Rating: 
Summary: A bomb
Review: This is one of those books that everyone reads and pretends to like because everyone else has read it and says it's really funny. It has its moments, but it's not a very good book--that is, if you believe an interesting plot, interesting characters, and good writing style are the determining factors of a good book.
Rating: 
Summary: excellent
Review: This book is a lot deeper than it may seem if one gives it only a casual brush. It concentrates on the evils of war (its absurdity) by creating a text with little concrete plot, shifting time, and characters who are as senseless as war itself. Heller makes his point very clearly, and this novel deserves to be regarded as a classic. Comparisons with Slaughterhouse-Five are almost certain to arise; Vonnegut's novel is the stronger of the two, but Heller should not be underestimated in any way. The message of this novel, which is developed slowly as Heller leads the leader up to a spilling secret, is plain; for a lover of peace and wry humor, this is an excellent piece to read. For a lover of war and conflict, however, this is a novel that should certainly be read; if everyone could be lead to see Heller's point of view, maybe the world would be a safer, better place for "nuts" like Yossarian.
Rating: 
Summary: Fine, complex work
Review: I have just finished this book for the first time. The message of the book should not be oversimplified. It isn't really anti-war: Yossarian, the author's mouthpiece, does want to win the war and beat the Germans, and as I read it, believes he has a true duty in this regard. It's just that he thinks he has already fulfilled his duty and is (at the time of the action) being played for a sucker. The war is in a declining phase. The outcome is all but certain. The career military people are positioning themselves for the end of conflict, and those anticipating a return to civilian life are positioning themselves to make money. Gen. Dreedle, who is a warrior general (not a buffoon, in spite of the satiric elements), is losing his power to the bureaucratic types as the end of the war approaches. The book is not propaganda on anyone's side; instead, it is a tragic meditation on decay, which accompanies even the most important victories. And it is comic in the best sense, in giving hope that individuals can hold out against that decay. Probably not the best book I've read -- partly because of the dated humor -- but still a must-read.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent in every way!
Review: I am not overdoing it when i say that catch 22 is undoubtably the most entertaining, humourous, unique and utterly beautiful book I have ever encounted. It is funny, yet sad and heart wrencing. I would recommend it for anyone, it truely is the greatest novel of the centry.
Rating:
Summary: brilliant
Review: Yes, you probably could summarize this book briefly, but that would be to dismiss the point entirely. The book does not simply make a point and then drive it into the ground. Its length and content aid in its quality of satire. Heller could have abbreviated it after page 200, but, in keeping with the title, the ubiquitous sense of frustration and hopelessness would have been compromised, (not to mention the irony!!!)! This book says volumes about war, perhaps in as profound a manner as Johnny Got His Gun. And Heller achieved this with a caustic wit, and little to no reliance on horror. I read it seven times in a row, and discovered complex new layers each time.
Rating:
Summary: This book is very funny, but it can be confusing.
Review: This book does not follow a novel format. It is more like a collection of memories of the main character(Yossarian). It is very funny on one level and then the next it is very serious. Otherwise, this is a good book.
Rating:
Summary: Wildly funny, and touching
Review: Read this years ago in college, loved it then and still do. If Joseph Heller had only written one book, this one book would make him a great writer. The insane humor alternately makes you laugh and think. There are characters in the book who have become metaphors for me. Life will call to mind such people as the infuriatingly thickskulled Arfy. The spirited ending always jolts me out of myself and makes me feel hopeful at the cynicism of the world around me. Because of Yossarian, I try to jump when life requires me to do so.
Rating:
Summary: Incredibly Overrated
Review: Catch-22 is an anti-war book for the easily led and the ignorant. It's for people who just say "War is bad" without really thinking about why it's bad.The book is basically Dilbert in World War II. As in the comic strip, all the people in charge are unbelievably stupid, don't care about the people they command, and are extremely selfish. The common soldiers are of course much smarter than the commanding officers and try their hardest to get out of work. Their unwillingness to fight is justified (by the book, anyway) because their commanders are just so evil and stupid. Everyone's behavior is cartoonish and annoying. This edition of the book includes a preface by the author in which he, instead of saying anything useful, writes mostly about how everyone thinks his book is wonderful. Well, it's not.
Rating: 
Summary: The catch is, it's not that funny.
Review: Based on the word of mouth and critical praise, I picked this up expecting to be overwhelmed, but was instead merely whelmed. The story was mildly amusing, but seemed terribly dated. It just didn't have the edge I was expecting. The joke names were simply foolish: Monty Python did much better in The Life of Brian. I mean, come on, Colonel Korn? Major Major Major Major? And that one officer (I forget his rank) Scheisskopf? (Snicker, snicker, I know what that means in German!) Perphaps it was a groundbreaker when it was released, and maybe its irrelevance today is due in part to its imitation by newer writers who have been able to give it a sharper-honed edge. I dunno, maybe I should take the guy from Toronto's advice and keep reading it until I like it . . .
Rating:
Summary: If you think this book is stupid, READ DEEPER!
Review: Do a little thinking! First of all, their is an order to the book. My English teacher (to whom all credit is due) told us that the book follows a spiral-like chronology. If you look closely, Heller will come closer and closer to a certain incident in the book. The book has an almost non-existent plot. THAT'S THE POINT! Heller is making a statement about the total insanity of war here! I encourage people who don't like this book to read deeper, and really contemplate what the characters represent.
|
