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Demon Box
In this collection of short stories, Ken Kesey challenges public and private demons with a wrestler's brave and deceptive embrace, making it clear that the energy of madness must live on.
384 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1986
About the author
Ken Kesey
68 books2,623 followersKen Kesey was American writer, who gained world fame with his novel One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1962, filmed 1975). In the 1960s, Kesey became a counterculture hero and a guru of psychedelic drugs with Timothy Leary. Kesey has been called the Pied Piper, who changed the beat generation into the hippie movement.
Ken Kesey was born in La Junta, CO, and brought up in Eugene, OR. He spent his early years hunting, fishing, swimming; he learned to box and wrestle, and he was a star football player. He studied at the University of Oregon, where he acted in college plays. On graduating he won a scholarship to Stanford University. Kesey soon dropped out, joined the counterculture movement, and began experimenting with drugs. In 1956 he married his school sweetheart, Faye Haxby.
Kesey attended a creative writing course taught by the novelist Wallace Stegner. His first work was an unpublished novel, ZOO, about the beatniks of the North Beach community in San Francisco. Tom Wolfe described in his book The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test (1968) Kesey and his friends, called the Merry Pranksters, as they traveled the country and used various hallucinogens. Their bus, called Furthur, was painted in Day-Glo colors. In California Kesey's friends served LSD-laced Kool-Aid to members of their parties.
At a Veterans' Administration hospital in Menlo Park, California, Kesey was paid as a volunteer experimental subject, taking mind-altering drugs and reporting their effects. These experiences as a part-time aide at a psychiatric hospital, LSD sessions - and a vision of an Indian sweeping there the floor - formed the background for One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest, set in a mental hospital. While writing the work, and continuing in the footsteps of such writers as Thomas De Quincy (Confessions of an English Opium Eater, 1821), Aldous Huxley (The Doors of Perception, 1954), and William S. Burroughs (Naked Lunch, 1959), Kesey took peyote. The story is narrated by Chief Bromden. Into his world enters the petty criminal and prankster Randall Patrick McMurphy with his efforts to change the bureaucratic system of the institution, ruled by Nurse Ratched.
The film adaptation of the book gained a huge success. When the film won five Academy Awards, Kesey was barely mentioned during the award ceremonies, and he made known his unhappiness with the film. He did not like Jack Nicholson, or the script, and sued the producers.
Kesey's next novel, Sometimes a Great Notion (1964), appeared two years later and was also made into a film, this time directed by Paul Newman. The story was set in a logging community and centered on two brothers and their bitter rivalry in the family. After the work, Kesey gave up publishing novels. He formed a band of "Merry Pranksters", set up a commune in La Honda, California, bought an old school bus, and toured America and Mexico with his friends, among them Neal Cassady, Kerouac's travel companion. Dressed in a jester's outfit, Kesey was the chief prankster.
In 1965 Kesey was arrested for possession of marijuana. He fled to Mexico, where he faked an unconvincing suicide and then returned to the United States, serving a five-month prison sentence at the San Mateo County Jail. After this tumultuous period he bought farm in Pleasant Hill, Oregon, settled down with his wife to raise their four children, and taught a graduate writing seminar at the University of Oregon. In the early 1970s Kesey returned to writing and published Kesey's Garage Sale (1973). His later works include the children's book Little Tricker the Squirrel Meets Big Double the Bear(1990) and Sailor Song (1992), a futuristic tale about an Alaskan fishing village and Hollywood film crew. Last Go Around (1994), Kesey's last book, was an account of a famous Oregon rodeo written in the form of pulp fiction. In 2001, Kesey died of complications after surgery for liver cance
Ken Kesey was born in La Junta, CO, and brought up in Eugene, OR. He spent his early years hunting, fishing, swimming; he learned to box and wrestle, and he was a star football player. He studied at the University of Oregon, where he acted in college plays. On graduating he won a scholarship to Stanford University. Kesey soon dropped out, joined the counterculture movement, and began experimenting with drugs. In 1956 he married his school sweetheart, Faye Haxby.
Kesey attended a creative writing course taught by the novelist Wallace Stegner. His first work was an unpublished novel, ZOO, about the beatniks of the North Beach community in San Francisco. Tom Wolfe described in his book The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test (1968) Kesey and his friends, called the Merry Pranksters, as they traveled the country and used various hallucinogens. Their bus, called Furthur, was painted in Day-Glo colors. In California Kesey's friends served LSD-laced Kool-Aid to members of their parties.
At a Veterans' Administration hospital in Menlo Park, California, Kesey was paid as a volunteer experimental subject, taking mind-altering drugs and reporting their effects. These experiences as a part-time aide at a psychiatric hospital, LSD sessions - and a vision of an Indian sweeping there the floor - formed the background for One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest, set in a mental hospital. While writing the work, and continuing in the footsteps of such writers as Thomas De Quincy (Confessions of an English Opium Eater, 1821), Aldous Huxley (The Doors of Perception, 1954), and William S. Burroughs (Naked Lunch, 1959), Kesey took peyote. The story is narrated by Chief Bromden. Into his world enters the petty criminal and prankster Randall Patrick McMurphy with his efforts to change the bureaucratic system of the institution, ruled by Nurse Ratched.
