Catch 22

Rating:
Summary: Better Every Time
Review: Simply put this one of those books that gets better everytime you read it, a book not only worth reading once, but at least 3 or 4 times.

Rating:
Summary: A Masterpiece
Review: This is one of the greatest novels written in the 20th Century. Heller's sense of absurdity and pacing is remarkable. His understanding of the double standards created by greed and dishonesty give depth and meaning to a world hungry for answers. His style is not lost on a new generation of writers: David Sedaris for one has mastered the wit of satire. A new writer, John Orozco in his DELANO, pays tribute to Heller with rapid fire dialogues that are reminiscent of CATCH-22. These satires are valuble in exposing hypocrisy.

Rating:
Summary: Catch 22
Review: Simply put, Catch 22 remains entirely original and absurdly different 40 years after its first publication. It's 1984 with wit and satire. You'll laugh 'til it hurts and maybe even think a bit too. Buy it and let Joseph Heller surprise you with his weird and wonderful way of writing.

Rating:
Summary: CATCH THE THIEVES FORGET 22
Review: While this was one of the most enjoyable books I've ever read it does one thing poorly. It does not [tick]people off enough. After reading this book one sighs and thinks that there is simply no hope for the human race. People are too stupid and self-motivated.

Before we lose the little freedom and privacy that we possess in this fine but quickly faltering country please take a look at How to Save America and the World by Joseph Francione. It connects the dots in such a way as to show what to do after faced with the likes of the idiots in Catch 22.

Rating:
Summary: Who Knew War Could Be So Funny?
Review: I'm getting a little nervous, because I'm re-reading "Catch-22" and am a bit less enamored by it than I was the first time around. I'm going to go ahead and base this review on my first reading with the qualification that the book may not hold up quite as well on multiple readings.

The first time through, however, I was blown away. This book is really not like anything else I'd ever read. I know that statement sounds cliche, but it was true for me. Joseph Heller invents an entirely new prism through which to view the world, and I suspect the humour and zaniness in this novel will either work or not work for readers based on personal taste. It worked for me, and after reading it, the only thing I could think of was what had prevented me from reading it sooner.

Actually, my wife couldn't wait until I was done with the book, because at times I was in such a black mood while reading it. That's not a criticism of the book but rather a testament to Heller's skill as an author. He so perfectly controls the story that you will have tears of laughter rolling down your face one moment and a sick feeling in your stomach another as the story moves effortlessly from rollicking comedy to horrific tragedy.

I won't bother trying to summarize the plot or characters. I have read other comments that criticize Heller for not inventing developed characters, which I suppose is a justified criticism. Many of them have a cartoonish quality and exist solely for the purposes of making a point or moving the plot along. However, they're not totally devoid of depth, because when a character dies, I felt genuinely moved and actually mourned the loss. Their individual traits and quirks (even if that's all you get of them) are so delightful that their absence from the story is keenly felt.

I can't praise this book enough and only hope that as I continue to re-read it, the genius of it will emerge once again. One thing is for certain: I doubt I will ever read anything quite like it again, because I doubt that anyone will ever again write anything quite like it.

Rating:
Summary: Caught-22! (Get it?!?!)
Review: I've been seeing this book around forever. My roomate had to read it in highschool, but he never finished it. In fact, he had to write two research papers on it, and STILL never finished it. After reading up on it, I decided to give it a try...it being a classic and all. And let me tell you, I was impressed.

Lately I've been on a Vonnegut reading spree, and this fit well into the same mindset. Plenty of hilarious conversations and occurances. You just can't go wrong with clever humor. I finally know where the phrase "My name is Mudd" comes from (Primus fans will feel nostalgic)!

This book is a challenging read though. No rookies want to tackle this puppy. You have to keep track of the characters, or you'll get a little lost. Still, I do not even consider that a negative thing. It's just something you have to deal with, right?

Anyways, this was a great book. Who would have thought that a war satire could be so funny? One last thing, my favorite character was Major Major Major Major.

Rating:
Summary: Unlike any other war novel
Review: Catch-22 is tremendously different from most of the other war novels. For one, glory and honor are not depicted as characteristics of soldiers who are in combat. Yossarian isn't exactly on the front line, like Paul in All Quiet on the Western Front, and his ability to go to Rome allows the reader to see that although combat missions are forced onto him, he is still a human being. He is not like a character that is so engrossed in the war whose condition is difficult for the average person to comprehend. Yossarian shows you his life, his inability to ensure himself survival, and the utter irony of war. The novel is captivating and evokes many different emotions: laughter, tension, shock, and sadness. There were many instances when I laughed and at the same time realized the horror of Yossarian's life. Heller's unique ability to illustrate war had a striking effect on me and remained with me for a long time.

