Catch-22

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Summary: Self sacrificing yossarian, and the Great American Novel
Review: Catch 22 is a book about a great American bomb squadron during World War II. The book is about what it is like to be an American pilot in another country during the war. Yossarian, who is the main character of the book, is basically a very crazy person just because of all the experiences he has had with war. He has seen so many of his friend die that he does not want to fly on any other missions because he thinks that he will die. He is very nervous as to what will happen in the future, so he basically goes into the hospital so he does not have to go on any other missions. One of the main problems is that the number of required missions keeps getting raised, which means for him that he will be stuck there until he gets them done, but he does not want to go on another mission and refuses.
During the book, Yossarian comes up with many plans to help him get out of the war and to get back home. All of the plans that he makes up, always get destroyed because of catch 22. Catch 22 is a kind of statement or rule that the men in the war have come up with for certain circumstances they are put under. Every time he tries to get out of the war, there is always someone or something that is stopping him, and that is the catch. Eventually toward the end of the book, some of the higher ranked men ask him to fly the less dangerous missions, and they will have other men fly the dangerous ones in his place. He still disagrees with this because he does not want the men to be put in a spot where they see the same that he has seen. This is Yossarians main problem in the book. He wants to save all of the men in the war from dying or from seeing the horrible sights of the war that he has seen. This would mean that in order for Yossarian to save the men is for him to fly the dangerous missions. Every time he flies the missions, he is getting more insane because he is putting himself in the places that the other men would die in. This for him is self sacrifice, and that is what is making him so insane throughout the book.
During the book, Joseph Heller, the author, does a great job in explaining the circumstances and events that happen in war. He does a very great job in describing all of the characters and how they all feel. He also relates all of the feelings of the characters, to the real life feelings that people would have while in war. The main theme of the story is that Yossarian has to sacrifice himself in order to save the other men in the war. This is the problem, because it makes him more insane throughout the book, but in order for him to save the men, he is forced to choose one of the two things that are put in front of him, and that is the catch. Throughout the book overall, Yossarian has himself caught between two things that are both bad for him. So overall, the theme of this book gives a good idea as to what can happen to a man that is put in the horrible consequences of war. I think that the overall book is very well written, because the author can make the reader feel sad about the war one minute, and happy about it the next, and that is what is so great about the book.

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Summary: Did not like it, but it's a school project
Review: Catch -22 seemed like it would be interesting and different. From reading the book jacket this looked like an interesting book and I looked forward to reading it. As I was reading it, I changed my mind; I thought that this was a terrible book.

The book took place during WWII. The main character was Yossarian, who tried to run away from anything that he thought would turn into a problem. He never faced his fears or responsibilities. Whenever he did something that he thought was good something else happened and wound up causing something bad to happen. Damned if you do damned if you don't either way you don't win. So much so that the term "being in a Catch-22 situation" has become a part of everyday language.

Snowden was a friend and inspiration for Yossarian. By the end of the book Yossarian had to choose between himself and others. Yossarian cared about this boy very much. Snowden's wartime death shocked him. He had always run away from the missions, he never dropped bombs, he just got the air hours on his record. He hated being in the army and wanted to leave, he did not want to die. Yet after his friend died he decided to help hid friends and run away.

For most of the book Yossarian is a patient in a military hospital. All he does when he is there is pick on the staff and other patients. But when his friend Orr picks on Yossarian he gets mad, but never defends himself. He is afraid to die. When he is in the hospital he acts like everyone is out to kill him and thinks that all the people in the hospital are crazy.

I think Yossarian was a capable person who got in his own way when he tried to do anything. He would run from his responsibilities instead of facing them. At the end of the book he proved to himself that he was running from his responsibilities and finally ran toward them. He faced his responsibilities by going to help his friends when he rejected an offer that he had been asking for because he didn't want to lie. Until then he had been a very selfish man and only wanted to save himself and his close friends in the process.

I think that this book was too long and that it could have been better in less words. This book did not hit home with me as I thought it would.

