After One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, real fame fell on Kesey. It was not a success or even a literary triumph. Kesey became a prophet of two generations, a cult figure of the new American subculture. Perhaps it is precisely because of this that the author of “Cuckoo” did not publish the second book for so long. The public's expectations were too high. They wanted a continuation from Kesey, but he carefully wrote out a dark, almost ancient plot where revenge, incest and love were intertwined. It was as if he deliberately avoided successful topics, luring future readers into the branching labyrinth of a new novel. This book is difficult to appreciate. Boys familiar with Kesey's work only from Hollywood adaptations are frightened by its volume. Worthy men are annoyed by the author's pretension to a place among modern classics. Either way, it takes real courage to refuse the bait that glitters inside this trap novel.