Rating:
Summary: Catch-22
Review: Catch-22- saddening, thought provoking, hope inspiring, and really rather good. no, not everyone dies, even though it starts to appear that way. i dont usually care for war related things that often, but this was worth reading. It takes a humorous and cynical approach the pointlessness of trying to escape war and the headaches it can cause. Catch-22 is the ultimate devil in this book and it consistantly pops up. The story follows one man and his struggles to survive in an insane and hopeless world. Add in a bunch of pilots begging to get home, a doctor who is technically dead, and a mess seargent who uses logic that surpasses everyone else's minds, and you have one motley crew. A book of laughs, tears, puzzlement, and thinking, Catch-22 is a book worth reading.

Rating:
Summary: there's always a catch
Review: Catch-22 is a biting satire about the absurdities of war. Set in World War 2, the novel is about a squadron of bomber crews stationed in Pianosa. The book follows the exploits of the group, and of one man in particular: a bomber named Yossarian. Yossarian goes against the grain, and tries valiantly throughout the novel to escape the inevitable Catch-22. All Yossarian wants to do is survive the war, but that seems impossible in the face of Catch-22. This novel is about his struggle against the system, his personal quest for survival in the face of a military that sees him only as part of the war effort.

Several things--a colonel who's aspiring to be a general and keeps upping the required number of missions, a mess hall attendant who forms his own syndicate and sells supplies to the enemy to gain a profit, a major who disappears inside his trailer--combine to form the military unit to which Yossarian belongs, where "what's good for the syndicate is good for the country" and where men are endangered and their lives sacrificed for the ambitions of higher-ranking men aspiring to fortune and notoriety.

This book would be depressing--horribly depressing--were it not so downright funny. The situations, the way the characters react and interact with each other, are absurd and hilarious. In fact, the attitudes of most of these men (commanders in particular) are downright ridiculous, and the book is not realistic in terms of the characters personalities (how many generals REALLY believe they can order someone to be shot whenever they want?). Still, the absurd nature of the book is what gives it such power. By giving his characters such outrageous ambitions and by creating such ridiculous situations for them, Heller makes his message painfully clear.

This book is a modernist approach to war. The narrative is fragmented and roughly pieced together, and the satire is very prominent and in-your-face. In the end, Yossarian is faced with a choice: submit to the 'Catch,' or die trying to escape it. The irony of it all--submit to the Catch and be a hero (though morally dead) or try to escape it and be physically dead--is what makes Yossarian such a powerful character. This book is one of the greatest works of the 20th century for a reason--the impression it leaves is very lasting.

Rating:
Summary: Humor counteracts the tragedy
Review: First, I wish I could give this novel more than five stars ... that or give almost every other five-star book less. This novel is beautifully written, witty, tragic, and humorous; I found myself reading madly to find out what happens next, and then turning backwards to reread a hilarious dialog once again ... and when I reached the last page, I wished there was more.

Joseph Heller is as much on the brink of neurosis as his characters. Just as dialog bounces incessantly, chapters and paragraphs aren't even chronological, (until maybe the last third of the book) ... Heller just meanders through, until he bring himself upon a word which reminds him of another event, and precedes to talk about that. But don't worry, he does a sufficient job of making you understand the order of events. The syntax? Wonderful ... Heller's word choice is endless.

But don't be mislead by other reviews ... this is a hilarious book, but there are chapters that make you want to cry. The insanity of the characters is light ... until they die. Death is a major theme of this novel -- death, depression, sickness, and poverty all inevitably pull at Yossarian's heart. But the tragedy is necessary because pure humor can be shallow and directionless.

However, Heller enhances his humor with the Catch-22. Yossarian often finds himself stuck, and other characters are also tormented by this. Books have made me laugh, but this one had such a considerable number of giggles that I want to read the whole thing again.

Anybody human should love this book. If you glance at Amazon.com reviews, you'll notice that most of the negative reviewers admit that they only got through the first hundred or so pages. These first few pages are lighthearted, but after that, the humor gets darker, and the tragedy kicks in. This is without a doubt one of my favorite novels of all time.

Highly recommended.