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Summary: Intelligence... say it with me now...
Review: If there is one thing i can say about this novel, is it's surprisingly dark humor. Every page gave me a wicked grin. I'll give a warning though: if you don't have a sense of humor... go read someone serious and leave this book to the eccentrics. But, if you have a warped sense of humor (such as myself) this book is just... wow. The strength of the book is it's underlying theme of buracracy. If you are blind to the dogmatic society that we live in: there will be too much red-tape for you to truly understand the novel, and Heller's intentions. My favorite "thing" of this novel is the cast of characters. In fact, i'll go out on a literary limb and say that Catch-22 has the greatest ensemble of characters then any other novel ever written (or that i read for that matter... which is alot). The only obstacle i can think of (besides if you are a blind conformist) to reading this book is the structure of the plot. It's as if Heller had the novel all set and ready to go, accidently dropped the manuscript out out of a window and every chapter oddly stayed intack; but have fallen out of order and have no sense of time frame anymore. on top of this, heller was to lazy to put them back in order, and gave it to the publisher that way. I think he intended it to be a chaotic structure, much like the enviroment of being in war, where everyhthing seems to be flying at your face. But this really isn't too much of an obsticle. actually, it makes riddles out of the side-plots, and how they end up (or began for that matter). I heard that Heller's other books pale in comparasion (and are downright bad for that matter, which is very unfortunate) but at least he got one classic out of his head for us. Thank you, truly.
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Summary: Brilliantly sarcastic....there is more though
Review: This book had me failing in my attempts to suppress the laughter that it often evoked from me. Set in an aviation squadron in World War II, the characters' ambitions and actions are directly applicable to modern corporate America. I just finished the novel and was glad to do so. Part of the reason for this is that you never know what to expect in the novel, especially in two chapters that I won't forget any time soon and probably never will. They weren't my favorite chapters to read, but without them the novel wouldn't have near the impact. These chapters are for you to discover. If you figure out what ever happened to Major Major Major Major, let me know.
Rating:
Summary: Beyond Art
Review: There are only a handful of books that go beyond literature, cross that fine line into the realms of real life and then challenge what we believe to be right. The Catcher in the Rye and perhaps One Flew Over the Cuckoo's nest are perhaps two. For centuries brothers have murdered brothers in the pursuit of peace, and although we always 'try' to believe in the powers pulling the strings we never stand up and ask why?. Jospeh Heller used Yossarian to ask why, and he uses a wit to make the point so incredibly poignant. If passers by catch you reading Catch 22 many pass a knowing gaze and quite possibly feel a tingle down their spine. Whilst at an Airport in Texas a gentleman spotted the book and made a comment that was positively chilling: "I read this book and laughed in college, and then read it a second time in Vietnam. The second time it was not as funny, the second time it was true." Before reading Catch 22 I read an interview with Joseph Heller, he was asked why he had never written another book as great as Catch 22, his reply was simple: "Nobody Has". When you reach the end you have to agree.
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Summary: War IS The Catch-22.
Review: I was made to read this book as a class assignment way back when and for once I was grateful!Very humorous and deep with an odd kind of spiraling writing style. The "anti-war or not" discussion is always hot on this satire classic and it's my bet the author would be proud of it.To me the war itself was the central Catch-22;the war that no one wishes to fight MUST be fought.Men who do not wish to kill MUST or be killed by other men with no wish to kill them...etc.I don't think it's anti-war necessarily;just against the pure acceptance of the idea without regret.The Armed Forces,war movies,Tom Clancy books,etc. never seem to acknowledge that in every heroic soldier there is probably a little Yossarian wondering how this all happened and why he must be a part of it(I thought Yosarrian found the other characters insane because he was the only one who questioned why they was there).I think it is the genius(and bravery)of writers like Joseph Heller and Kurt Vonnegut to HIGHLIGHT this and keep wars (and war movies...) from becoming like Lieutenant Scieisskopf's parades: all looks and no truth.One of my favorites.Now tell me why I'm wrong!
Rating: 
Summary: Am I the only one that hated this book?
