Catch-22

Rating:
Summary: Certainly A Classic
Review: This is a book that really gets you thinking. It brings to the light how silly war is, and it does so in humorous manner. It's ironic ina sense that it sets things up and then completely blows it off. It humorously reveals the true army life, and makes fun of how sometimes in the army it only takes standing behind your general, not hard work, to climb the ranks. Also, it reveals many problems that society is faced with today, and need I say, it does so humorously.

Rating:
Summary: Agravating Details
Review: I thought the book was well written and funny at the beginning, but at the end it became a little agravating. His humor used at the end came at the wrong times and kind of made your stomach turn. The book began as a light and funny comedy, but turned a touch revolting. The ending and beginning made up for it though so I gave it a 4 out of 5.

Rating:
Summary: Simultaneously Hilarious and Terrifying
Review: Heller's novel about the pilot Yossarian left me wondering how in the hell I could be laughing about the horrors of war. This novel is a thought provoking and humorous look at the dilemmas that face a man who must confront his own mortality daily. A must read.

Rating:
Summary: In a class by itself
Review: Joseph Heller died on December 12, 1999. Boy will we miss him.

There are only two ways to look at "Catch-22." One side believes that it is a demoralizing work that compromises the integrity and honor of the United States military. The other side argues that this is a classic work of fiction to be enjoyed by generations to come. Who is right?

Both sides are. I can honestly say that Heller's hilarious, upsetting, poignant, and disquieting work is one that I am proud to have in my library, even going so far as to say that it is truly one of my favorite works. Seeing as I serve in the US Air Force, one would ask, "How can you so thoroughly enjoy a book which so blatantly criticizes the military and all that it stands for?" To this I reply, "That's the point."

Stationed on an imaginary island off the coast of Italy called Pianosa, a disgruntled World War II bombardier is desparate to get out of the Air Force because he believes that everyone is trying to kill him. For most people, this plot wouldn't hold up in a 463-page novel, much less a short story! However, Heller's superior characterization (the squadron commanding officer's name was Major Major Major Major) and ability to make the most basic situation ironic (an aircrew member who is diagnosed insane is unfit for flying per Air Force regulations must actively request to be taken off of the flight roster, but if he is sane enough to make such a request, then he is deemed fit for flying) leads me to wonder why the book isn't even longer.

The characters will tear at your emotions like a Cuisinart. You will both love and hate them at the same time, especially the conniving Milo Minderbinder, who had his own squadron bombed to further the causes of his international black-market goods cartel, a cartel which he runs with the use of the squadron's planes.

Joseph Heller is now gone, but his legacy lives on. We salute you, sir, and your tale of Yossarian the bombardier shall never be forgotten.

Rating:
Summary: funniest anti-war book ever
Review: This is the funniest anti-war book ever

Rating:
Summary: The ultimate life affirming book
Review: No book written in my lifetime has had a greater impact on my thinking or provided such a rich reading experience as Catch-22. More than just an antiwar screed, this sprawling novel with its intricate plots and huge cast of characters is a complex story of survival in an absurdly tragi/comic war. It manages to be both hysterically funny and saddly moving while forcing the reader to look differently at such concepts as 'honor', 'heroism', 'patriotism' and 'cowardice'.

As several reveiwers have pointed out, the book is slow to start. Part of that has to do with the author's need to seduce the reader to his peculiar veiwpoint, to introduce the numerous characters and to set the stage that will make the absurd seem normal and the normal seem absurd. Once perceived, the structure of the book is a joy to experience. The recurring interrupted flashbacks, the seemingly unrelated subplots and digressions, the cast of characters, each stranger than the one before, all reveal more and more as the book progresses so that by the end one feels enmeshed in a real story of real people - though it is totally crazy. As if Lewis Carroll had written The Inferno instead of Dante.

Some of the scenes and characters are as inventive as anything ever writtn and remain vivid in the mind long after the book is finished. Yossarian is a complete person, but much that he experiences is fragmented and bizarre. The 'soldier in white' (all readers will remember this one) is a perfect example of Heller's genius. This scene is both horrifying and hysterically funny, and goes to the heart of the book's message.

Joesph Heller died yesterday. I will miss him because there will be no more Heller books. But in truth, though he continued to write and produced a series of interesting novels (including a sequel to Catch-22), nothing else that he produced came close to having the magic and the impact of that first one.

Rating:
Summary: All-Time Classic
Review: It is sad,but perhaps fitting,that Joseph Heller should pass away just as the 20th century comes to an end,because his book "catch 22"is quite possibly thee book of this century.Unforgettable characters like Yossarian and Milo Minderbinder make this a must read for everyone.The book was misunderstood and underappreciated when first published in 1961,like all things ahead of there time,but is now recognized as a true classic and work of art.And remember,"That's some catch,that Catch-22."

Rating:
Summary: Scathingly funny, but a bit of a chore to get through
Review: This is one of those books that I've heard about for a long time, so I finally decided to read it. It seemed like the kind of book that I like, and the first chapter is a riot. There are, however, more than a couple of chapters that drag on forever. It's kind of tough to keep all the characters straight too, but by the end of the book you will be able to.

The book is very illogical and absurd, which is one of the things that makes it so enjoyable, though some readers may find it trying when characters say or do things that they think make no sense. On the whole, the novel reminds me of listening in on somebody's old war stories.A fun read though, but make sure you're not being forced to read it, since no good things ever come out of being forced to read something.

Rating:
Summary: ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS
Review: JOSEPH HELLER HAS CAPTURED THE HORRORS OF WAR PERFECTLY. HE HAS REMINDED US AGAIN AND AGAIN THAT WAR IS NOT WORTH IT. HIS BRILLIANTLY DEPICTED CHARACTER, YOSSARIAN IS THE MOST MEMORABLE. JOSEPH HELLER HAS DIED TODAY SO LET US GIVE THE THANKS THAT HE DESERVES FOR TEACHING US THE CONSEQUENCES OF WAR........

Rating:
Summary: Shawn Dowrey from Iowa sums it up well
Review: Yes, Shawn Dowrey from Iowa, you summed up both the book and life in general quite well. Any day is a good idea to remember the ideas and ideals of Heller. But particularly today, the day that Mr. Heller passed away with so many in Chechnya dying at the hands of those "fighting for their country", is a day we should remember the lessons of this truly great novel. This novel will outlive Heller, Mr. Dowrey and his old ideas, and the United States itself.