Ken Kesey — Quotes from Author's Books

Whoever comes in the door is usually somebody disappointing, but there's always a chance otherwise.

You know, that's the first thing that got me about this place, that there wasn't anybody laughing. I haven't heard a real laugh since I came through that door, do you know that? Man, when you lose your laugh you lose your footing.

There’s no better way in the world to aggravate somebody who's trying to make it hard for you than by acting like you're not bothered.

I’ve seen a thousand of 'em, <...> people who try to make you weak so they can get you to toe the line, to follow their rules, to live like they want you to. <...> want to win by making you weaker instead of making himself stronger...

They can't tell so much about you if you got your eyes closed.

If I'm bound to be a loony, then I'm bound to be a stompdown dadgum good one.

Which one of you claims to be the craziest? Which one is the biggest loony? It's my first day, and what I like to do is make a good impression straight off on the right man.

Nobody's gonna convince me I can't do something till I try it.

One flew east, one flew west, one flew over the cuckoo's nest.

"What would you speculate it was about her that frightened you so, Billy?"
"I was in luh-love with her."

He who marches out of step hears another drum.

"Ya know, ma'am," he says, "ya know — that is the ex-act thing somebody always tells me about the rules... just when they figure I'm about to do the dead opposite."

The air is pressed in by the walls, too tight for laughing.

The secret of being a top-notch con man is being able to know what the mark wants, and how to make him think he’s getting it.

And later, hiding in the latrine from the black boys, I'd take a look at my own self in the mirror and wonder how it was possible that anybody could manage such an enormous thing as being what he was.

They are in contact on a high-voltage wavelength of hate.