Catch 22

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Summary: Illogical logic! Sane craziness! And Yossarian lives on...
Review: This dark comedy of World War Two takes place on the small island of Pianosa, off the coast of Italy. The main character, Yossarian, is an American bombardier, and like his squadron, spends much of his time either flying dangerous bombing runs over northern Italy, sleeping off his exuberances in Rome, or going on some hilarious comical escapade through which Heller is able to satirize the American military bureaucracy.

At first glance (or the first reading), this novel appears to be a random collection of character sketches, loosely arranged around Yossarian and containing only confusingly humorous conversational drivel. But on the second reading, everything makes sense and it is possible to see how the comic absurdity changes from light and fun at the beginning into a dark and melancholy satire by the end of the novel.

Joseph Heller first published this novel in 1961, and since then the phrase "Catch-22" has entered into the English language as a "paradoxical problem or situation." In this book, Catch-22 is an obscure military regulation that allows for an illogical and absurd system to exist.

Completely illogical logic and embarrassingly simple complexity await the individual who undertakes the reading of this excellent novel, which has become both an amusing comedy and a pensive tragedy at the same time.

Bottom line? Catch-22 is an excellent book.

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Summary: One of the best books ever written.
Review: It's difficult to write anything meaningfully different about Catch-22 that hasn't already been written. Rather than attempt that, I'll offer my personal experience with this book. I first read it as a teenager, in the mid-1970s. I'd read MASH (Hooker) before reading Catch-22 and was much more impressed with that book (and television series) than I was with Heller's work. Catch-22, I thought, was a part of the same genre: smart-ass anti-war books. It was funny, but bogged down in places and at times simply bored me - the whole bit with Milo Minderbinder, for example. And Major Major was a one-note gag that I quickly dismissed. To be honest, the part of the book that stuck with me throughout the years was Yossarian's having written, "I yearn for you tragically. A.T. Tappman, Chaplain, U.S. Army," and the first two lines of the book.

Fast forward to now - 2002: I'm in my early forties and, it is to be hoped, somewhat wiser and more experienced. For no good reason I've decided to re-read the book (I happened upon it in the back of a closet while looking for another book). A few pages in, I couldn't believe how differently I saw the book, the characters and how differently I interpreted Heller's message. After completing the book, I'd discovered that Heller hadn't written an anti-war book, or an anti-Army or anti-government book -- he's written an anti-institution book! The experiences he recorded occur daily in numerous corporations, government bureaucracies, school systems, society -- any setting in which an individual is faced with his anonymity and utter replace-ability in an institution. Major Major, far from being a one-gag joke, is the perfect archetype for the well-meaning mid-level functionary who finds himself powerless to affect change and simply chooses to operate "below the radar," as they say, biding his time and trying to avoid being noticed until he's retired. Milo Minderbinders really do get ahead, and Lieutenant Scheisskopfs really get promoted to the top through no effort of their own!

Yossarian was the main character of the book, but the true hero was Orr, who'd figured everything out and used the system to break free. He left tracks for Yossarian to follow, and, we can hope, Yossarian made it past Nately's whore to freedom as well. And, after all these years, I can understand the first two lines of the book.

A few random musings: One - Having just seen the series finale to The X-Files, I'm struck by the correctness of fit between the two universes. Two - I bought a paperback edition of this book (Dell) in 1979. It is the same book I just finished re-reading, yellowed and somewhat aged, but otherwise in good condition. Quite a contrast to the novel (Time-Warner) I picked up last month that literally falls apart page by page as I read it.

