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First published in the United States of America by The Viking Press 1962

Published in Penguin Books 1973

Published in Penguin Classics 2005

Published in Red Classics 2006

Copyright © Ken Kesey, 1962

Copyright renewed © Ken Kesey, 1990

Copyright © The Estate of Ken Kesey, 2002

All rights reserved

Published by arrangement with Marion Boyars Publishers, 24 Lacy Road, London, SW15 1NL, to whom all requests for extracts and permissions should be addressed.

ISBN: 978-0-141-91506-7

Contents

Part I

Part II

Part III

Part IV

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ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO’S NEST

Ken Kesey was born in 1935 and grew up in Oregon. He graduated from the University of Oregon and later studied at Stanford with Wallace Stegner, Malcolm Cowley, Richard Scowcroft and Frank O’Connor. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, his first novel, was published in 1962. His second novel, Sometimes a Great Notion, followed in 1964. His other books include Kesey’s Garage Sale, Demon Box, Caverns (with O. U. Levon), The Further Inquiry, Sailor Song and Last Go Round (with Ken Babbs). His two children’s books are Little Tricker the Squirrel Meets Big Double the Bear and The Sea Lion. Ken Kesey died on 10 November 2001.

THE BEGINNING

To Vik Lovell

who told me dragons did not exist,

then led me to their lairs

Part I