Catch-22

Rating:
Summary: Masterful Expose of Hypocrisy
Review: Don't read this book because it is a classic. Read it because it is damn good.

Catch-22 is the type of book that will make you laugh, make you cringe and make you think. This is a story that will enchant you with its characters, its humor, its descriptions and its truths.

Catch-22 is not a pacifist rant. The morality of fighting World War II isn't the issue here. It is about the abuses of power, politics and hypocrisy that occur within military organizations during war. Yossarian is a man who has already gone beyond the call of duty for his country, yet is forced beyond his breaking point by men who are more interested in wealth and power than in concluding the conflict.

In our lives and work, most of us observe people making decisions driven by personal ambitions and ego to the detriment of all around them. Catch-22 is a dark comedy of those traits when they play out in the most lethal business of all: the business of war.

Heller's writing style breaks many of the literati's proscribed rules. He makes heavy use of repetition, along with strings of adjectives and adverbs. Although the story spends a lot of time exploring the characters, it does little to develop its nonlinear plot. Nevertheless, I found the rhythm of his writing hypnotic and engaging. You'll find yourself turning the pages to learn more about the people of the story.

Rating:
Summary: Catch-22: The Masterpiece
Review: A novel that can make you laugh at one moment and make you cry at another is a true work of genius. Joseph Heller's novel, Catch-22, is renown for being one of the greatest satirical war novels of all time. Heller's novel possesses great depth. The book is obviously anti-war but it also attacks many other problems that lie within our society. Heller attacks bureaucracies, capitalistic corporations, and other organizations that use individuals to benefit themselves. Heller's novel is directed to anyone who is fed up with being used as a tool of success for another person. The book is directed to anyone who is against war. Catch-22 is also directed to anyone who wants a laugh. In his novel, Catch-22, Joseph Heller successfully portrays an anti-war masterpiece using humor, corruption, and hope.

In order for someone to fully understand Catch-22, he or she must understand the context of the novel. This novel was written in the 1950's. This was a time where many Americans viewed World War II as a heroic success. Those involved in the combat had differing views on the subject. Joseph Heller was a bombardier for the Air Force during World War II. Catch-22 is based largely on Heller's experiences in the war. Through his novel, Heller is expressing his detest for war. An element that one must take into account when reading Heller's novel is that he wrote Catch-22 using extreme satire. The reader must not take everything written seriously or he or she will not grasp the message Heller is trying to convey.

Heller's novel Catch-22 revolves primarily around the actions and feelings of the protagonist, Yossarian. Yossarian desperately wants to be grounded. He can't be grounded though because he asked to be. Since he asked to be grounded that proved that he was indeed sane. If a man was insane he would want to fly more missions, therefore he could be grounded. Even if a man were insane and decided to ask to be grounded he could not be since he asked to be grounded therefore proving that he is actually sane. The preceding passage describes Catch-22. "Doc Daneeka replied, 'Catch-22. Anyone who wants to get out of combat duty isn't really crazy" (55). Yossarian spends most of the novel faking illnesses and finding other ways to get out of flying. It is near the end of the novel when Yossarian takes a walk through the eternal city of Rome. Yossarian is in Nately's whore's apartment with all of the girls (prostitutes) missing except for one old lady. This lady explains another aspect of Catch-22. "Catch-22 says they have the right to do anything we can't stop them from doing" (417). The woman is referring to how the soldiers came and took all of the girls from the apartment. Once the woman says this to Yossarian he realizes that Catch-22 doesn't truly exist. It is an inexistent rule used to control people. After Yossarian realizes this he retreats to the city where he sees all of the horrors of the world. It is in Rome where he is arrested for being in the city without a pass. After he is arrested, Colonel Cathcart and Colonel Korn gave Yossarian a proposal. They will send him back to the States if he pretends to promote the war. "Be our pal. Say nice thing about us here and back in the States. Become one of the boys. Now, that isn't asking too much, is it?" (436). Yossarian accepts the proposal but breaks it. He cannot promote the war effort. Instead Yossarian decides to run away to Sweden. Yossarian runs because he can no longer be controlled and is ready to live a life of freedom.

There is no doubt to whether Heller successfully executed his goals in writing this novel. It is evident through his writing that Heller truly detested the war and everything about it. He successfully uses humor in discussing a controversial issue. Catch-22 suggests many problems within the United States Militia. One of these problems is the traumatic affect of combat on soldiers. This idea is present through Yossarian and Snowden. Snowden was a young bombardier who died in Yossarian's arms. In result, Yossarian is always having flashbacks to the moment of Snowden's death. Although Heller's novel covered many issues it didn't touch on many common themes within war novels. One idea that is not present in Heller's writing in patriotism. None of the men in the novel act like they are fighting for their country. They don't show pride in what they do. This can be expected though since it is an anti-war novel. Heller distinguishes himself from other anti- war novelists in the sense of style. Unlike others, Heller uses satire to express his feelings on war.