The film adaptation of the book gained a huge success. When the film won five Academy Awards, Kesey was barely mentioned during the award ceremonies, and he made known his unhappiness with the film. He did not like Jack Nicholson, or the script, and sued the producers.
Kesey's next novel, Sometimes a Great Notion (1964), appeared two years later and was also made into a film, this time directed by Paul Newman. The story was set in a logging community and centered on two brothers and their bitter rivalry in the family. After the work, Kesey gave up publishing novels. He formed a band of "Merry Pranksters", set up a commune in La Honda, California, bought an old school bus, and toured America and Mexico with his friends, among them Neal Cassady, Kerouac's travel companion. Dressed in a jester's outfit, Kesey was the chief prankster.
In 1965 Kesey was arrested for possession of marijuana. He fled to Mexico, where he faked an unconvincing suicide and then returned to the United States, serving a five-month prison sentence at the San Mateo County Jail. After this tumultuous period he bought farm in Pleasant Hill, Oregon, settled down with his wife to raise their four children, and taught a graduate writing seminar at the University of Oregon. In the early 1970s Kesey returned to writing and published Kesey's Garage Sale (1973). His later works include the children's book Little Tricker the Squirrel Meets Big Double the Bear(1990) and Sailor Song (1992), a futuristic tale about an Alaskan fishing village and Hollywood film crew. Last Go Around (1994), Kesey's last book, was an account of a famous Oregon rodeo written in the form of pulp fiction. In 2001, Kesey died of complications after surgery for liver cance
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March 1, 2020
Let me just say that I love Ken Kesey, and I want to eventually read every word he has written. This is not a classic, like the great "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest," but it is a fine read if you are interested in all things Keseyian. If you are not, this probably is not the best place to start, unless you are a fan of the Beat Generation and the West Coast counterculture of the 1960s and 70s. But those things were already fading into the past as the book begins, and a good part of this involves Kesey uncomfortably dealing with the flotsam of that special time as it washes up on his shores (or turns up at his doorstep, to be more precise about it).
This is mostly a collection of personal essays, but with a bunch of other stuff thrown in, like a couple of oddball short fictions and a few travel pieces. Some of it was published in well-known magazines, a couple made it into the journal that the author helped publish for a while, and several appeared in this book for the first time.
The book begins with Kesey's release from prison for a marijuana conviction (which was followed by his jumping bail and going to Mexico for a while). Despite being one of the ringleaders of the mid 60s hippie culture in California, Kesey famously bid farewell to all that and returned to his family's farm in Oregon where he raised animals, crops, and a family. Some of the best pieces are about life on the farm and some of the animals there, like Killer, his hard-hitting goat, and the feud that developed between his bull and a neighbor's. A few of the essays concern old pals and footloose fans turning up unexpectedly at his door, something he did not welcome at all but tried to deal with compassionately. These were colorful figures who may have consumed his food, drink, and time, but gave him people to write about.
A character named Houlihan appears in several pieces, a legendary fellow who was full of scene-stealing energy and talk. This was certainly a pseudonym for Neal Cassady, who served as an inspiration for many writers of that time. One of the essays concerns the aftermath, in Kesey's life anyway, of hearing of Houlihan's death. Kesey makes himself into a character for most of these pieces, a cool cat named Devlin Deboree. One wonders why he had to concoct a persona for himself when it was obvious he was writing about himself.
Several other fine pieces concern the adventures of Deboree: two trips to China (one in search of widely respected philosopher and scholar, Dr. Fung Yu-Lan), a very entertaining visit to Cairo and the pyramids of Egypt (which involve interactions with local hashish salesmen and other wacky fellows), a brief visit with the Beatles at Apple Records in London, and some interactions with a guru-like pseudo psychologist named Dr. Klaus Woofner (probably a pseudonym for Werner Erhard of EST fame).
These pieces are a pretty masculine enterprise. Women do not appear very often (although kooky hippie chick Sandy Pawku makes an impression in one piece), not even Kesey's wife, and I am not sure why that is. She was his life partner from high school on. Maybe he or she did not want her turning up in his writing for some reason. I couldn't help but wonder if this book does not to some extent document Kesey's decline as a writer. The energy and brilliance started to sag as time moved on. Most people agree that his first two novels (both written before he was 30!) were his greatest achievements. This collection was published in 1986, and I remember seeing stacks of them in the bargain bins. He did go on to write (and co-write) a couple more full-length works before leaving us too soon in 2001.
This is mostly a collection of personal essays, but with a bunch of other stuff thrown in, like a couple of oddball short fictions and a few travel pieces. Some of it was published in well-known magazines, a couple made it into the journal that the author helped publish for a while, and several appeared in this book for the first time.
