not only is he there for a game, he's there for team meetings, meal times, and practices. He really bonds with all the players and the coaches. Pete Carroll even writes one of the forwards for the book. Jake and some of the team members still seem to be quite close! ESPN caught wind of this story they filmed some of his experiences. Jake even got some tv time with Lee Corso on an episode of Game Day and made better picks than the coach! (If you're like me, and this name sounds only vaguely familiar let me assist you: Corso is the kind of loud one who does the stuff with the mascot's heads. I also think he kind of looks like Mel Brooks)

Even know that he is blind, Jake is an active golfer. He even golfs on his school team and his dream is to be the first blind golfer on the PGA tour. I think even I would enjoy watching golf if he was involved (more Jake, less Tiger Woods, that's what I'd need to watch golf. But I digress).

The first 25-30 pages are about Jake's background and his experiences (I was reading the ARC, so it might be different in the final published book) but the rest of the book is more of a reflection on how his faith has helped sustain him, how he keeps a good attitude, and how he doesn't let his lack of sight keep him from leaving a full and joyous life.He (and his whole family) lean heavily on their faith to get them through these different struggles. Though some of the advice that he offers is great no matter who you are, like "It's not what happens to us; it's what we do with what happens to us that matters". Another "By small and simple things are great things brought to pass". I love that one. So often we expect huge mountain moving things to make what we want come true, but it's the little shuffles in the right directions that get us to where we go.

Others who have faced difficulties are also featured in this book. A man named Art Berg was made a quadriplegic in a terrible car accident. Doctors told him that he would need to be taken care of for the rest of his life, that he probably wouldn't have kids, drive a car, or work again. 12 years after the accident Art had 2 children with his wife, could drive a car, feed himself, was a motivational speaker and was very self-sufficient.Beck Weathers lost his sight while he was climbing Mount Everest and while he waited for his eyesight to return he was left for dead twice. He managed to stumble into camp on his own, though he would eventually lose both hands to frostbite.

I like that the book had little "insights" from Jake, his parents, and other people who could add something to his story. I think my favorite chapter of the book was "Lemons and Molehills". Who doesn't need a reminder that you need to keep problems in perspective and that "this too shall pass?" This would have been a great Christmas gift for the hard to shop for person in your life, but keep it in mind for birthdays or other occasions.(Though maybe not a great gift for the Notre Dame fan in your life, if they are particularly rabid). The book is very conversational, and is a good casual read while still having a message worth hearing.

Book Review: "March" by Geraldine Brooks

Little Women is one of the most well known American books ever written. The story of these girls and their Mom surviving through the Civil War is a staple. They spend a lot of the book pining after their father and husband who is surviving on the war front. Though this man is a main feature of the book we don't know much about him. That's where "March" comes in.

"March" follows the Dad of "Little Women" starting first as a young man of 18, as a young peddler who witnesses the terror of slavery first hand in Virginia. Next, as a young preacher and intellectual who falls in love with the fiery abolitionist and Underground Railroad helper that would soon be his wife and the mother of his 4 girls.The majority of the story is told in flashback of these times and his present state of being a chaplain in the Union army during the Civil War.

War is hell. But the facial hair is impressive.

He marches off to war with big hopes of making a big difference and helping the men in his unit.It doesn't take him long to realize that most of his job his doing the best he can to calm the dying and assisting the surgeon. He also quickly realizes that 38 is pretty old to be keeping this kind of pace. (38 in Civil War time is a lot older than 38 now!) After a perceived indecency with an old acquaintance the Chaplain is transferred away from his war front unit. He ends up teaching freed slaves who are working (for money) on a plantation. They are eager to learn, especially the children and he bonds with a lot of them quickly. It's still very hard work but at least he feels like he's making more of a difference. Unfortunately this all ends in spectacularly bad fashion.

March survives all of this (but you know that because you've read "Little Women") but has a hard time reconciling his ideals and his experiences with his life as it was and as it is now.He held very lofty and grandiose ideals before the war, thinking that everything can be solved with just a little level headed discussion. Now that he's seen senseless murder, incredible violence and generally the worst that humanity has to offer he wonders if he's been wrong all this time.

I have some qualms with this book.

Dad March is not super likeable. I know he's supposed to be noble and well-intentioned and all those things but he really just comes off as preachy, condescending, not a good listener. However, I found Grace and several of the other characters to be very interesting and compelling.When Mrs March takes over the narration for a few chapters towards the end I like the book better!

Considering his holier than thou attitude, the man is not great with controlling his urges. He's quick to criticize and try to tame his wife's temper but really doesn't see his own as a problem.

I have yet to read a book that dovetails in with a classic book (like this one does with Little Women) and really liked it. This could just be a personal bias on my account but they never seem to live up to my (reasonable) expectations. Though I did just finish "Havisham" which is a sort of prequel to "Great Expectations" and I liked that and I hated "Great Expectations." So maybe I just really didn't like this book.(Shoulder shrug.)

So with the aforementioned critiques I'm giving it 2.5 out of 5 stars. If you have a real passion for the Civil War/abolition of slavery/"Little Women" then you still might be interested in picking it up. However, I haven't given up on Geraldine Brooks as an author, I have another one of her books on my to-read list, maybe there will be better times had there!