logo

41 pages 1 hour read

Sometimes a Great Notion

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1964

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.

Book Brief

logo
Ken Kesey

Sometimes a Great Notion

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1964
Book Details
Pages

640

Format

Novel • Fiction

Setting

Oregon • 1960s

Publication Year

1964

Audience

Adult

Recommended Reading Age

18+ years

Lexile Level

1020L

Roundup icon

Super Short Summary

In Ken Kesey's Sometimes a Great Notion, the Stamper family of independent loggers defies a logging union’s strike against a larger company, leading to internal family conflict and external sabotage. This novel explores themes of resilience, family loyalty, and personal vendettas through an experimental narrative structure. Topics include infidelity and familial conflict.

Gritty

Contemplative

Melancholic

Challenging

Emotional

Reviews & Readership

4.4

24,130 ratings

81%

Loved it

13%

Mixed feelings

5%

Not a fan

Roundup icon

Review Roundup

Ken Kesey’s Sometimes a Great Notion offers a rich portrayal of a struggling Oregon logging family, praised for its intricate narrative and vivid character development. While the novel’s non-linear structure and shifting perspectives can be challenging, they contribute to its depth. The complex prose and raw depiction of resilience resonate, making it a compelling, albeit demanding, read.

Who should read this

Who Should Read Sometimes a Great Notion?

A reader who enjoys Sometimes a Great Notion by Ken Kesey likely appreciates complex family dynamics and vivid depictions of nature, akin to themes in John Steinbeck's East of Eden and Norman Maclean's A River Runs Through It. Fans of multi-perspective narratives and rich, immersive storytelling would find this book compelling.

4.4

24,130 ratings

81%

Loved it

13%

Mixed feelings

5%

Not a fan

Character List

Lee Stamper

A Yale graduate student in literature, known for his intellectual interests and elevated language, who returns to Oregon to confront personal and familial challenges, including his complex relationship with his half-brother, Hank.

A tough and obstinate man deeply committed to his family's logging business, known for his brash nature and dedication to independence, who also navigates personal relationships and familial loyalty.

Hank's wife, who, feeling isolated and longing for a more fulfilling life, finds herself caught between her role within the Stamper family and her personal desires for independence and meaning.

Cousin to Hank and Lee, characterized by his steady and amiable nature and deep spiritual beliefs, who shares a particularly close relationship with Hank.

A local who rises to become a union president, possessing a personal history tied to the labor movement, and offering a contrasting perspective to the Stampers' stance on union matters.

Book Details
Pages

640

Format

Novel • Fiction

Setting

Oregon • 1960s

Publication Year

1964

Audience

Adult

Recommended Reading Age

18+ years

Lexile Level

1020L

Continue your reading experience

Subscribe now to unlock the rest of this Study Guide plus our full library, which features expert-written summaries and analyses of 8,000+ additional titles.