The book begins with Kesey's release from prison for a marijuana conviction (which was followed by his jumping bail and going to Mexico for a while). Despite being one of the ringleaders of the mid 60s hippie culture in California, Kesey famously bid farewell to all that and returned to his family's farm in Oregon where he raised animals, crops, and a family. Some of the best pieces are about life on the farm and some of the animals there, like Killer, his hard-hitting goat, and the feud that developed between his bull and a neighbor's. A few of the essays concern old pals and footloose fans turning up unexpectedly at his door, something he did not welcome at all but tried to deal with compassionately. These were colorful figures who may have consumed his food, drink, and time, but gave him people to write about.
A character named Houlihan appears in several pieces, a legendary fellow who was full of scene-stealing energy and talk. This was certainly a pseudonym for Neal Cassady, who served as an inspiration for many writers of that time. One of the essays concerns the aftermath, in Kesey's life anyway, of hearing of Houlihan's death. Kesey makes himself into a character for most of these pieces, a cool cat named Devlin Deboree. One wonders why he had to concoct a persona for himself when it was obvious he was writing about himself.
Several other fine pieces concern the adventures of Deboree: two trips to China (one in search of widely respected philosopher and scholar, Dr. Fung Yu-Lan), a very entertaining visit to Cairo and the pyramids of Egypt (which involve interactions with local hashish salesmen and other wacky fellows), a brief visit with the Beatles at Apple Records in London, and some interactions with a guru-like pseudo psychologist named Dr. Klaus Woofner (probably a pseudonym for Werner Erhard of EST fame).
These pieces are a pretty masculine enterprise. Women do not appear very often (although kooky hippie chick Sandy Pawku makes an impression in one piece), not even Kesey's wife, and I am not sure why that is. She was his life partner from high school on. Maybe he or she did not want her turning up in his writing for some reason. I couldn't help but wonder if this book does not to some extent document Kesey's decline as a writer. The energy and brilliance started to sag as time moved on. Most people agree that his first two novels (both written before he was 30!) were his greatest achievements. This collection was published in 1986, and I remember seeing stacks of them in the bargain bins. He did go on to write (and co-write) a couple more full-length works before leaving us too soon in 2001.
February 5, 2017
This book contains one of thee all-time greatest short stories about good versus evil: "Good Friday." As a superstition, every time I move to a new place, I give away my copy of this book and buy a new one. That way I can keep the little demon in that box working.
July 31, 2021
The story of returning to a normal (well, relatively) life after a Summer of love and crazy fame, which fell on a bright, talented, charismatic, but completely unprepared for it youngster. After a stupid bus trip with "Pranksters" and a prison sentence, which could not be avoided, despite the clever schemes. A return to the roots, when the farmer's son Kesey with followers and admirers, having bought a farm, began to manage.
В моей жизни Кен Кизи качели: от полного неприятия к совершенной любви, через разочарование к новой очарованности. "Полет над гнездом кукушки" Формана в юности когда выламывалась из кинозала, путаясь в пыльных портьерах, под комментарий билетерши: "Психованная какая-то". Потому что физически невозможно находиться в одном пространстве с "этим" - сцена возвращения Макмерфи после реальной лоботомии (помните, был еще эпизод с розыгрышем?) Не то чтобы моя нервная организация была чересчур тонкой, да и не нравился этот тип, но такой болью оказалось низведение человека до состояния бездушного автомата. "Мерзкое какое кино - подумала, - И книга наверно такая же"
"Над кукушкиным гнездом", а это уже книга года через четыре, совершенная оглушенность - божечки мои, как хорошо, как грустно, как честно и невыносимо прекрасно. О тех, кого общество отбросило, не найдя применения их особым талантам. О свободе, зависимости и соотношении этих двух: за какой гранью свобода превращается в разрушение и саморазрушение; перейдя какую ступень, стремление чувствовать себя защищенным и не нести чрезмерной ответственности становится зависимостью. О страдании и сострадании. О том, как приход в мир не в том времени и месте превращает всю следующую жизнь в полет над гнездом кукушки.
"Порою блажь великая" уже совсем взрослой и - какая все-таки гадость эта ваша заливная рыба. История семьи Стемперов из затерянного в орегонской глуши городка Ваконда (не путать с Макондо, это у Маркеса). Книга словно созданная, чтобы проиллюстрировать: яркие герои, неизбитый сюжет, мощное социальное звучание и новаторская форма не гарантируют, что сваленная в большую кучу гора стоимостей создаст механическим сложением ценность.
"Когда явились ангелы", день сегодняшний. Уже определившись для себя, что Кизи писатель одной книги, нормально, чо. Одному на плечо музы слетаются, как пчелы на цветок и он фонтанирует историями, а другой так и остается автором одного снайперского выстрела. Кругом лотерея, людей на Земле миллиарды, но своего не каждому удается найти, а с творчеством и вовсе вступают в действие механизмы, которых человеку пытаться постичь не стоит.
