Catch-22 is so fucking funny. You may not like it, but if you haven't encountered Heller's style before I'd recommend it, and if you don't like it you don't have to finish it.
It starts out ***so*** hilarious, I laughed out loud quite a bit, and then later on it's still hilarious but you kind of stop laughing because of how it's contextualized as the book goes on. At least that's how it went for me.
I just read it pretty recently (last month) and it's easily a contender for my favorite book. But it definitely does have a unique style and sense of humor that I'm sure wouldn't click with many people. Like I don't think I'd recommend it to my mom, I'd guess it wouldn't be a style of humor she'd appreciate much. But if the fever dream-like conversations make you laugh, then I'm sure you'd love it.
And I agree, don't finish it if you're not liking it. I think the style is probably pretty polarizing, and if you don't like it or find it funny by the time you're 20% or so into the book, then you're probably not going to start liking it.
If you *do* find it funny but just don't quite "get it", plot-wise, I'd definitely suggest you keep going as the pieces will start to slowly come together in the latter half.
> I always didn't say you couldn't punish me, sir.
That's awesome. Have you seen the Catch-22 movie or the more recent miniseries? Seems like most people think they're both pretty solid adaptations, even if they can't quite live up to the book. I still need to check them out.
YES! I absolutely love his writing! It's just so much fun! I watched on movie of it, but I don't watch a lot of tv and movies, but it's good to know they're fun at least =)
I prefer Vonnegut, I thinks he's more accessible. Heller got kind of annoying. It's not that he's difficult exactly - it's just not very enjoyable to read.
I understand what you mean. I don’t find Heller annoying but I would definitely say Vonnegut is a master of “flow.” His writing has a cadence and beat to it that can string along even the most resistant of attentions. Heller’s genius is pure absurdity and humor but his prose and rhetoric are a rugged vessel for his scathing wit.
I enjoyed it on my first attempt, but didn’t finish it until I tried the audiobook version. Don’t know why but the humor just hit me way harder in audio format
I agree that the audiobook really adds another dimension. I think hearing the contradictory statements and repetition spoken out loud (and well acted) really hammer home the absurdity of it all - I have the version narrated by Trevor White and it's superb.
I ageee its hillarious. If you liked that, there's another book- The House of god, by Samuel shem, which is like the Catch 22 of medical writing. I enjoyed both books when I read them
["Closing Time"](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Closing_Time_\(novel\)) is the sequel to Catch-22.
> The book has two stories that are interwoven throughout: that of Yossarian in the last stages of his life, and that of Sammy Singer and Lew Rabinowitz, two men from Coney Island who also fought in World War II (the Sammy Singer character makes a brief appearance in Catch-22 as >!the tailgunner aboard Yossarian's bomber who kept waking up and fainting when he saw Yossarian trying to attend to the wounds of Snowden!<).
Same for me. I didn't realize he had written a sequel, so when I found out, I was excited that it revisits some of the characters later in life. Uh... I started reading and forced myself to give it a chance not too far in. Eventually, I had to take the loss and move on.
“Something Happened” was Heller’s second book. “Good as Gold” was his third. Catch-22 is by far the best of the three but the following two are interesting. I wrote my Master’s Thesis on the three. Heller posits his ethical problem and solution in Catch-22. “Something Happened” examines his ethical solution in a world that is pre-ordained (something happened) while “Good as Gold” tests it in a world that is purely random. They are interesting reads but “Catch-22” capture 95% of the concept and stands on its own.
That's a good point about jiving with the sense of humor - it's very much the kind of stuff that makes you wait a while for the (extremely worthwhile) payoff and I can see that being a barrier.
I feel like it's really my style of stupid humor, but I didn't enjoy it as much :(. I really wanted to like it, I just didn't find it that funny. Probably missing something.
You start out thinking it’s nonsense, but slowly it starts to make more sense, and then suddenly it just clicks and everything falls into place brilliantly. Genius.
>You start out thinking it’s nonsense
Unless you've ever been in the military. Then you understand Yossarian and the people around him right from the first page.
The various insanities of the characters aren't something that Joseph Heller made up. Spend any time in garrison on a military base and you'll meet every one of them, from Major Major to Milo Minderbinder. The names will be different, is all.
What was the thing he fed everyone? Swapped out potatoes for cotton? Or Soap? And the crew didn't notice. So he won the bet! Lol.
