I haven't seen the movie yet, but the book was spectacular. It was able to bring out all kinds of emotions; I often found myself laughing out loud at McMurphey’s various pranks and joke, but also really felt bad for the patients upon the realization of what they were actually going through. The story is told through the eyes of Chief Bromden, and at first it was a little confusing but after awhile I really started to appreciate the metaphors and just the fact that I was getting into this patients head, seeing what he thought about this whole ordeal. And it also poses the question, were some of these men really insane? How does one define insane? Is it the inability to function in a society? Can anyone who is unusual or abnormal actually be considered insane? I often found myself asking these questions, and in the book's shocking conclusion I came to realize some other things…that I won’t mention here for the sake of those of you who haven’t read it. Actually...I'll tag it...
Spoiler:
It made me realize that in the end one cannot overcome ultimate authority, no matter how terrible it may be. It was a very sad way to end the book, but it really was the only way one could end it.
So if you haven’t read it, you should. I highly recommend it.