Ничего не ждала от сборника. Вот разве коллектив переводчиков, поди ж ты, четверо, и такие классные, и с работами всех в разное время довелось познакомиться. Виктор Голлышев титан литературного перевода, весь Трумен Капоте, дивный Роберт Пенн Уоррен, классический перевод "1984", и Шервуд Андерсон, и Иен Макьюэн. А еще весь Пулман и да, громкая новинка этого лета "Валентайн". И - возвращаясь к Кизи - любимое "Над кукушкиным гнездом".
Максим Немцов: весь Пинчон и Кристофер Мур, Гейман, Джон Бойн, Мервин Пик и "4321" Остера, который обожаю, и Берроуз, которого терпеть не могу и битники, к которым индифферентна. А еще же ирландская литература в дуэте с любимой Шаши Мартыновой . Анастасия Грызунова: Маргарет Этвуд, чудесные "Кавалер & Клей" Майкла Шейбона и "Дальгрен" Дилэни - совершенная бомба на границе прошлого и нынешнего литературных лет. В переводе Николая Караева только "Центральную станцию" Тидхара читала, но слышала о нем много, Быков даже, помню, хвалил его "Трилистники".
С таким звездным квартетом, даже если книга совсем не понравится, золотоносный песок читательского счастья можно добыть, угадывая переводчика. Признаюсь, идентифицировала только Немцова, но радости по крохам собирать не понадобилось. Бог знает, почему это собрание повестей, рассказов, эссе и стихотворений так хорошо зашло. Нет впечатления солянки сборной, напротив - кусочки смальты сами собой складываются в мозаичное панно.
История возвращения к нормальной (ну, относительно) жизни после Лета любви и безумной славы, которая обрушилась на яркого, талантливого, харизматичного, но совершенно не готового к ней юнца. После дурацкого автобусного путешествия с "Проказниками" и отсидки, которой не удалось избегнуть, несмотря на хитроумные схемы. Возвращение к истокам, когда фермерский сын Кизи с последователями и обожателями, прикупив ферму, принялся хозяйствовать.
Его дар земной, потому и любим "Кукушкино гнездо", что разрушительное свободолюбие Макмерфи уравновешивается глубинной мудростью Вождя. Ну хорошо же, хорошо про коров и быков, что бы вы не говорили. Перманентно обдолбанные поклонники Дебри (персонификация героя-рассказчика) воспринимаются совершенными недотыкомками, а собственная его зависимость от веществ никак не тянет на предмет сочувствия. Максимум - брезгливой жалости.
Дурацкая египетская эпопея. Забавная и милая китайская. притча Сказочки бабули Уиттнер. Апокрифическая история "в гостях у битлов". Завершающая зарисовка про ангелов ада. Пусть мой Кизи останется в памяти таким,
В моей жизни Кен Кизи качели: от полного неприятия к совершенной любви, через разочарование к новой очарованности. "Полет над гнездом кукушки" Формана в юности когда выламывалась из кинозала, путаясь в пыльных портьерах, под комментарий билетерши: "Психованная какая-то". Потому что физически невозможно находиться в одном пространстве с "этим" - сцена возвращения Макмерфи после реальной лоботомии (помните, был еще эпизод с розыгрышем?) Не то чтобы моя нервная организация была чересчур тонкой, да и не нравился этот тип, но такой болью оказалось низведение человека до состояния бездушного автомата. "Мерзкое какое кино - подумала, - И книга наверно такая же"
"Над кукушкиным гнездом", а это уже книга года через четыре, совершенная оглушенность - божечки мои, как хорошо, как грустно, как честно и невыносимо прекрасно. О тех, кого общество отбросило, не найдя применения их особым талантам. О свободе, зависимости и соотношении этих двух: за какой гранью свобода превращается в разрушение и саморазрушение; перейдя какую ступень, стремление чувствовать себя защищенным и не нести чрезмерной ответственности становится зависимостью. О страдании и сострадании. О том, как приход в мир не в том времени и месте превращает всю следующую жизнь в полет над гнездом кукушки.
"Порою блажь великая" уже совсем взрослой и - какая все-таки гадость эта ваша заливная рыба. История семьи Стемперов из затерянного в орегонской глуши городка Ваконда (не путать с Макондо, это у Маркеса). Книга словно созданная, чтобы проиллюстрировать: яркие герои, неизбитый сюжет, мощное социальное звучание и новаторская форма не гарантируют, что сваленная в большую кучу гора стоимостей создаст механическим сложением ценность.
"Когда явились ангелы", день сегодняшний. Уже определившись для себя, что Кизи писатель одной книги, нормально, чо. Одному на плечо музы слетаются, как пчелы на цветок и он фонтанирует историями, а другой так и остается автором одного снайперского выстрела. Кругом лотерея, людей на Земле миллиарды, но своего не каждому удается найти, а с творчеством и вовсе вступают в действие механизмы, которых человеку пытаться постичь не стоит.
Ничего не ждала от сборника. Вот разве коллектив переводчиков, поди ж ты, четверо, и такие классные, и с работами всех в разное время довелось познакомиться. Виктор Голлышев титан литературного перевода, весь Трумен Капоте, дивный Роберт Пенн Уоррен, классический перевод "1984", и Шервуд Андерсон, и Иен Макьюэн. А еще весь Пулман и да, громкая новинка этого лета "Валентайн". И - возвращаясь к Кизи - любимое "Над кукушкиным гнездом".