Although Heller's novel is entertaining and comical I don't entirely agree with his stance on issues regarding war. Through his writing Heller seems to find everything about war to be wrong. I personally feel that war is indeed wrong but is essential at crucial times. It seems as though Heller feels war is the worse thing on the face of the earth.

In his novel, Catch-22, Joseph Heller successfully displays his beliefs on war. He touches on ideas such as corruption, deception, and violence in his novel. Heller was one of the first people to write an anti-war novel and did so even though he was a former member of the Air Force. Heller uses satire magnificently to illuminate on certain idiotic aspects of war. Catch-22 is a masterpiece of literature and everyone owes it to themselves to read it.

Rating:
Summary: Tao Lin is right
Review: Tao Lin's review is on the money. Heller repeats himself over and over - sometimes entire paragraphs - and not as a stylistic choice but because he probably didn't know where the story was going. No beginning, no middle, and no ending, just a long slog through pages of exposition with no real purpose. The concept and title are catchy, but its all sizzle and no steak. Not recommended, despite its "classic" description in most circles.

Rating:
Summary: Surprisingly Cutting-Edge
Review: I must say that I've heard a lot of things about CATCH-22 but upon reading it I was at first stupefied, then amazed. It's really "out there." Satiric, yes, but in an over-the-top way -- almost like Monty Python's Flying Circus: satire that often bleeds into absurdity, with plenty of word-play, and, often, flat-out slapstick. Upon reading it I was reminded of another recent devastatingly funny satire, [e-mail] (a medicated memoir) by Tom Grimes, which was featured as an Amazon quick-pick. As I was reading CATCH-22, I thought, My God, this is one book that merits a second reading! It's almost too much to take in the first reading. The novel is also terribly witty; think of DUCK'S SOUP, featuring the Marx Brothers and DR. STRANGELOVE by Stanley Kubrick. This is definitely a MUST-READ. I promise you will laugh and will be provoked to think about the absurdity not only of war, but life!

Rating:
Summary: Not a good book
Review: This book is not funny. In my opinion, this book is so so so not funny. The humor is like Saturday night live humor (post chris farley) only without the pretty images you get with TV. The writing is incredibly long-winded (he needed to EDIT, he needed a COMPUTER) and Heller always chooses the MORE OBSCURE word over the more ACCESSIBLE, STUPIDER (Heller probably thought) word. Heller thinks he's real smart just cause he can use big, rarely used words.

A taste of his humor: one of the guys is named MAJOR MAJOR MAJOR, and then, in the army, he becomes a MAJOR. So he's major major major major. This is fine, except it's stupid, and not funny, and probably the simplest humor possible, in the universe. Like in Nobakov's Lolita: HUMBERT HUMBERT. What is with these people? Is this supposed to be funny? To put the same word a bunch of times in a row?

So in conclusion, Heller thinks he's real smart, and his idea of humor is making someone's name the same word over and over again (maybe I would've found this funny when I was 5, though it wouldn't really be funny, EVEN AT 5, I probably would've just thought the author a PRETENTIOUS NERD). Yes, a pretentious nerd.

For a better "anti-war" book, read slaughterhouse five by kurt vonnegut. For another really crappy pretentious, overrated book, read Lolita. This is all in my opinion, of course.

How many people have lied to themselves that they liked this book, just cause it's supposedly a CLASSIC, I do not know. But probably a lot. This and Lolita are the two worst books I have ever read. Think of how many hours people have spent reading this a Lolita. With that kind of time spent, the human race could've probably built a space ship and a space colony on pluto and cured cancer and some other stuff.

Rating:
Summary: Hilarious and serious all at once
Review: While I was reading this book, I couldn't help but crack up. In class people would look at me oddly and then I would have to explain what was going on and then they would be laughing too. The way Heller presents these incredibly eccentric people is ingenius. His third person narrator is very matter of fact, though more compassionate toward some than others.
The story starts out with Yossarian in the hospital flirting with the nurses and screwing around with his pal Dunbar until an annoyingly patriotic (but extremely likable) Texan moves in and pushes them all back out into war. The actual plot takes awhile to get going, but there is not a single boring page in this book. It is one of the funniest things I have ever read, and one of the most profound. It attacks bureaucracy, questions and ponders religion, and deals with ever present death. Honestly one of the best books I have ever read, and I recommend it to anyone who wants a good laugh but wants to think too.