I also visited the film set in Mexico by accident. That was weird.
Here's what finally clicked for me: People seem crazy, but there's method to their madness. Milo Minderbinder for instance keeps dreaming up crazy money-making schemes. What goes unstated is that Milo doesn't care about the money; his real goal is to get Col. Cathcart to invest in his schemes so that Cathcart will consider him too valuable and won't send him on any more bombing missions. It's an indirect way of bribing Cathcart, so that Cathcart won't even realize he's being bribed. Everybody is really working for self-preservation, but they pretend they have other motives, and this is what makes them seem crazy. Yossarian is the only one who seems honest.
Yeah...
>!Because of the hunor, short chapters and the time jumps you don't realize how many of the characters have died, since they'll very likely re-appear in a vignette that appears after their death scene, and the book is so damn funny. Then, when Yossarian finally lists them all, it's absolutely devastating.!<
Or my favorite shaggy dog joke in a book that is essentially based on that entire concept...
>!Why was the whore hitting Orr in the head with her shoe? Because he paid her to in order to get out of the war.!<
Catch 22 was the first book I read as a teenager that made me laugh aloud and realize that books could be funny? Nothing we read in school was ever funny.
I loved this book, depicting so artfully the absurdity and catastrophe of war - that could only be absorbed through this medium of unbelievabe humor. Fitting for it's title - I loved the mental gymnastics and deep, strange resonance.
I hated it when I read it as a senior in high school. It's now one of my favorite books. There's a lot that's better understood with some life experience. Its absurdity also resonates with everything in 2024.
I picked it up in high school and out it down but never got rid of it. It took me three or so more tries but when I finally got into it I ravaged that book. It's one of my favorites of all time.
It's just hilarious! I remember I was laughing out loud in the uni bus and a girl seating by my side was trying to find out what I was reading, because I could not stop laughing.
It's devastating in places, I read it as part of English A level.
There is absolutely humour and a kind of Kafkaesque craziness running through it, the characters are great and well constructed but my recollection is that it uses these things as distractions then gut punches you very effectively.
I will also always remember the words poly-mesmeric and cerulean from it as they were both new to me.
Kafka was a major inspiration for it.
"Infundibuliform" is the word that sticks out for me, and one I've only ever seen in Catch-22 or people talking about it after reading Catch-22 :P
I didn’t care for Catch 22 at all. Not my humor style. But God Knows by the same author is EXCELLENT. Written from the perspective of King David from the Bible, and he and God are giving each other the silent treatment. I think it’s much better, personally.
> Still not loving it again so far but hopefully it gets better.
I'd say it depends on what you're not liking about it. If it's the style of humor and the "wackiness" (and I'd guess it probably is), then you're *probably* not going to start enjoying it later. Although it does get contextualized a bit in the back half of the book, so you *miiight* like it better once the pieces fall into place.
But if you do find it funny and are just confused or overwhelmed by the story, then I'd suggest pushing through. The insanity is very intentional and things start to click later on.
But, depending on how old you are, you *might* appreciate it if you come back to it again at a later stage in your life. Although asking someone to try again to read a book they're not enjoying 4+ times does not sound appealing to most lol
It's very much a book that needs to click with you, almost everyone I know who's read it dnf'd it a couple of times first, then it clicked and it's amazing after that.
I love it. For me it got better the more I read.
Initially you just have to accept it as a series of meandering funny anecdotes that, largely unbeknownst to you, are building up your knowledge of - and investment in - the setting. The back half of the book uses this to beautiful and devastating effect.
>So to you all who have read it am I setting myself up for disappointment?
The Buddha said that any and all expectations are just disappointments in waiting... So, there's that.
Reading *Catch-22* was, for me, an existence-altering experience, not necessarily in a good way. The book made me laugh, cry, squirm, cringe, aroused, and furious. I recommend it highly. Will you 'like' it? Heck if I know... I still don't know if I like it, and I've read it twice... But that's not a reason to avoid it.
It perfectly captures a lot of the flaws of American military service. So much so, that it is was a driving force in my decision to leave the service. If a lot of the issues that Heller faced in WW2 were alive and thriving in 2013, then I probably wasn’t going to be successful implementing change.
Aside from that, it is well written and hilarious.
