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Summary: Review
Review: Joseph Heller's novel "Catch-22" takes place during war. American twentieth century literature that shares with its readers the truthful anecdotes of people's lives in the war. I think that was the best part of the book was the humor and irony. The book brought life in a time of death and war. Even in the seriousness of war, this book manages to poke fun at the craziness of people's lives. It showed how the people that we consider great war heroes are not always as they seem.Here are these great war heroes doing various missions, trying to claim insanity so that they do not have to fly. If it was not for the idea of catch-22, they would all have been landed. Not to mention how many times Yossarian lied he was sick to go back into the hospital. Then there is the great leader Cathcart who freely volunteers his men for missions all the time. There is also the fact that the war heroes of this book are so flawed in their own character. Or when we think of war heroes, we do not think of the trauma people go through in war. Yossarian did not wear his clothes for the longest time bcause he could not handle the blood that was shed on his friends clothes that died during flihgt. Another thing that stood out was the format of the book. Every chapter seemed to have a new character with a new and exciting story. "Catch-22" really jumped around a lot. Even though it could be a little bit confusing at times, the book still managed to make sense and get its point across It was nice to read to the end and see how everything had come together. Joseph Heller really managed to make every section of the book connect and smooth over in the end.
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Summary: Yossarian's Reasonig For Desertion
Review: Critique Christopher Grant Yossarian of the story, "Catch-22," is finally free from the hell that is war. He runs away from his hellish experiences during World War II. In the minds of narrow minded readers Yossarian is a coward, escapist, and selfish for his desertion. These readers do not take into consideration how selfless his desertion really was. Yossarian is presented with a catch by Colonel Cathcart when he offers Yossarian a chance to go home in return for a favor, a favor that will take many innocent lives. Yossarian is set. He can finally leave the god forsaken war that has taken the lives of so many of his friends. Colonel Cathcart tells him he will include a promotion and, "have parades in his honor." Colonel Cathcart says Yossarian would have to be a fool to turn down the agreement. But Yossarian doesn't go through with it and decides to run away instead, saving the lives of many innocent people. Yossarian now presents himself with a bad situation. He puts himself in danger of getting a court martial, sent to prison, and as Major Danby put it to, "live in danger of betrayal forever." Yossarian's brave and selfless actions are continuously shown to us when he considers the lives of those who will be affected if he is sent home by Cathcart. Yossarian would be a true escapist if he allowed Cathcart to send him home a hero. If Yossarian chose to go home, the other men in the squadron would unknowingly have to complete more missions than they really need to. But if he stayed, and didn't fly any more missions, the other men in the squadron would have refused to fly missions as well breaking up the unit and putting the country at risk. In this, Yossarian is now sacrificing his safety for the lives of the men in the squadron and the good of the country. Yossarian's selfless actions have still yet to cease. Yossarian continues to think of the well being of others. He says to Major Danby, "there's a young kid in Rome whose life I'd like to save if I can find her." Nately's whore and her younger sister have been kicked out of their apartment in Rome. Yossarian's selfless actions continue when he decides to save (putting himself in danger) the little girl from the dangers of the Eternal City. Yossarian's actions here prove to be anything but selfish. How could such a brave man like Yossarian be branded a coward, escapist, and selfish? His reasoning for desertion was based on how it would affect the lives of everyone else in the war. Yossarian would have been a coward to get sent home with a promotion and parade, an escapist if he ignored the lives of the men who fly the missions, and selfish to consider his life over the one of a helpless little girl. Before a narrow minded reader brands the selfless actions of a hero like Yossarian to be cowardly, an escapist, or selfish, they should look at the facts.
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Summary: Extremely witty book about WW2 military camps
Review: Catch-22 was an extremely well-written novel taking place during World War II. The author, Joseph Heller, made full use of his extraordinary wit. The whole novel takes on a light view, looking into an American military camp in Italy. The story is superbly set up as a camp of foolish bombardiers headed by egotistical power- and glory-hungry generals. The story shifts from character to character, spending only a few pages on each. As the story progresses, previously introduced characters come in contact with each other, setting up the plot. Heller wrote the book ten years after the war was over, but he still was able to grasp the general ideas of a military camp. Heller realized though that his novel was going to be much too serious if he kept it completely factual, so he changed a few details, which altered the novel from being serious to funny. Although Heller changed the idea of a camp somewhat, he was still able to write an extremely funny novel. His wit provided an amusing storyline that no other book from World War II has, making Catch-22 truly one-of-a-kind.
