Extended Book Review- The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test--Mason

It is 1964, you are fueling up at a gas station in San Jose on a hot summer day
when a school bus pulls up to the pump next to you. Though this vehicle was a standard International Harvester, this was no ordinary bus. Instead of the classic yellow, this charter boasted an outer shell of every fluorescent and neon color there was, all swirling together in psychedelic shapes and patterns, and was brimming with a large group of long-haired crazy-eyed individuals. Belonging to the Ken Kesey, author of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest , and an iconic image of the 60’s, the bus was known as “Furthur” and carried a group of nomadic hippies who called themselves the Merry Pranksters, whom in 1964, started a road trip across the country. Tom Wolfe’s The Electric Kool-Aid Test, published by Farrar, Straus, and Giroux in 1968, is a autobiographical recount of Wolfe’s travels on this bus. The book documents a first hand experience of the psychedelic movement and gives insight to the lives of those at the forefront of the counterculture revolution in the early 60’s. 

We follow the narrator, Wolfe himself, in his story of his experience on Furthur, and his subsequent encounters with leading figures in beat generation, music, and various rising authors. The story starts briefly after Kesey’s release from imprisonment for possession of illegal drugs, and explores the freakish and wild lifestyles that were commonly seen in the wandering youth. We are introduced to characters such as Kesey’s family, Black Maria, Neal Cassady, and Hell’s Angel’s Freewheeling Frank. This

group continues their journey across the nation, in which massive amounts of LSD, psilocybin, mescaline, and other psychoactive drugs where used in attempts to reach what was known as Acid Test Graduation, where partakers would reach a mind state in which psychedelics were no longer needed to “transcend human consciousness”. The Pranksters begin broadcasting this behavior to the general public under the name of the Acid Test, which leads to increasing amounts of followers. Through these infamous actions, Kesey becomes well known, and began to receive recognition from not only the Hells Angels and Allen Ginsberg of The Grateful Dead, but also the police. A fateful arrest for possession of marijuana leads to Kesey and the group to flee to Mexico. Upon arrival, the group tries to recreate their experience in using drugs, but was unsuccessful, citing the desert climate as the main issue. Pretty soon, Kesey return to the United States, in which his status has skyrocketed to the likes of a celebrity. Despite being hunted by the FBI, Kesey nonchalantly accepts interviews for TV and radio channels, spreading his ideals. Unsurprisingly, he gets caught and, landing himself jail time for his attempted escape and numerous non-violent crimes. Keysey reluctantly goes to a work camp in California, marking the end of his association with the group. The pranksters continues along, but were swept up in a storm of drug abuse as they continue their cross country trip. Their arrival at the Woodstock Festival of 1969 marked the end of their campaign, where Furthur meets its final resting place of Kesey’s backyard.
Tom Wolfe’s novel was a pioneer to a style of writing known as New Journalism, in which unconventional phrases and techniques are used within the story. This is seen throughout the novel in the form of irregular indentation for emphasis, heavy use of slang, and run on and free flowing sentence structure. In doing so, Wolfe crafts a narrative that parallel the thoughts and conversations of an average person. By utilizing

this form of storytelling, helps immerse the reader in the story, as this particular style reflects the culture of the time. In addition to this, Wolfe includes descriptive imagery of his surroundings to explain or develop the plot and its characters. This in turn, creates a realisting recount of a journalist’s travels during his youth in America’s most controversial time period. 

I would recommend this book to anyone interested in the 60’s counterculture. Tom Wolfe’s story shows the origin of art and music of that time, much of which is still relevant today. This novel can serve as a historical window into a rebellious time period in which people took peace and love to the extremes. This book provided a refreshing view of the 1960s, in which the creative side of society was shown instead of the violent Vietnam War that was going on at the time.