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Summary: It's quite a catch, that catch-22
Review: Bombardier Yossarian can be grounded because he's crazy, but if he asks to be grounded he will be declared sane and fit to fly; Major Major will permit any man to visit him in his office...as long as he isn't there; and Colonel Korn's education sessions only permit the men to ask questions who never do. These are just a few examples of the roundabout logic, self-defeating reasoning, and frustrating paradoxes that infest the text of Catch-22. Set in final months of World War II, Joseph Heller's novel depicts a world where the human language has become obsolete. Hardly a single exchange takes place that doesn't contain some form of self-contradiction or circular reasoning. Heller's stories of the horrors of war are a satire that is at one-moment whimsical and acidic the next.
Featuring an abundant cast of memorable characters, Catch-22 is a war novel that is much more. It is an allegory, a collection of running themes and recurring storylines. Told in a nonlinear storytelling style, Heller's novel captivates and demands attention, making reference to events in casual passing, only to return to them in increased detail. During an education session in Chapter 4, Yossarian, the book's protagonist, makes passing reference to Snowden, a man killed during a mission in which he was in charge. This incident is returned to with increasing detail as the story progresses, and it is in the book's blood-drenched climax that the full horrors of the event are recounted.
One recurring theme in Heller's novel is faith. The character Chaplain Tappman is the ideal vehicle for Heller's musings; he constantly preaches the word of God, questioning The Almighty's existence all the while. On the subject of the bible, Tappman recalls one soldier asking, "Did it indeed seem probable...that the answers to the riddles of creation would be supplied by people too ignorant to understand the mechanics of rainfall?" Yossarian also offers his two cents on the matter in Chapter 18, referring to a certain Supreme Being as "'a colossal, immortal blunderer,'" saying, "'When you consider the opportunity and power He had to really do a job, and then look at the stupid, ugly mess He made of it instead, His sheer incompetence is almost staggering. It's obvious he never met a payroll. Why, no self-respecting businessman would hire a bungler like Him as even a shipping clerk!'" Its insights like these that make Catch-22 the joy it is.
This questioning of faith and religion is justified, particularly in the environment of war, where ruthlessness and corruption are the status quo. Heller creates a world where a redeeming character is a rare and unusual blessing. Many of the book's characters are so self-absorbed it's a wonder how they came to men of respected standing in the first place. Colonel Cathcart, one of the story's central antagonists, is a prime example. A brown-nosing, elitist, social climber, He cares more about getting his picture into the next edition of the Saturday Evening Post than the well-being of his own men. If it weren't for the characters' military titles, one would hardly know this was a book about war at all. Heller doesn't glorify war or hold it on a pedestal, and it is through this jaded perspective that his reader begins to understand what war is really about.
By the end of Catch-22, I had been run through a full gamut of emotions. I laughed at the irrational interrogation of Chaplain Tappman in Chapter 36, and I felt a sickness in the pit of my stomach as Yossarian witnessed poverty, death, and desperation wandering through The Eternal City in Chapter 39. Catch-22 is a thought-provoking, entertaining piece of literature, and its declaration as a modern-day classic is well-deserved to say the least.

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Summary: Craig's Review of Catch-22
Review: Craig Leaman
Catch-22
Catch-22 shows many things that relate to isolation because the people I the book are always arguing with each other and never give anyone on the same squadron the right support they need. But the funny thing is they get by because they know that they are going to have to live with each other for a while, which leads to a state of depression in the squadron.

But the only thing that Yossarian wants to do is get out of the military and go home. Yossarian gets very angry with people because he doesn't want anyone bugging him because he is a man that likes to be alone and stay in his own world which is shown by isolation. A sign of isolation shown on this book is when Yossarian always has some sort of problem with himself. This is shown by isolation because he is a man that is very lonely and wants to get out the military. Catch-22 makes Yossarian feel very depressed because the military always bumps up the missions needed to leave the base. So Yossarian always goes off on his own because he knows that he will be there for a while.

Another sign of isolationism is when all the people in the book become incoherent because they are unsure of what to do to make themselves get along with one another. This is isolationism because they take it out on other people while making themselves feel bad about how they are going to live the rest of their lives and at the same time taking their problems out on other people.
I believe this book should be read because it offers a lot of action and humor. The men in the squadron are always fighting with each other but somehow they always seem to pull it off and get along in the end. It also offers a lot of drama because when Yossarian's roommate dies many people are effected by it and don't know how to deal with it. But at time the book can be boring because it rambles on about describing when Clevenger says how Yossarain is crazy. It goes on for about a page and a half. That is the only boring part of the book. All round I thought it was a book that offered a lot of information on what war life was like at that time.

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Summary: Yossarian and his humor
Review: The book Catch 22 by Joseph Heller is not like any other book that I have read. Usually when I sit down to read a book and find it hard to stay with I give it up. This book is like that. In the first hundred pages you start off in an Italian Hospital and then you are out in the war and back in the hospital. This book does a lot of jumping around and is hard to get started. I found that after the hundred pages there is a lot of humor and it becomes an enjoyable book.
Another reason to like this book is because of the main character Yossarian. He makes this book more enjoyable to read because of how humorous he is. At the end of the book the army tells him that he is free to go if he talks good about what is happening, Since Yossarian doesn't believe in what is happening he runs off and frees himself. He does this because he knows that if others go to war they can die and he doesn't want that to happen.
Catch 22 teaches the reader to watch out for higher-ranking people trying to pull a fast one by trapping them in a no win situation.