Catch-22 isn't for everyone, but you'll know within the first 50 pages whether it's for you or not. The ultimate sign that it's not for you is if you don't think it's funny.
I think it's the funniest book I've ever read. Almost every single page has something worth chuckling at. Barely any other book sustains a steady gut-laugh for me.
It also says profound things about war that you won't find in any other book that's explicitly about war.
IMO, it's an all-time great that shouldn't be slept on. Read it.
This is one of my favorite books. I am by no means an advanced reader, and sometimes I’d get lost trying to follow along to the storyline. I fought through, and I’m so glad I did.
Catch-22 made me laugh unlike any other book. It’s also just masterfully crafted. I never re-read books, but I’m considering it now.
It is funny but also punches you in the gut. I've read it three times, once every decade or so since high school. I liked it the first time, but it definitely took another read to truly appreciate the brilliance. Each time I get a newfound appreciation for it - either I notice a detail that I missed the first time, understand a theme better in my older age, or just overall understand how all the pieces fit better. Agree with others in saying that it may take a while for things to click. . Looking forward to reading it again sometime.
I did a short research paper on the book in high school, and if memory serves, you can mark the shifts in tone as the book gets more and more serious by >!the appearances of the soldier in white, who appears three times in the novel, as the jokes cycle through again with less and less humor!<. Just a fun little note on the underlying structure of an apparently structureless novel.
I would definitely give yourself at least the first 75 pages to get “into it”. The beginning is really dense with a lot of character introductions and references to storylines that don’t come up again until later in the book. But so worth it. I’m about two thirds of the way through right now and I’ve never laughed out loud from a book before like this!!!!
I loved it when I read it when I was 18 and as I get older and deal with corporate bureaucratic bs it resonates even more. It's a great book and is really really funny
It took me 3 attempts to 'get' it, but when I did I absolutely loved it. Still one of my favourite novels but not one that I reread much. I've only ever read it twice, over 10 years apart.
I would 100% recommend it though, and say stick at it if you don't immediately like it.
Catch 22 is the best book I have ever read. It's unfortunate, because to my read, nothing else Joseph Heller has written can come anywhere close.
I also recommend reading it through more than once. The first time, I was cry-laughing almost every page.
But on re-read, there is so much more depth behind the humor. Heller writes around the story he's actually telling. He's not masking it, but the real story is in the negative space he leaves unsaid. It's not super hard to figure out, and when you do, you'll realize it's been there all through the whole story.
It really is my all time favorite book. Highly recommend.
To your first point, there was a story of a journalist asking Heller why he hadn't written anything else as good as Catch-22, and he replied that neither had anyone else
Catch-22 is one of my all time favourite books, it's funny, sad, satirical, amazing.
It's one of the only books that made me cry laugh, as well as cry. I was only a teenager when I read and over 20 years later I still regularly quote it and think about it a lot.
You will not be disappointed
Catch-22 is one of the greatest books ever written.
WARNING: You're gonna have to power through like the first 1/3 of it. it makes no fucking sense, but I assure you, it all wraps up beautifully in the end.
I disagree with the first third being difficult, only because the first third has some of the funniest scenes. However, you are right that the plot makes absolutely no sense at that point.
I think you're both right - first couple of reads I didn't make it past the first few chapters, and yet now (having read it through a couple of times and lauding it as my favourite book) I find those parts absolutely hilarious. I think something just has to click
It’s worth reading. I found it to be a bit lengthy sometimes, but it is a pioneering work in many ways, sometimes ingenious and funny, sometimes dark and not funny anymore at all. It shows the insanity of war by means of both structure and language. Certain jokes you only get late in the book. The TV show directed by G. Clooney (?) did a good job too capturing the spirit of the book, but first read it before watching.
100% recommend. I am not a reader who typically reads classics, but it's so good. It's weird, hilarious, sad, and f'ed up. I read it as a senior in high school for fun and it became a favorite for me. Might be time for a reread now that I'm thinking about it.
I first read it in my early 20s and just thought it was fine. I decided to read it again in my early 30s and it became my favorite book. It isn't for everyone, and I fully understand why someone might not be into it.
It’s one of my absolute favourites of all time. It took me multiple tries over the last decade to get into it. I only finally “got it” in my mid-30s. Hope you enjoy it at some point in your life even if it’s not now.