Максим Немцов: весь Пинчон и Кристофер Мур, Гейман, Джон Бойн, Мервин Пик и "4321" Остера, который обожаю, и Берроуз, которого терпеть не могу и битники, к которым индифферентна. А еще же ирландская литература в дуэте с любимой Шаши Мартыновой . Анастасия Грызунова: Маргарет Этвуд, чудесные "Кавалер & Клей" Майкла Шейбона и "Дальгрен" Дилэни - совершенная бомба на границе прошлого и нынешнего литературных лет. В переводе Николая Караева только "Центральную станцию" Тидхара читала, но слышала о нем много, Быков даже, помню, хвалил его "Трилистники".
С таким звездным квартетом, даже если книга совсем не понравится, золотоносный песок читательского счастья можно добыть, угадывая переводчика. Признаюсь, идентифицировала только Немцова, но радости по крохам собирать не понадобилось. Бог знает, почему это собрание повестей, рассказов, эссе и стихотворений так хорошо зашло. Нет впечатления солянки сборной, напротив - кусочки смальты сами собой складываются в мозаичное панно.
История возвращения к нормальной (ну, относительно) жизни после Лета любви и безумной славы, которая обрушилась на яркого, талантливого, харизматичного, но совершенно не готового к ней юнца. После дурацкого автобусного путешествия с "Проказниками" и отсидки, которой не удалось избегнуть, несмотря на хитроумные схемы. Возвращение к истокам, когда фермерский сын Кизи с последователями и обожателями, прикупив ферму, принялся хозяйствовать.
Его дар земной, потому и любим "Кукушкино гнездо", что разрушительное свободолюбие Макмерфи уравновешивается глубинной мудростью Вождя. Ну хорошо же, хорошо про коров и быков, что бы вы не говорили. Перманентно обдолбанные поклонники Дебри (персонификация героя-рассказчика) воспринимаются совершенными недотыкомками, а собственная его зависимость от веществ никак не тянет на предмет сочувствия. Максимум - брезгливой жалости.
Дурацкая египетская эпопея. Забавная и милая китайская. притча Сказочки бабули Уиттнер. Апокрифическая история "в гостях у битлов". Завершающая зарисовка про ангелов ада. Пусть мой Кизи останется в памяти таким,
January 3, 2009
Good old Ken...I mean Devlin. Pithy, detailed, occasionally rollicking, real as a razor stories told from the heart with a journalist's detail. Includes some terrific bull stories and a terrific Egypt trip. Kesey performs gentle gonzo journalism, never the hero but included in the colorful cast of characters.
Described by Penguin Books's blurb as Keysey's "third novel", in fact this is a collection of essays, mostly autobiographical, with the names changed. The title essay refers to Maxwell's demon, as presented in a lecture by a famous gestalt psychologist... another terrific essay which includes a trip to Disney World.
All of the essays are good, except for 'Oleo' which is a lame excuse to print his "Dopey Ditties".
'Run Into Great Wall' relates his experience traveling to Beijing to cover a China-hosted international track meet for Running magazine in the 1980's ... an interesting precursor to the 2008 Olympics.
Described by Penguin Books's blurb as Keysey's "third novel", in fact this is a collection of essays, mostly autobiographical, with the names changed. The title essay refers to Maxwell's demon, as presented in a lecture by a famous gestalt psychologist... another terrific essay which includes a trip to Disney World.
All of the essays are good, except for 'Oleo' which is a lame excuse to print his "Dopey Ditties".
'Run Into Great Wall' relates his experience traveling to Beijing to cover a China-hosted international track meet for Running magazine in the 1980's ... an interesting precursor to the 2008 Olympics.
August 16, 2007
This book was amazing. However, it could have been two hundred pages shorter and still achieved the same result.
November 5, 2020
The words that describe this book: relaxed, deep, mellow, honest. There are worse things you could say about a book. I probably won't read the book again, but I'm glad I read it once.
July 18, 2008
Entropy. It's not just a good idea, it's the law.
I know you've read One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, now try a B-side tasty for your brain.
I know you've read One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, now try a B-side tasty for your brain.
December 20, 2023
Excelente recopilación de ensayos, cuentos, gran parte de ellos transcurridos en la granja donde el autor se instaló en Oregon, y hacia adonde los hippies siguieron peregrinando para poder conocer al icono viviente. Grandes apariciones del mítico Neal Cassady, de los Ángeles del Infierno, de John Lennon; en resumen una muy recomendable lectura para los amantes del beatnik, hippismo y psicodelias varias, en especial el ensayo que da título al libro.
September 12, 2023
Reads like spoken word at times. A bit of An American Prayer vibe
April 7, 2016
These stories and essays are a well written collection of pieces based on the author's life. The prose is excellent and fast-reading despite the fact it is somewhat autobiographical. The title essay tells of the importance of keeping an open mind to combat entropy, which is "true only in closed systems." A trip of Kesey's to Egypt was also very enjoyable reading.