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Summary: Brilliant and Funny and Original! -- Don't Miss It!
Review: Yossarian's in love with the Chaplain. But that has nothing to do with anything, now does it? Joseph Heller's World War II satire is one of the funny, most intelligently written pieces of literature I've ever had the good fortune to come across. Supremely funny, Catch-22 makes a statement about war, about the nature of fighting, and makes it loud. Few authors have ever been able to hold my attention so completely as Joseph Heller has with this novel, through his comedy (re: the court martial), his characters (Major Major Major Major, for one), and his insane storyline. Yossarian easily makes it into my list of top 10 book characters of all time, with the rest of the cast not being too far down the line themselves. If you have a spare day, if you value good literature, if you haven't had a long, hard, exhausting laugh in a good while, pick this book up. That's an order! Also recommended: [e-mail] by Tom Grimes, The Losers Club by Richard Perez

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Summary: "It proves you're still alive..."
Review: Catch-22 is not a book America wants to read, especially in her present state of patriotism. One cannot picture Heller's Yossarian sporting a "These Colors Don't Run" T-shirt and waving a flag. Indeed, the opening chapter explicitly refutes any interpretation that suggests Yossarian's actions are rooted in a deep sense of nationalism: an uber-patriotic Texan drives almost all the men out of a hospital ward and back into combat. Catch-22 is a book that challenges the logic of war. It combines wry humor with startlingly affecting anecdotes to force the reader into asking questions. It is the portrait of a man who is dangerously sane, but trapped in the insanity of war by catch-22.
When I started reading Joseph Heller's Catch-22, I had no idea what to expect. I scanned the buzzwords on the back cover..."apocalyptic, bitter, hilarious, monumental, original, subversive, classic." What I found was a moving satire, centered ..., an allegory who manages to retain his humanity. The fact that Heller's Yossarian was indeed so easy to relate to contributed to the book's power. The novel brings you deep into the world of war, as viewed by a soldier. Yossarian's experiences are not entirely realistic, and much of what happens over the course of the novel seems to make no sense at all. In presenting war in such a manner, Heller asks the reader whether the reality of war makes any more sense than does Yossarian's story. Heller says that war itself is a great catch-22, a paradoxical trap that humans walk into time and time again. He questions the logic of the illogical, and asks the reader to try and rationalize the irrational.
Catch-22 is significant because it claims that not only war is a catch-22. The metaphor extends to include life itself. We see that the characters are not merely fighting to survive the war...they are fighting to be immortal. Each has his own way, whether it be by enduring boredom to make time move slower, or by gaining global power through commerce and enterprise. They are all trying to cheat death. Heller's novel reveals many deep and often unpleasant truths, but it does it with humor and style. For this reason, Catch-22 has reached "classic" status and will probably remain a classic for generations to come.
As a book, Catch-22 is flawless. It is moving, witty, and ultimately one of the greatest novels I have ever read. It deserves every one of its five stars. However, to those who are interested in reading it, I warn you to take Heller's work with a grain of salt. Many may find the satire offensive in light of the current global situation. Please do not let current events get in your way. Catch-22 is a wonderful, eye-opening novel; but as with all "subversive" literature, it must be approached with an open mind.

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Summary: the ultimate anti-war novel
Review: The words I used to describe Catch-22 are bleak, black, and absurd. Heller's brand of absurdist humor creates some of the most poignant moments in literature and some of the most hilarious (there are many, many laugh out loud places here). It is basically the story of Yossarian, a bomber, in the closing months of World War II. He can't understand why thousands of people he hasn't met yet are trying to kill him. And it goes from there. Loaded with absurdist humor. It does turn darker towards the end. This is a very densely packed book, every page loaded with information. It's not a book you can lose concentration while reading. But it is well worth the time and energy it takes to read it. Definitely one of the best books ever written.

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Summary: Very Amusing
Review: This was the most humorous book I've read recently! Very entertaining from beginning to end! It is about a World War II bombardier, Captain Yossarian, who desparately wants to be sent home but he is caught in the military's Catch-22. Catch-22 states that one can only be excused from flying missions on the grounds of insanity; one must request to be excused; one who requests to be excused is presumably in fear of his life, thus proof of his sanity so therefore he must continue to fly; one who is insane would not make the request and would continue to fly the missions despite the fact that he would be excused from them if he were to ask. The typical no-win situation. There are many characters presented in this book, adding to the confusion and enhancing the hilarity. The plot...well, there doesn't seem to be much of a plot but once the reader becomes caught up in the circular logic of the military, the plot doesn't seem important anyway. There are grisly moments of realism interspersed with the absurb humor. The time-line of the story is not chronological, but somehow it all makes sense. Throughout the book, I found myself cheering for Yossarian and his efforts, hoping that in all the confusion he would come out a winner in the end. If you enjoyed the T.V. series M*A*S*H, then you're sure to love this book as the writers of the sitcom were inspired by Joseph Heller's amazingly bizarre tale.