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Summary: A Catch not Thrown Back
Review: As a high school junior, one might think Catch-22 would be a challenge. This is true, for the writing is very different, and it is at times very hard to follow the story. But, if you can find it within your heart to forgive Catch-22 that minor misgiving, then you certainly would feel the same way about it that I do that Catch-22 is a very good book.
There are several characters in the book, but the one that Catch-22 is rooted to is Yossarian, who throughout the whole book is always wondering why people he has never met are trying to kill him. His wondering why leads him to try to leave the army in any way possible, but he is always confronted with "catch-22", which in his case means he can leave the army if he is crazy, and he must be crazy to fly the dangerous bombing runs, but, and here's the catch, "anyone who wants to get out of combat duty isn't really crazy...that a concern for one's own safety in the face of dangers that were real and immediate was the process of a rational mind". Catch-22 is used in different situation throughout the book, each with its own underling meaning.
A major point the book conveys is the line between sanity and insanity. As seen by the "catch-22" for Yossarian, it seems to us he is really crazy, for who would walk around all day for months naked. Yet, after getting into the book, the reader comes to realize Yossarian is the only sane person in the whole outfit. This new idea of those who are crazy are sane, and visa versa, leads in to the theme of the later half of the book, the stupidity of army politics. During the story, there are countless times when idiotic things occur because the ones in charge fell it necessary. For instance, in a mission that a member of Yossarian's crew is killed, Yossarian gets a metal.
With what I have said, you can see how the book is confusing at times. But don't let that scare you away. Catch-22 is one of the best books of the 20th century, and it is also a very funny book. I recommend it to any who are willing to try something new, for Catch-22 is a challenge, and what could be better for to read than a challenging book full, of humor, about a war...kind of reminds me of "M.A.S.H.", but not as serious.

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Summary: the goods and bads
Review: Catch 22 is satirical novel which pokes fun at many different parts of our society. It manly criticizes capitalism, the army, and the chain of commands that it consists of. Some readers may dislike this anti-military tone. I liked this novel because Heller's original and repetitive style of writing was funny as well as influential, but by no means is it easy to read. A less competent reader may not enjoy the book as much because the underlining humor may not be understood. The plot and character development is choppy making it difficult to understand the story line. In order to enjoy the novel you must enjoy the humor because the plot itself is not interesting enough to cary you through the book.

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Summary: The humor of "Catch 22"
Review: If you are looking for a book to sit down and read on a Sunday afternoon, "Catch 22" is not the book for you, however if you are looking for a book that will make you think, and is accompanied by off beat humor then "Catch 22" is the book for you.
The humor in "Catch 22" is not your typical slap stick humor. It is, however, a way to understand the crazy timeline in which the book is written, and a way to realize how crazy the characters really are. The book's humor shows the insanity of war. The humor in this book takes away from the reality of war. The book seldom mentions fighting, it is more focused on the characters getting out of the war, and the crazy action of the characters. Without humor this book would be extremely dry, and confusing. The humor however does not appeal to all readers.
Yossarian, as well as the other main characters in this book, are all stuck in a "Catch 22." Each way they turn, there is another obstacle preventing them from getting out of the World War II. Whether it be the rise of the missions required, or the increasing bureaucracy among high-ranking officials. There are examples of "Catch 22" such as this throughout the book.
The humor shows how truly crazy the characters are. One character, for instance, puts crab apples in his cheeks because he likes the way they feel inside his mouth. Can you image seeing one of our troops walking around with crab apples inside his mouth, and how comfortable with our army would you be?
If you are looking for a book to really stretch you mind, as well as make your stomach hurt from laughter then "Catch 22" is the book for you.

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Summary: Something everyone should read!
Review: Catch-22 is the story of a bombardier named Yossarian, who is a frenzied officer in the air force who believes that thousands of people he hasn't even met are trying to kill him, which is somewhat true, but they are really trying to kill everyone. His superiors have no compassion, and like other people of great power believe that Yossarian and other officers are there to serve them. Everyone thinks Yossarian is crazy but the only thing he is crazy about is staying alive. Whatever he does he cannot seem to escape the tragedy of catch-22. This gut-wrenching novel, which attacks the cracks in the dehumanizing military service of WW II, reminds us once again of all that we have taken for granted in our world and should not. This long novel took me awhile to finish but it was worth the effort. Every teenager should read this and find the deep meaning of catch-22.

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Summary: KEEP READING IT
Review: This was the third time I read Catch-22 by Joseph Heller and everytime I read it I understand it better and better. The first time I read it, I was about 17 years old living in Russia. Anything American was good. The book was translated into Russian but somehow was not very popular. No one could really understand what it was all about. If it was about the WWII, it was at least strange. If it was an American humor, there was nothing to laugh about. It was not funny to bomb your own planes. And how could a captain walk around naked? Tomatoes, prostitutes, the CID men, crazy officers and nurses... People did not like it.
Than I came to America and a few years later, I saw this book used, somewhere, and just for 10 cents. I could not resist. I read it again. I could speak some English back than but I guess it was not enough to understand the full depth of Catch-22. I liked it better than before, in Russia, but still not enough. It was just OK.
A month ago, I was making more room for books in my house. Books, I did not care much about were destined to end their lives in the local library, as my donation. Catch-22 by Joseph Heller... I opened it again. What a mistake. What a surprise. I was stunned. It was one of the best books ever written. One has to know not only the language but the life in America and the Americans as well to understand this book completely. This book is not about the war. This book is about us and our lives and our regular affairs. This book is perfect and has to be an American classic. No, Catch-22 did not go to the local library. It is destined now to end its life on my shelf. I will have to read it again and, only than, again and again. Have you read it? You have to read it.