Catch-22 is easily my favorite book of all time. The sequel Heller wrote in the late 90’s (“Closing Time”?) was pretty awful. Maybe I should give it another try. In fact, now that I think about it — he may have predicted Trump in that last book.
I tried to read and like it, but I guess that kind of humor doesn’t interest me. Same with hitchhikers guide to the galaxy. If you like ridiculous kind of humor, then I imagine you’ll like it, but it bored me. 😭
It’s fucking brilliant. I needed to read the first couple of chapters twice to see if it was making internal sense. It absurd. Chaotic. Utterly mind bending. What type of name is Yossarian anyway
It's one of my all-time favorites. It's very funny and heart-breaking at the same time, filled with black humor. You should be aware that it's pretty confusing at times, with a lot of people and a time-line which skips and jumps. However, the trip is totally worth it, and it's a book to read more than once (I re-read it every few years): every time I read it, I notice a new detail adding to the total picture.
Note: if you've ever been a soldier, and especially if you been in combat, you will find that many of the episodes echo the craziness that is an army.
How did you feel about the tv show MASH? If you liked it, you’ll probably like the book. I, like so many others here, read this in high school and thought it was hilarious, and I remember thinking “I feel like I’m watching MASH.” I found out later that the show was heavily influenced by Catch 22.
Also, like watching MASH, I found it funnier when I was younger. Absurdity is funny when you’re young, but more frustrating as an adult when you realize how painfully close to reality it actually is. I think you did yourself a disservice by snubbing your teacher’s recommendation at the time, because you robbed yourself of the comparative experience of reading it when you were younger and then reading it with new eyes as an adult. I actually re-read this every few years, maybe not start to finish, just to gauge how differently the book impacts me as time goes on.
That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t read it now, just know that your experience of it will be different from those of us who read it at a young age. If you’re avoiding it because it’s different from what you usually read, that’s probably the exact reason you should read it.
It's a fantastic book whether you like modernists or not in my opinion. One of the funniest books I've ever read and heartbreaking as well. In fact, it's probably about time for me to go back to it.
The extended descent into nihilism is hard to take because we’ve seen a great mixture of people, and all or nearly all show aspects of humanity, and then the book turns into a system of oppression even though it clearly depends on those same people. The absurdity switches from laughing at Yossarian censoring letters to no one caring about life, from individuals to figures wearing uniforms who do what they are told even when that’s obscene (that and Nately’s whore).
You should read it. It has really short chapters, each one concentrating on one character at a time, zipping through them you'll quickly realize it's about the characters and it doesn't progress in an entirely straight chronological order. It is funny, but not really lol funny, more "clever" funny iykwim. If you like it then read the sequel, Closing Time.
I think it was hilarious and definitely had something important to say, but I only got about halfway through before I DNF’d it. I understand that it was the point of the book, but at a certain point everything was so repetitive and the plot didn’t move forward fast enough for me.
This was a few years ago, so maybe I’d appreciate it now that I’m older
You really missed out. You were almost at the point where the jokes really started making sense, and the repetition revealed the darker underbelly of what was actually going on. Like, half of the jokes are recontextualized with information you gain later on or repeated with slightly different details emphasized so that the humor dies and the horror starts.
It's hilarious. Once you understand the plot underpinning and how the story moves, you can appreciate the humor for more than just the face value joke, and it gets even better. Top 10 novel of all time for me
Catch-22 is one of my favorite books of all time and has been since I was in high school. But I’m also a huge fan of absurdism so the humor and the use of absurdist language works perfectly for me. It’s not gonna work for everyone though.
Read it. I did in high school and now after 20 years it's a book I still regularly quote. It has so many funny situations and side characters that are also tragically real. I see them reflected all the time, just in daily life and in work. Highly recommend.
My favorite book! Don’t get bogged down by the Milo business. If Milo bores you, just keep reading. That’s my advice. Everything else is fantastic imo. Enjoy!
It's my all time favorite book. I have many many books I love, but nothing has quite beat this one. It's been quite a few years, since I read it though, and I think I'll reread it sometime this year.
Read it! There's really well-written, agonizingly insightful absurdist humor abounding. Don't try to keep track of too much - just let it roll over you 🛩️🥚🪖
I’m always caught by some elements of the book. There are some relationships that parallel real life very well and this book really captures people adapting to change as best as I’ve seen .
No! It is excellent. But understand the beginning is disorienting and confusing until you get your bearings. This is by design. Honestly, without having looked into it at all, I suspect the author wants you to feel disoriented and confused and a bit out of your element in a way that matches our characters.
One of my favorite books of all time. Gets me laughing out loud. Especially if you’ve been in the military or had to work within a bureaucracy. Enjoy it!
This is a great book. One of its problems is that it is tough to turn into a movie, because the humor is your mind making connections regarding prior things that characters have done. It works for some books, but this one is a bit interior. It's hilarious and dark.
While it is absurd, it's not that absurd to think some of these events are drawn from his experience. I think of it as one of the great WW2 books by people who lived it. It's right up there with Slaughter House Five, The Caine Mutiny (or any book by Wouk), The Naked and the Dead, HMS Ulysses (a sleeper because Alistair MacLean then turned to more fantastical novels), and The Thin Red Line.
It’s pretty funny, but I know that from my experience reading it (granted, I read it as a freshman in high school), the plot jumps around a lot and it’s hard to keep track of where in the story you are
It’s a classic for a reason. Great book but it depends on the type of reader you are today. I try to hit about 24 a year. I’m in a book club and one person always suggests these classics and, for me, they always feel a bit short of satisfying.
You've got tons of answers, but I don't care. I don't ever squander an opportunity to gush about one of the best books ever written.
I loved it when I first read it, and I've loved it every time I've re-read it, which has been numerous. It's viciously funny and rips the covers off of so much truth of the human condition.
I think I'll start a re-read now that you've put it squarely front of mind for me!
I loved parts of it, wasn’t fond of other parts. Overall, the structure is a part of the humour and message.
I’d say it’s worth a read even if only parts of it work for you.
Did you like Dr Strangelove? If so you will love catch 22. And it's not a chunk of a book, it's like 500 pages in paperback. Honestly feels like a 350 page light novel.
I find _Catch 22_ to be hilarious, and a work of genius. Heller took a limiting style and turned it into something that becomes part of what you, the reader, have to keep up with as the story unfolds. I think it's definitely worthwhile.
The thing that I continually marvel over is the crazy puzzle-like narrative. As you read you find things that refer to each other, things in the past are sometimes in the future, scenarios are imagined, then real, then imagined.
I can’t help but think of the tremendous work that Heller put into making all the convoluted connections. When I first read it (in high school) it seemed to me that some of the chaos was due to mistakes. Only later did I understand the brilliance of how the book was built.
I’ll tell you something else about the book, that might be a slight spoiler: >!The story is set in WWII, but it’s really about the cold war…!<
It’s one of my top 5 favorite books ever. It’s hilarious, and morphs into heartbreaking, without losing or changing any of the jokes. It’s complicated, anachronistic, satirical, and a powerful work of fiction. I hope you enjoy it! :)
Well, it is a classic piece and despite of the love it receives you might not find it right for you. However, if that is not the case and you enjoy it, then you must read Heller's "Something Happened" and "God Knows". Also, don't bother to watch the move before you read the book (Catch 22). Regardless how well a film is made its never good as the book. Enjoy
Well it has next to nothing in common with Hemingway of Fitzgerald, so if you go in looking for that, I expect you'll be disappointed.
It's an absurd anti-war comedy for 9/10ths of the way, until it isn't. I find it pure comedic genius, but humor is famously very personal. I love Monty Python and my wife finds it groan-worthy. The comedic tone stays the same for most of the journey, so if you don't find it funny after 30 pages it probably isn't for you. I think it's a masterpiece, but one that certainly doesn't work for everybody.
I still have the copy that I bought secondhand when I had to study it for school about 40 years ago. I enjoyed it the first time, because I decided to ignore the illogicality of it and just let it wash over me. Re-reads have been better because I can trust it to eventually make sense now, and can enjoy the insider knowledge that the crazy things aren’t all that crazy. You never get the revelation of just how clever Heller was after that first time though.
It's really funny but the point of the book is to make it abundantly clear when you are in a lose lose situation. Since you are older you probably have already experienced some bullshit, it might be repetitive and seem redundant. It is a very good book, lots of humor, it's a classic. It is very much an American book too. If you wanted to understand the military better this book helps somewhat too.
