Sometimes a Great Notion (novel)
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Sometimes a Great Notion (ISBN 9780143039860) is a 1964 novel by Ken Kesey.
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[edit] Plot summary
The plot centers on the Stamper family, a hard-headed logging clan in the fictional town of Wakonda, Oregon. The union loggers in the town of Wakonda go on strike in demand of the same pay for shorter hours, in response to the decreasing demand of labor due to the introduction of the chainsaw. However, the Stamper family, which owns its own non-union family company, decides not only to keep working but also to supply the regional mill with all the lumber the town would have supplied had it not been on strike. This decision, and the surrounding details of the decision, are deeply explored in deep historical background and relationship study, especially following: Henry Stamper, the old and half crazed patriarch whose motto "Never Give A Inch!" has defined the nature of the family and its dynamic with the town; Hank, the oldest son of Henry whose strong will and personality makes him leader but his subtle insecurities and desires threaten the stability of his family; Leland, the younger son of Henry and half brother of Hank, whose constant weaknesses and his intellect led him away from the Family to the East Coast, but whose eccentric behavior and want for revenge against Hank lead him back to Oregon; and Viv, Hank's wife, whose love for Hank fades quickly when she finds herself no longer being wanted or needed by Hank. The house itself gives the stubborness of the Stamper family a physicalization; as the river widens slowly, all the other houses on the river have either been consumed by the waters or moved away from the current, except the Stamper house, which stands on a precious peninsula of land fighting to maintain every inch of land with the help of boards, sand bags, cables and other miscellaneous items thought up by Henry Stamper in his fight against the river. It is widely considered among the masterpieces of Western American literature, in 1997 a panel of Northwest writers voted it number one in a list of "12 Essential Northwest Works".[1] One book critic has described it as "what may well be the quintessential Northwest novel".[1]
Kesey's second novel, following the phenomenal success of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, it is both more rooted in realism than his previous work and at the same time more experimental. It has been compared to William Faulkner's Absalom, Absalom! in both form and content.
The novel uses the somewhat disorientating technique of having multiple characters speaking sequentially in the first voice, with no announcement that the first-person speaker has changed. A first reading can be confusing, but subsequent readings reveal that Kesey always provides a clue, quickly referring to the previously-presumed first character in the third person. This technique allows Kesey to weave an intricate braid of characters whose motives are understood in depth by the reader, but yet do not communicate well with each other.
Kesey took the title from the song “Goodnight, Irene”, popularized by Lead Belly.
Sometimes I live in the country
Sometimes I live in the town
Sometimes I get a great notion
To jump into the river an’ drown
[edit] Film Adaptation
The novel was adapted into a film of the same name. In Britain it is more commonly known by its original release title: Never Give A Inch,[2] which refers to the motto painted in yellow machine-paint by the father, over a pious religious scene that was sent to his infant son by estranged relatives. The film starred Paul Newman and Henry Fonda and was nominated for two Oscars. A new version, set for release in 2010, will be written by Oregonian Mike Rich, the screenwriter of Finding Forrester and The Rookie. Scott Rudin and Mike Zoss {No Country for Old Men} will produce. Focus Features will distribute. The new version will be closer to the book than the 1971 movie.
[edit] Stage Adaptation
A stage adaptation, written and directed by Aaron Posner, premiered in Portland, Oregon at Portland Center Stage on April 4th, 2008.
[edit] References
- ^ Marshall, John (2001-11-16), Ken Kesey's true legacy is 'Sometimes a Great Notion', Seattle Post-Intelligencer, <http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/books/46819_book16.shtml>
- ^ POSTERWORLD . Over 300,000 Movie Posters in stock from 1909 to Present. NOT A FAKE SELLER
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