Last Go Round Summary
Ken Kesey

Last Go Round Summary

Last Go Round is a classic initiation story focusing upon Johnathan E. Lee Spain — "scarcely seventeen, brighteyed as a babe, and nearly as naive" — who becomes the first member of his Tennessee family ever to cross the Mason-Dixon line. Through his railroad journey to find "whatever real frontier was still left in our swiftly settling nation" and his subsequent instruction in Pendleton, Oregon under the vigilant eyes of George Fletcher and Jackson Sundown, Johnny learns to relish taking risks — beginning with his leap from the roof of a boxcar into an open wheat gondola to daring to compete for the Best All Round title — a title he eventually wins. In the momentous three days of the Pendleton Round Up, the young protagonist experiences Indian tribal life, becomes cognizant of racial and class distinctions, tests his rodeo skills in a variety of competitive events, and...

(read more from the Short Guide)