My head hurt worse than when I ACTUALLY dropped acid...
This is a surprising piece of work. Tom Wolfe writes most of the book seemingly from the view of the Merry Pranksters. However, his tone seems to become distanced and coldly objective as the book concludes. Ultimatly the reader may (if not deluded into thinking the lifestyle a virtual utopia) see flaws and ultimate failure of the lifestyle. I did not find the Merry Pranksters amusing, free, or admirable. I found much of their behaviour to be mindlessly hedonistic, self-destructive, and generally sheep-like in following the teachings of a raving loon. By the end of the book, I had a throbbing headache. However, I think the problem lies not in the writing of Tom Wolfe (for I enjoyed his other books tremendously) but in the subject matter. In conclusion, I am surprised that the scrambled, self-indulgent mind of Ken Kesey was capable of conceiving such a brilliant book as "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest."