Catch-22 (Turtleback School & Library Binding Edition) Review
Being a fan of M*A*S*H in its myriad of forms, I've often heard comparisons made to "Catch-22" so I finally decided to read it, and I'm glad I did. "Catch-22" has a great deal of dark humor as well as some outright silliness. It is a brilliant satire on war in general which is set in Italy during the waning days of the Nazis in World War II. My one criticism of the book is that some jokes tend to get repetitive at times.
The story focuses mostly on a U.S. Air Force squadron who go on a number of bombing runs doing their best to stay alive and do many crazy things to avoid going on more bombing runs. At the center of the crazy group is Yossarian, a bombardier who is convinced that everyone is out to kill him. Despite actions such as appearing to receive a medal in the nude, in some ways he seems like one of the most sane in the group. His friends include Milo, a bombardier who, instead of flying missions, runs a syndicate which buys and sells almost any goods you can think of; his syndicate also provides services, which at one point included bombing his own squadron! The head of the outfit, Major Major, wants to be liked by the others but they treat him badly because of his position; consequently, he avoids people, only allowing people to be sent to his office when he isn't there. Even the higher-ups prove to be nutty with Generals Peckem and Dreedle spending their energy competing against each other rather than fighting the enemy.
The book shows how insane the military bureaucracy itself can be, embodied in the concept "catch-22". One example of a catch-22 in the book is when Yossarian tries to be discharged by reason of insanity he's told he cannot be discharged because the fact he's trying to prove himself insane means that he isn't. Military silliness is also shown with how concerned officials are with seemingly unimportant things such winning parade contests and bombing a target so it makes for a nice photograph of the explosion.
Many characters come and go with several killed in combat. Heller makes all of them three-dimensional so you grow to either love or hate them. The writing contains a variety of humor - silly, intelligent, outrageous. There are several running jokes, though I feel sometimes they are overused, such as repeated explanations of how Milo's syndicate sells one kind of goods to one group in order to buy other kinds at all sorts of prices. In addition to the humorous moments, the book has examples of the horrors of war. Not everyone makes it home and nobody is the same afterward. Overall, I would definitely recommend this book to any fans of classic literature, war comedies, or satire.
Catch-22 (Turtleback School & Library Binding Edition) Overview
FOR USE IN SCHOOLS AND LIBRARIES ONLY. Set during World War II, this grotesque, comic novel recounts the amazing adventures of a bomber squadron.
Catch-22 (Turtleback School & Library Binding Edition) Specifications
There was a time when reading Joseph Heller's classic satire on the murderous insanity of war was nothing less than a rite of passage. Echoes of Yossarian, the wise-ass bombardier who was too smart to die but not smart enough to find a way out of his predicament, could be heard throughout the counterculture. As a result, it's impossible not to consider Catch-22 to be something of a period piece. But 40 years on, the novel's undiminished strength is its looking-glass logic. Again and again, Heller's characters demonstrate that what is commonly held to be good, is bad; what is sensible, is nonsense.
Yossarian says, "You're talking about winning the war, and I am talking about winning the war and keeping alive."
"Exactly," Clevinger snapped smugly. "And which do you think is more important?"
"To whom?" Yossarian shot back. "It doesn't make a damn bit of difference who wins the war to someone who's dead."
"I can't think of another attitude that could be depended upon to give greater comfort to the enemy."
"The enemy," retorted Yossarian with weighted precision, "is anybody who's going to get you killed, no matter which side he's on."
Mirabile dictu, the book holds up post-Reagan, post-Gulf War. It's a good thing, too. As long as there's a military, that engine of lethal authority, Catch-22 will shine as a handbook for smart-alecky pacifists. It's an utterly serious and sad, but damn funny book.
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Customer Reviews
messy masterpiece - Ken W. - SF, CA
So yes, the book can read a bit messy. It does take some acclimation, but it is more than worth the work (for some people, such a style makes perfect sense and would give such a book 10 stars if possible). However, if you are not one of thee latter folks, hang with it, and you will be stuck with a brilliant piece of writing that will haunt you for a very long time. This book has staying power, and that's what may make it something of a masterpiece (albeit a messy one).
As advertised. Highly recommended. - Thomas D. Glatt -
Ordered this used book from this seller and the condition of the book exceeded the description. This is a great way to buy Everyman's Library titles if you're looking to cut costs.
Strange but not good - Sharon Carson - New Jersey, United States
Hard to read, strange book. Not sure why anyone would like it- it just doesn't seem to be well written, so even with the whole catch 22 point which is pretty clever, it is just bad.
*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Sep 07, 2010 14:19:06
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