Rating:
Summary: There's a Catch to Being Insane
Review: In the beginning, we are introduced to the protagonist, Yossarian, and the situation based in the last part of WWII. It is difficult to keep from chuckling out loud while reading about the many desperate attempts of the squadron to escape the gruesome and violent conditions of the war. Somehow, Joseph Heller incorporates a light-hearted, humorous tone into a melancholy situation. By claiming to be sick and insane, the men buy time away from the dangerous flights, but the captain just keeps sending them on more required missions before they can be sent home. This actually holds the pilots in the captivity of the war until they complete the continuous assignments. With these discouraging conditions, Yossarian endures many difficult experiences, including the death of his friend. The ending is technically a happy ending but the reader is left with a feeling of despondence. Though I began the book expecting it to be more of a male's favorite, I was surprised at my enjoyment of this action-packed, humorous novel. This book deserves a four because it is hard to put down, but not my favorite.

Rating:
Summary: Catch 22
Review: Catch 22 is a novel set in final months of World War II. Yossarian, the protagonist, was a World War II Bombardier. In the novel, for thousands of people that didn't even know kept trying to kill him. This book I believe helps people to understand the meanings and feelings of war. For Yossarian lost several of his friends in war, bizzare accidnets, or even by fate, but he had to learn to handle it. This novel is not like every other novel, for it has no chronological order to it which gives it its uniqueness not only to the novel but also to the characters. For example, Yossarian goes crazy because he has gone through a lot but he gets through it. Major Major is a character to which he tells everyone they may visit him in his office, when he's not there. Some characters like Colonal Korn's just wants his picture in the paper and doesn't even care about his soldier or if they get bombed or anything. Heller makes the novel very interesting, but it is self-contradicting and has twisted reasoning for everything. He wants the reader to have to go back in the novel and remember certain events in order for it all to make sense. I also believe that because of all the little stories told about the other characters and the realationship Yossarian has with them, it ends up showing the reader a lot about Yossarian himself. For this novel is fun to read because it is field with numerous amounts of emotions from humor, to scary, to sadness and depressing moments allowing the reader to really get into the book. I enjoyed this book a lot, because I was able to keep reading it because I didn't want to put it down. I wanted to find out what kind of event was going to happen next. Catch 22 was none like any book I have read, and I recomend you read it.

Rating:
Summary: Amazing, simply amazing . . .
Review: Without a doubt, this is my all-time favorite novel. What a mastermind Heller is. How he could have come up with this stellar work of fiction is beyond me. It is, all at once, mind boggling, sickening, frightening, and hypnotic. There's not a sentence in the book that doesn't belong and it amazes me that this brilliant work never won any of the coveted prizes that other books have. But then, that's just a testament to committees, politics, and the rest.

Also recommended: McCrae's BARK OF THE DOGWOOD

Rating:
Summary: If you looked up "paradox" in the dictionary...
Review: Catch-22: the only thing that can define a book that seethes with paradox, contradiction, and twisted reasoning. The novel is set in the closing months of the Second World War, on a little island off the coast of Italy. Heller skillfully depicts a generation of people who are used against their will and the sheer helplessness of their resistance to the system. What makes this piece of literature so clever is how Heller uses his characters, which seem so real, to create many instances of contradiction and questionable logic. For example, Major Major, who will only see people in his office he himself is not in it. Or Commanding Officers who care more about well shot aerial photographs of bomb targets than actually bombing the target. And the most twisted contradiction of all: the main character's (Yossarian) iron will to survive the war, or die trying.
The novel stays fresh by unfolding many side stories that involve Yossarian's relationship with other characters. This, of course, tells the reader more about the men in the Bomber Division, but it also reveals more about Yossarian himself and his attempts to get himself out of as many missions as possible. Other characters present many of the recurring themes in the novel, such as faith. The division's chaplain, Chaplain Tappman, spends all his time preaching from the Good Book in hospitals and to the men, but at the same time, doubts everything he says, and the Lord's existence. Also, Yossarian's superior officers reveal the absolute weakness of language: while it offers no reassurance to those facing death, or those who could meet it, it offers the power of officers to trap their men in a hopeless prison of the army or in a grander scheme of things, bureaucracy.
By the time I finished this book, I was again presented with another contradiction: while this book is serious, sad, and incredibly thought-provoking, it's quite the funny read.