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Summary: A Classic Success
Review: "My military experience was beneficial and enjoyable, almost entirely. Even those last missions when I was scared stiff became a rich experience because they were suspense. It was not boring."(Joseph Heller) Heller's experience is part of what enriched Catch-22's exceptional portrayal of World War II and Yossarian. Catch-22 was meant as a classic from the time it was published. Describing the corruption of society through the main character's, Yossarian's, experience in World War II. The in-depth analysis of peoples' view of gain for only themselves made Catch-22 destined for success from the very beginning.
The story is that of a bomber pilot, Yossarian, who endures the hardships of fighting the war. He must deal with the superior offices constantly raising the required number of missions each man must fly to be sent home whenever he is close to release. He must also live with the men in his squadron dying left and right which is his greatest let-down.
But, finally he has a chance to escape. After flying 71 missions and seeing all his friends die in combat he refuses to fly. This invokes a deal from his commanding officers since he is causing such a problem among the rest of the men fighting. All he must do is like his commanding officers and he can be sent home a hero. Yossarian agrees to this but deep down he disapproves. As he walks off though he is stabbed and is brought to the hospital where he discovers his only surviving friend is in Sweden. He then sets his mind to leave his troubles and find his friend, Orr, in Sweden.
Catch-22 is a terrific work for how it unmasks the corruption of society. Constantly, Yossarian notices the people around him seeking their own personal gain. Colonel Cathcart, raises the number of missions, endangering and enraging his own men, just to make his squadron look good. Milo, the mess hall officer, is always making deals on the black market and even goes to the length of bombing his own men to make some money. At the conclusion of the book, when Major Danby cried, "Jump!'' Yossarian jumped. Nately's whore was hiding just outside the door. The knife came down, missing him by inches, and he took off."(463) When Yossarian jumped he obeyed his instincts which showed a change in his attitude toward the world in the rest of the book.
This book is excellent for the revealing of peoples' intentions. The numerous encounters with corruption Yossarian experienced made this reviewer think how many of those similar situations exist today. After reading Catch-22 it is a wonder how this society does not fall apart though the vivid explanations the book puts out for the readers. Now, however, this reader has gained a greater appreciation for analyzing the situations he comes across.
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Summary: You'd Be Crazy Not to Read Catch 22
Review: A person's enjoyment of "Catch 22" might depend on their current views of the war. Regardless of what those feelings may be, they will most likely be strengthened after reading this book. It is sometimes considered an anti-war book, but anyone who disagrees with that would probably consider it honest and comical. The main character Yossarian is not fond of war. He learns early on that the real "catch" is that a man is considered insane if he willingly continues to participate in the missions, not if he requests to leave. Anyone who is smart enough to request to go home proves their sanity. Yossarian spends the entire novel trying to think of ways to be relieved of his duties. He just barely escapes a couple of opportunities to be sent home, which only adds to the several elements of humor, satire and irony.
I read "Catch 22" for a high school assignment, expecting it to be another serious and dramatic book similar to the majority of the works I have read throughout high school. It is basically the opposite. I wish it had be required reading because it introduces elements of humor and irony that many students have not been introduced to in works of literary merit. It evokes many questions, sometimes deep and philosophical, sometimes trivial, of the true meanings of life and war. I would've loved to have many class discussions about this book because each student would have different views and opinions to share.
While I don't consider it the best book ever, it certainly is enjoyable. Although elements of war really don't interest me, probably due to current events, I was entertained by the humor, irony and sarcasm, which helped to make many of the character, especially Yossarian, extremely relatable.
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Summary: At times, strikingly funny
Review: For me, there is something a bit too unlinear about this novel: it seems a compilation of character sketches interpersed with a general "feel" for the military at the time. The pros are: character sketches detailed and funny; and an occasional paragraph of great comedic brilliance, which are SO wonderful that one keeps reading hopeful for the next one. The general anti-military feel for the novel was probably more attuned to the times in which it was written, we having seen in our times how necessary it is to have a military, and the noble sacrifices of military people. On the con side: the dialogue is unlikely in many places; the names of the characters very unlikely (as though pulled out of the too-creative hat); and a style that skims along a little breathlessly, as though punctuation amounted to grammatical error rather - what it really is - the finest point of style. And yet on the whole it is that wonderful, cynical American sense of humor that pulls it all off, just as it does for other American novels, such as Iacovelli's Lily Snow, Cheever's Falconer, and Henry Miller's naughty and otherwise sterile novels.