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Summary: Horrible for Being So Great
Review: I really enjoyed reading this book. The book was very witty and had me laughing several times. The story wasn?t anything special, in fact it was sad, but the author wrote in such a way that that made the book humorously enjoyable. The concept of the catch-22 was strewn throughout the book, and the apparently insane main character of the book, Yosarrian, proved to be one of the few sane characters in the book. I saw two weaknesses in the book. First, there are too many characters. I could not keep track of all the generals, colonels, captains and majors. Second, the book was trashy in parts. These parts of the book were unnecessary and did not settle well with me. With all that said, the book was horrible for being so great.

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Summary: hey idiot, did you mean 5 stars???
Review: this is just to ounteract the high-school girl who wrote a glowing review but forgot to pick a rating, making it 1 star by default. try to be more cognazant next time.

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Summary: It was love at first sight.
Review: Catch-22 is Joseph Heller's satire that pokes fun at the military. In it, the army has absolute power, dictating the lives and fates of the men in its power. The military constantly increases the required missions for the men. Colonel Cathcart, the person who raises the mission requirement, is risking the lives of his men in order to impress his superior officers. This reflects the futility of their situation. The reason they risk their lives is not to help the country. Instead, they fight for the greed and ambitions of one man.

The main character, Yossarian, is constantly afraid that he is going to die. People think he is insane, but the fact that he wants to leave and survive makes him possibly the sanest person there. Each chapter in the novel centers around another character in the military (though, with few exceptions, everything leads back to Yossarian and his plight). From Major Major Major's issues with his name to Colonel Scheisskopf's fixation with parades, these characters and their situations are very interesting and amusing.

While hilarious and amusing, Catch-22 does have a deeper meaning. It talks of the futility of war and the powerlessness that men can have against bureaucracies such as the military. Yossarian's reflections on life and morality in the midst of chaos are surprisingly deep.

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Summary: What's the Catch?
Review: With the United States currently in a position of faltering patriotism, Catch 22 was a very difficult book to read. I felt that it transcended time boundaries, and the horror of war that Heller effectively described in World War II could be held applicable to the current situation our country is in. Through humor and circular logic, Heller accurately portrays the concept behind Catch 22 as not just being a military law, but how those with power can justify their actions over the powerless. Each character Heller introduces to the reader is easy to relate to, for each represents a different type of conflict that each individual undergoes in his or her life. Milo Minderbinder's character represents the temptation of big business and profit which still drives and corrupts people to this very day. The chaplain, representing the loss of religious faith when faced with the hard circumstances of life and war, relates to many people in their questioning of a God in the midst of hatred, terrorism, and useless death. Colonel Cathcart, representing corrupt military and governmental bureaucracy, is a portrayal of how many people in life desire to uphold their status and power at the expense of those below them in the social ladder. Lastly there is Yossarian, a character portrayed by Heller to be both crazy and pitiable, is motivated in his actions solely by his longing to survive and his right to life.
What impressed me the most about this book was Heller's complicated writing style which was in itself a tool to portray to the reader the ridiculousness of the whole justification and reason behind the concept of Catch 22. Whereas Heller uses the military law prohibiting bombardiers from avoiding flying combat missions as the actual embodiment of the Catch 22 trap, Heller's haphazard writing style and interaction between characters is a Catch 22 in itself. In this way, Heller makes Catch 22 extend beyond the war to apply to life itself, and the traps that we encounter in our journey to save ourselves amidst tough circumstances.
Heller succeeds tremendously in giving a moving portrayal of the atrocities of war while maintaining a humorous and satirical tone. The reader will go through ups and downs, from laughing at the ridiculous dialogue between characters to being shocked by the useless death of many of the characters due to the inevitable death occurring in war. Though I was confused most of the time through the circular logic Heller portrays throughout the novel to emphasize the trapping quality of Catch 22, at the end of the book I was horrified and moved by how World War II can destroy people's lives.