The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test

[Pelafina]

The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test is a work of literary journalism by Tom Wolfe, published in 1968. Using techniques from the genre of hysterical realism and pioneering new journalism, he tells the story of Ken Kesey and his band of Merry Pranksters as they drive across the country in a DayGlo painted school bus dubbed "Furthur," reaching what they considered to be personal and collective revelations through the use of LSD and other psychedelic drugs. It covers their cross country road trip, as well as the Acid Tests, early performances by The Grateful Dead, and Kesey's exile to Mexico. Wolfe is primarily concerned not with narrative, but with relating the Pranksters' intellectual and quasi-religious experiences.


Reading this right now, it's pretty good.

[Massive Attack]

I named an old school band I was in after this. Awesome.

[Captain Awesome]

Mr. Heye's recommended the book to my whole class today.fffffffff. I better finish F&L quickly.

[afrobutt]

I started reading this today, seems like quite the book so far. Amusingly enough, I read it right after reading "One Flew Over the Cukoo's Nest" after you recommended it to me.

[Vossler]

This is one of the best book I have read by far,I love it.

[Pelafina]

Furthur (the bus) was definitely one of the most striking aspects of the novel, the description given made it sound really neat. The Pranksters had systems hooked up to record everything, from personal microphones to microphones specifically to pick up ambient outside noise, and they would loop these together and play them back in really odd combinations, made even better by the fact that they were on acid the entire time. It's definitely something that I would like to have seen (and especially heard)

And on that note, 'on the bus' is one of my favorite metaphors.

[Captain Awesome]

I'm going to be needing this book now. I can't wait to read it.