Review: Pathetic. I forced myself to finish this book because it was heralded as "one of the greatest novels of the century." I found it an amazing chore to trudge through page after page of absurd, repetitive babble, replete with needless descriptions of depraved immorality. If the point is that government/military institutions are insanely inefficient and bureaucratic, ok. I got that in the first 100 pages. Were the next 400 pages simply meant to illustrate that point -- making me "experience" the absurdity?. I really can't believe I read the whole thing. In all sincerity, I can not recommend this book.
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Summary: Lose vs. Lose - nobody can win wars
Review: Heller's book has held such widespread acclaim that it's premise is actually considered a new word in the English Language. Catch-22 according to the dictionary is "a situation in which a desired outcome or solution is impossible to attain because of a set of inherently illogical rules or conditions." Joseph Heller created the idiom and I believe its widespread use in the English-speaking world is proof that this book is genius. The books protagonist is named Yossarian and he is a bombardier during World War II. What is most baffling for Yossarian is that everyone is trying to kill him, people he knows and does not know personally - the Germans, the pilots that fly the planes, the Colonels that force him to be there. What's most baffling is that Yossarian cannot find a logical way to remove himself from the situation. The Doctors tell him that he may be grounded if he's crazy. If he continues to fly the missions he would be crazy, but if he asks the doctors to ground him for being crazy they could automatically deduct that he is quite sane and trying to preserve his life. That's the catch. Catch-22 - there is no possible situation that could work - a Lose vs. Lose circumstances. Lets just say that Heller thinks little of the situations that men and women must endure during their military careers during a time of war. The book is poignant, funny, and very readable. It's a long book, but I was sorry to see it end. For me - Yossarian will still live on and continue to persevere and fight against these Catch-22s! On a macro scale, we must ask ourselves why we glorify the victories (or losses) that our country undergoes during a time of war - have we won or have we lost the battle - or does it matter? Did we both lose? In other words, war is a Catch-22 - nobody wins. Read this book!
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Summary: A paradox that has entered the language ...
Review: I read this when I was eighteen and loved it ever since. I can't count how many times I have read it. I believe Heller once said that the book was not really about WWII but about 'the next war'. That is probably why it struck such a chord with the Vietnam generation for whom the war was happening daily on their TV sets. The surrealism of the novel seemed to be reproduced in the US Army officer saying about a devastated city 'We destroyed it in order to save it'. For there is a ferocious paradox in battle - why don't both sides just run away? This book does not try to resolve the paradoxes (leave that to Keegan, Grossman, Marshall and the military historians), it celebrates the 'grunts', the poor bloody infantry (or air pilots) who just endure the madness, hoping to escape the terrible combination of circumstances that may demand their deaths. Probably the soldiers who endured the trenches of WWI might understand Catch-22 better than those of WWII. Read and be amused, scarified and ultimately humbled.
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Summary: Do you know Snowden's secret?
Review: What difference does it make if anyone ever reads your review? If you truly liked this book, write the review for yourself. Write it to thank Joe Heller for a book that you can't imagine your life without. Those who appreciate this book (and from the reviews, I can see you are many) I am comforted to know I am not alone. To those who can't or won't see what Heller did here, I feel sorry for you. We've all in North America been born into a place forged out of wars, wars for independence, for life, for humanity, it is a pity to see how little we understand how valuable a gift all those men and women gave up for our liberty. Catch-22's true brilliance is in showing us that most of the time, those who fought in all those wars didn't themselves understand how valuable their lives were, until they were always on the verge of losing it. That's probably the greatest catch of all. Heller's message in the book is clear, take Snowden's secret to heart as Yossarian did. Man is not special or invincible - "The spirit removed, man is garbage." See past patriotism, nationalism; see past all the "isms" and think for yourself. Yossarian lives...
Rating:
Summary: Not an anti-war book
Review: Catch-22 is really an anti-capitalism, anti-American novel that satirizes large bureaucratic institutions. Nobody seems to agree with me, but thats what I think. Anyway, Catch-22 is worthwhile to read without trying to dissect it. I give it five stars because it is funny and unique.
Rating:
Summary: ONe of my favorites
Review: I didn't know what this book was about when i bought it just that it was supposedly a classic. After the first few chapters I was so glad i bought it. This is probably one of the funniest books i've ever read. It is full of dry humor and paradoxes. And it also makes you think quite a bit about the rationality of some things. I hope everybody reads this book.
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