July 5, 2008
"Where did we come from and more important, as our nation's worth leaks away and the gears of this cycle's trip grind from Pisces to Aquarius in approach of the promised shifting of the poles, where are we bound."
August 2, 2012
A great and personal collection of stories from one of the best writer's of the 20th Century. They are playful and dark and excruciating and witty and all of the above. Kesey really did have a way with words that was like very few others.
December 13, 2007
"Then the trembling starts to get worse. This must be how they begin, he thinks. Freak-outs. Breakdowns. Crack-ups. Eventually shut-ins and finally cross-offs. But first the cover-up . . ."
September 5, 2020
To dziwna książka. Właściwie zbiór opowiadań bazujących na życiu Keseya. Miks życia bitnika, włóczęgi, scenarzysty „Lotu nad kukułczym gniazdem”. Wspomnienia rodzinne, poszukiwania po prochach. Bieg w Chinach i poszukiwanie tajnego stowarzyszenia w Egipcie. Są Beatelsi, jest Lennon chwilę przed śmiercią. Może to kwestia tłumaczenia (Magda S. - pozdrawiam), może specyfika autora. Może trzeba przeczytać jeszcze raz. Ale chyba są lepsze książki.
October 26, 2018
The book was really detailed. I liked how explained the field trip to Egypt. They went around Egypt and met Arabs and learned a lot about how the Egyptians lived in the past years. The book could be shortened because of a lot of detail that was sort of unnecessary, but overall it was a really good book. This book would be great for those who likes a lot of details in the book.
April 21, 2017
This book is broken up into several distinct chapters, each varying in length and subject. Kesey writes a fictional autobiography of sorts, dubbing himself Devlin Deboree in the book. The reader follows Deboree through the psychedelic sixties to the eighties. We see life on the family farm, hitchhiking hippies, pharmaceutical gatherings at Disney World, the creation of a screenplay One Flew Over A Cuckoo's Nest and the lives and deaths of many of Kesey's friends, including Neal Cassidy. All of the names have been changed, but one familiar enough with sixties history can figure it all out. It's a crazy trip indeed.
Unfortunately there is a lot of rambling in this book that the reader has to wade through. I wasn't really expecting to come across so much fluff, but as long as you can look past the extra bits it is possible to discover the real story. I still enjoyed the book a lot, because I think Kesey is rather skilled at writing from multiple perspectives and integrating various cultures into one book. My favorite chapter is called Run Into Great Wall, which is about a marathon race in China. I also found that the animal stories told by Grandma Whittier are funny and entertaining. Each chapter has a different feel.
So all in all, if you can get past the fluff I think you would like this book. Definitely worth a read if one is interested in Kesey's work.
Unfortunately there is a lot of rambling in this book that the reader has to wade through. I wasn't really expecting to come across so much fluff, but as long as you can look past the extra bits it is possible to discover the real story. I still enjoyed the book a lot, because I think Kesey is rather skilled at writing from multiple perspectives and integrating various cultures into one book. My favorite chapter is called Run Into Great Wall, which is about a marathon race in China. I also found that the animal stories told by Grandma Whittier are funny and entertaining. Each chapter has a different feel.
So all in all, if you can get past the fluff I think you would like this book. Definitely worth a read if one is interested in Kesey's work.
March 15, 2012
A real unpretentious masterpiece. The innovative fragmentary style and the indivisible blend of fiction and non-fiction by themselves make it worth checking out. His thoughts and experiences (and thought experiences?) years after his Prankster days ended and the whole scene fell apart are just priceless.
October 17, 2014
This is the story of the journey of a crazy young hippie becoming an wise-ish old hippie. It's not chronological, but it's magical and comforting and everything I want from a Ken Kesey novel.
November 2, 2015
Some of these stories are better than others, but overall this was such a fun book to read. Kesey really captures voices you wouldn't necessarily get to hear otherwise.
July 7, 2018
Post-acid writings. Fiction and nonfiction blur. The legacy of gonzo.
January 21, 2019
Demon Box is Kesey at his most intimate. He shows us his fears, his failures, the same stubborn strength that brought down his famous strongman McMurphy, that floated Hank Stamper down the river, and that, in this book, chases our hero Devlin Deboree through a variety of autobiographical essays and short stories.
One thing is undeniable - Kesey can write. His prose is sharp as ever, dense, effective, and brimming with style. Crystal clear, character defining dialogue and HD quality descriptions build a world that feels... almost tangible. I won't go on too much about the quality of writing, because that's not what makes this book stand out against Kesey's other works.
To compare this book to One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest or Sometimes a Great Notion is a mistake. This is not a story. These are fragments of life, of an icon far past his glory days. Each story on its own is fantastic, but this collection really only shines with some context. I would highly suggest reading Keseys earlier novels, as well as Tom Wolfes The Elektric Kool Aid Acid Test, before this collection. Without the context, this would read like a well written, albeit perhaps unorganized book of magazine articles and essays, but with some notion of what Kesey meant for the decade he found his fame in, this book reads almost like a manifesto. There is such an underlying sense of nostalgia. A reminiscence for a time long gone, that decade of love, when Oneness was just a moment away... Demon box was published in the 80s, a time when Unity between People seemed less attainable than... well, I don't know... a black man in the White House?
