A reread from long ago. A portrait of a lost era that quickly disappeared into the maw of commercialization of everything. Kesey was a strange character - a bit of a prophet with a vision of a society with a freer, more open mind. It is interesting that his later message was to move beyond acid and the other drugs, to find that open mind state without the drugs. Of course, this message fell flat. For most the attraction was the thrill.
Also, always the same old things: leader worship, in crowd and out crowd, conformity pressure. The alternative vision that mirrors the same old same old....
Sadly, ultimately, the whole thing ended rather seedily - hiding from the law, seamy Mexico, in-fighting, even a bit of megalomania and paranoia. A failed prophecy and a failed prophet.
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