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Summary: There is only one Catch
Review: Catch-22 for me, before reading it, held a mythic position amongst books. This mainly stems from the fact that my mom gave up reading it at about page 50. From that point on I was determined to read it, to get through it, and to my astonishment, that was not too hard a task. Catch-22 is an hilarious book, one of the most funny books I have ever read, but it goes far beyond that. While reading the novel, the most wide range of emotions will be felt by the reader. You'll laugh at the escapades of Yossarian and his squadron with prostitutes in Rome. You'll fell heartfelt sadness for the dead man in Yossarian's tent, who never even got the chance to unpack his bags, as well as for the memory of Snowden, just a boy who died too young. At times you may be surpirised and confused, but that's the plan. A novel that many consider to be some of the best writing ever done by an American, it does not disappoint. Set at the tail end of World War II, but going beyond pure criticism of the war, Catch-22 will make you laugh, and then cause you to think seriously at what you're laughing about. If your asking yourself whether or not to read Catch-22, condsider what the author himself said about it. When told by a reporter that he had not written anything better than Catch-22, Heller replied simply "Who has?"
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Summary: A Great American Novel of Merit
Review: In modern day, relatively few people read books which are written by contemporary authors, never mind authors from fifty years ago , but some books just stand out even to people who only have a minor knowledge of classic American literature. Joseph Heller's Catch-22 is one such novel. Set toward the end of World War II, the book follows a very vague plot line with a strange way of representing time but uses abundant, rich, and sometimes a little dark humor to weave an enthralling tale about the bombardier Yossarian and his struggle against reality, particularly the fact that he has to fly in a plane (with people whom he has never even met before shooting at him) just because he is told to.
The book is well written and it draws you (the reader) in by really relating you to the myriad characters and their unique quirks. There is little historical accuracy in this book and some things are so wrong that its downright funny, for example Milo Minderbinder's mess hall syndicate (M&M) which, run by a lowly mess officer, trades with countries and organizations all over the world (including Nazi Germany and Soviet Russia) turning a prophet using confusing tangles of twisted logic and the magic slogan "everyone has a share." The humor is by far the book's most prominent strength but the writing is a close second. The astoundingly detailed and descriptive prose makes the funny parts all the more zany and the heavy, semi-depressing parts so vivid and powerful that they are extremely moving at times. This combined with Heller's sharp wit and snappy 50's slang make this book an immensely entertaining read and certainly an example of a great American novel of merit.
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Summary: Theres Always a Catch
Review: The novel Catch-22 deals with the soldiers stationed on a small island just off the coast of Italy during World War II. The main plot is focused around the story of Yossarian, one of the many soldiers on the island. Yossarian is different from many of the men stationed there as he takes the war personally and gets annoyed that he has to be there, facing danger everyday. He continually tries to find ways to get out of the war and go home, but every plan he comes up with always has a catch, catch-22. This catch ruins all his plans and makes them seem illogical. Throughout the novel Yossarian has to fight against everyone to gain back his life and get what he wants.
I enjoyed this novel because of the serious yet satirical tone that is used to convey the major theme. Heller used humor to make the book less controversial and to entertain the reader, while trying to make a statement. He also dealt with a very serious subject matter, the topic of war, which everyone has differing views on. He discusses the fighting and death that occurs in any war and is very graphic in his descriptions of what happens, but through being straightforward and blunt, Heller makes a stronger statement about war and its brutality. The descriptions affected me and my heart went out to all the soldiers involved in the war. Then, when Heller brought the humor back in I began to laugh out loud at the experiences he discussed. I truly enjoyed the way Heller wrote the novel and found that the mix of humor with the serious topic of war worked well to convey his message and made the novel truly original.
The novel does not only discuss war and cannot just be considered an anti-war novel. The novel can relate to any aspect of human life and make sense in almost any situation, making it a universal novel. The issues that Catch-22 deals with are issues and emotions every person has confronted at one time or another, such as anger, loss, pain, determination and selfishness. All the characters have to overcome these emotions if they want to survive the war and make it in the world.
I found Catch-22 to be an excellent novel about gaining your own freedom and becoming your own person and enjoyed the fact that it used such a controversial and universal topic as war to convey that message.
A great read for anyone.
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Summary: The best book ever
Review: As a senior in Mercy High School, I have been forced to read many a novel. When I first chose to read this novel I dreaded that I would be preached to on the glory or horror of war throughout my reading. After completing this novel, I can honestly say that Catch-22 is the best novel that I have read throughout my high school career. Joseph Heller lets the reader decide whether war is good or bad and never forces his opinion on the reader. The characters act with human emotions and their reactions are as any real person's would be. Although the stories tend to bounce from one to another, in the end they come together and form a complete story. I was unable to put this book down and wholeheartedly recommend it. This is one book that you will not regret reading.
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