My point is, even though this at times feels like an obituary for the blind optimism of the 1960s, that same hopefulness always creeps its way back into the mix. An Egyptian man's hope to educate his child, despite his country's disarray. The flashing faces Kesey finds in the bottom of a wine jug. A legally blind girl's immunity to entropy. A hope which lies in our legends, our Neal Cassidys, our John Lennons, Ken Kesey himself, in America, and all her hard headed, soft spoken, perfectly flawed characters which cover those amber waves of grain....
In Short: First get on the bus, then open up Keseys Demon Box...
One thing is undeniable - Kesey can write. His prose is sharp as ever, dense, effective, and brimming with style. Crystal clear, character defining dialogue and HD quality descriptions build a world that feels... almost tangible. I won't go on too much about the quality of writing, because that's not what makes this book stand out against Kesey's other works.
To compare this book to One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest or Sometimes a Great Notion is a mistake. This is not a story. These are fragments of life, of an icon far past his glory days. Each story on its own is fantastic, but this collection really only shines with some context. I would highly suggest reading Keseys earlier novels, as well as Tom Wolfes The Elektric Kool Aid Acid Test, before this collection. Without the context, this would read like a well written, albeit perhaps unorganized book of magazine articles and essays, but with some notion of what Kesey meant for the decade he found his fame in, this book reads almost like a manifesto. There is such an underlying sense of nostalgia. A reminiscence for a time long gone, that decade of love, when Oneness was just a moment away... Demon box was published in the 80s, a time when Unity between People seemed less attainable than... well, I don't know... a black man in the White House?
My point is, even though this at times feels like an obituary for the blind optimism of the 1960s, that same hopefulness always creeps its way back into the mix. An Egyptian man's hope to educate his child, despite his country's disarray. The flashing faces Kesey finds in the bottom of a wine jug. A legally blind girl's immunity to entropy. A hope which lies in our legends, our Neal Cassidys, our John Lennons, Ken Kesey himself, in America, and all her hard headed, soft spoken, perfectly flawed characters which cover those amber waves of grain....
In Short: First get on the bus, then open up Keseys Demon Box...
September 21, 2023
Review of Demon Box by Ken Kesey
Fascinated to see what the man at the heart of the Merry Pranksters is all about, but not quite ready to get into One Flew Over The Cuckoo Nest yet, Demon Box seemed the obvious choice. It’s a collection of short stories ranging massively in topics, themes and style.
The best parts for me were the ones about Kesey (well his alter ego, Devlin) and his life post Pranksters on his farm with his family. Old friends drop in to remind him of the scene he has mostly left behind as do fans, hippies, bikers - all wanting to connect with the famous acid tester Kesey. He takes a trip (in more than just a physical sense) to England to meet the Beatles as some kind of freak power delegate. He visits Egypt to write a piece for a magazine about the pyramids and is soon up to his eyeballs in strong hash and shady locals. His writing is powerful, his prose is strong and his simple tales of friends and family are entangled in his mind and his writing with bigger questions.
There are also some great examples of what an amazing writer he is. One story takes the perspective of his grandmother, from her childhood near-death experience to a party Devlin and the rest of her family throw her on his farm. The writing style and pace changing as she ages. It’s quite the piece of literary work.
His tale of the local animals outwitting and occasionally getting eaten by a hungry bear became a children's book in itself and is likely a great piece of writing. It’s mischievous and childishly brilliant.
I got a bit lost in his visit to China, it had some great parts but it just didn’t connect quite as well for some reason.
All in all a great read from a true original pioneer of acid culture and the freak lifestyle, as well as a staggeringly brilliant author.
Fascinated to see what the man at the heart of the Merry Pranksters is all about, but not quite ready to get into One Flew Over The Cuckoo Nest yet, Demon Box seemed the obvious choice. It’s a collection of short stories ranging massively in topics, themes and style.
The best parts for me were the ones about Kesey (well his alter ego, Devlin) and his life post Pranksters on his farm with his family. Old friends drop in to remind him of the scene he has mostly left behind as do fans, hippies, bikers - all wanting to connect with the famous acid tester Kesey. He takes a trip (in more than just a physical sense) to England to meet the Beatles as some kind of freak power delegate. He visits Egypt to write a piece for a magazine about the pyramids and is soon up to his eyeballs in strong hash and shady locals. His writing is powerful, his prose is strong and his simple tales of friends and family are entangled in his mind and his writing with bigger questions.
There are also some great examples of what an amazing writer he is. One story takes the perspective of his grandmother, from her childhood near-death experience to a party Devlin and the rest of her family throw her on his farm. The writing style and pace changing as she ages. It’s quite the piece of literary work.
His tale of the local animals outwitting and occasionally getting eaten by a hungry bear became a children's book in itself and is likely a great piece of writing. It’s mischievous and childishly brilliant.
I got a bit lost in his visit to China, it had some great parts but it just didn’t connect quite as well for some reason.
All in all a great read from a true original pioneer of acid culture and the freak lifestyle, as well as a staggeringly brilliant author.
May 25, 2017
Not sure what to make of this one. This book, while not badly written, is not what I read Ken Kesey for. Generally I love his bigger-than-life heroes, be they Randall Patrick McMurphy, Leland Stanford and Hank Stamper, or even the trio of cowboys from "Last Go-Round" (who aren't memorable enough for me to recall their names, but are definitely pretty impressive in their own rights.) The main character in this episodic collection of stories is Devlin Deboree, who may or may not be an avatar of Kesey himself; the last couple of chapters suggest this. (Perhaps if I knew more about Kesey's early life I would find more evidence of it earlier.) But Deboree doesn't seem nearly as larger-than-life as Kesey himself did in the only other biographical tale I've read of Kesey (Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test), and in fact one of the secondary characters in this book (Houlihan) seems somewhat more Kesey-esque than Deboree. So I'm left a little confused as to what was intended, and in any case, I wasn't all that impressed by the main character. He seemed nice enough, in a soft-focus, frequently stoned kind of way. In a couple of the sections (notably his trip to Egypt, as well as to a lesser extent China and Disney World) he actually seemed very reminiscent of Bill Bryson and I definitely don't read Kesey for a self-deprecating, humorously tongue-in-cheek travelogue. If I want that I'll read Bryson. What Kesey excels at is larger-than-life antiheroes beating the establishment at its own game, and there's none of that here. The book was well-enough written that it wasn't without interest, but I was definitely disappointed.
April 29, 2018
This feels a bit like a posthumous release of a writers unfinished manuscript, particularly when you're scrapping the bottom with b-sides and liner notes. However, this was a while Kesey was still alive--just self-aware and very possibly burnt out that he would never write another book, so we wanted to release it on his terms.
Originally envisioend as as "box of ideas" this would have been sold similar to Anne Carson's Float--just a bunch of ephemera collected to to be read in any order. A large theme of the book was entropy, and how it was the natural state of things.
As such, the Tarnished Galahad released a book of largely "autobiographical" essays.
Entropy. It's not just a good idea, it's the law.
It's similar to my complaint about Clive Barker--always working on several books and disparate threads, but never finishing them. Or John Steakley--worked on three novels simultaneously, died before finishing any of them.
This is more like picking fruit off a vine, before it fell of the tree and was properly ripe.
Originally envisioend as as "box of ideas" this would have been sold similar to Anne Carson's Float--just a bunch of ephemera collected to to be read in any order. A large theme of the book was entropy, and how it was the natural state of things.
As such, the Tarnished Galahad released a book of largely "autobiographical" essays.
Entropy. It's not just a good idea, it's the law.
It's similar to my complaint about Clive Barker--always working on several books and disparate threads, but never finishing them. Or John Steakley--worked on three novels simultaneously, died before finishing any of them.
This is more like picking fruit off a vine, before it fell of the tree and was properly ripe.
February 15, 2020
I always assumed this was a second-tier book by Kesey. In fact, it's a collection of autobiographical stories, as close to Hunter Thompson in style as anyone is likely to come. Included are encounters with Neal Cassady and John Lennon. Most of the stories are set on Ken's ranch in Oregon, but there are also excursions to Egypt and China. Surprisingly engaging, written with wit and wisdom, including some reflection on his own youthful excesses and the naivette (and charm) of the 60's era. Highly recommended for Kesey fans.
December 30, 2018
I enjoyed this collection of short stories. They were clearly biographical even if he gave the protagonist a made up name. In some ways they explain his decision to retire to his farm after his very public life and prison sentence. Ken is honest to the point of bitterness about his own path in life and about his friends, some of whom died sooner that perhaps they should have.
October 7, 2019
This is much more a collection of loosely-related short stories than it is a full-blown novel, in my opinion, but it remains an excellent example of Kesey writing at his finest. If there exists a better portrait of the aftermath of the Pranksters and the chaos of the 60's, I have not yet read it.
February 5, 2022
I always have trouble getting into Kesey. It takes me awhile to get away from where I am and into where he is. But when I do, my life fades away and I’m in the forest in Oregon or the mental ward in the hospital or in China or Egypt.
A collection of short stories and musings doesn’t make this any easier, but the effort and the ride are still worthwhile.
A collection of short stories and musings doesn’t make this any easier, but the effort and the ride are still worthwhile.
July 5, 2022
Kesey definitely has some interesting things to say and easily the skills to say it, he just gets a little lost on the delivery in this one. I didn't really grow attached or care about any of the characters so the entirety of my enjoyment derived from the passing ray of brilliance in the prose or the laugh out loud description of a scene.
July 8, 2018
It hurts a bit to abandon this book. There are moments where everything is aligned and the characters are vibrant and the story is meaningful. But those moments are far between, and the book as a whole lacks a cohesive narrative.
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