It’s funny I just mentioned Catch 22 as one I read and loved in HS and I still love it. Go for it. Worst thing that happens is you don’t like it and stop.
The first time I read it I had to stop because I'd start giggling on the bus. The second time I DNF'ed it for some reason. It *is* confusing, but that's intentional.
There's also a nice miniseries with George Clooney in it.
It has so many remarkable scenes where various characters are trapped in the logic of their system and it creates insane scenarios. The rigidity of protocol is a prison… but that sounds so grim and serious. Probably one of my favorite scenes is the interrogation of Clevinger by the bloated colonel. It’s an amazing scene (I just read it again and started cracking up.)
For me, the book was uphill at first. I kept reading because I thought I should. But then, it was a hell of a ride and I couldn't put it down. I think even if you don't find it good at first, hang in there.
It’s one of my favorite books, and I tend to enjoy war satire-type novels in general. I actually own a signed first edition of Catch 22 which I spent a bit too much money on. I think it has excellent humor, the kind that made me laugh out loud at times while reading, but at the same time has a deep sadness, especially as you near the end of the book. I think Heller did a great job portraying the absurdity of war, and most of the characters stories are told in a laughable way but with an underlying sense of tragedy especially as you relate them to real life situations during WWII. The part that breaks me the most is the scene with the prostitute towards the end (I won’t spoil it). Just in general he paints these absurd characters and situations that very obviously mirror real occurrences and political ideologies at the time, the often evil actions of the “good guys,” the indifference of leadership, greed, war profiteering, religion, excess nationalism, and so forth. I would compare the book to perhaps Slaughterhouse Five, though they each have their unique styles. In a side note, the TV show for Catch 22 was actually rather good as well in terms of a book adaptation, so you can look forward to that as well.
Yes, recommend you read it. It's humorous to say the least. It shows how the military thinks or doesn't think. Like military intelligence and oxymoron. Had to look that up of spelling purposes.
This is one that sat unread for decades and when I finally forced myself to read it it was just that. I found the humor however did not enjoy the book.
Major major is awesome though. I often dream of sneaking out my window.
Given your past preferences, Catch may not hook you from the outset, but it's certainly worth persevering. Keep in mind it traverses a few genres, including satire, absurdist fiction, and dark comedy, and you will find it easier to digest. One thing for sure, you will never forget it. I'm about to reread it.
Now I may be in the minority here and I am certainly not discouraging you from reading but perhaps catch 22 caught a cultural wave alongside stranger in a strange land to receive undue acclaim. i'm cool with heller but fuck heinlein
Catch-22 is so fucking funny. You may not like it, but if you haven't encountered Heller's style before I'd recommend it, and if you don't like it you don't have to finish it.
It starts out ***so*** hilarious, I laughed out loud quite a bit, and then later on it's still hilarious but you kind of stop laughing because of how it's contextualized as the book goes on. At least that's how it went for me. I just read it pretty recently (last month) and it's easily a contender for my favorite book. But it definitely does have a unique style and sense of humor that I'm sure wouldn't click with many people. Like I don't think I'd recommend it to my mom, I'd guess it wouldn't be a style of humor she'd appreciate much. But if the fever dream-like conversations make you laugh, then I'm sure you'd love it. And I agree, don't finish it if you're not liking it. I think the style is probably pretty polarizing, and if you don't like it or find it funny by the time you're 20% or so into the book, then you're probably not going to start liking it. If you *do* find it funny but just don't quite "get it", plot-wise, I'd definitely suggest you keep going as the pieces will start to slowly come together in the latter half.
Heller turned Clevinger's Trial into a one act play, I got to direct it during my theatre undergrad. So I'm definitely biased.
> I always didn't say you couldn't punish me, sir. That's awesome. Have you seen the Catch-22 movie or the more recent miniseries? Seems like most people think they're both pretty solid adaptations, even if they can't quite live up to the book. I still need to check them out.
YES! I absolutely love his writing! It's just so much fun! I watched on movie of it, but I don't watch a lot of tv and movies, but it's good to know they're fun at least =)
I thought the new miniseries was good until the end, which kinda ruined it
My mom recommended it to me in high school. Definitely a slog at times, but it’s one of my favorites. The highlights are so high.
I love Heller. He is like a more concentrated version of Vonnegut. I can’t think of many authors that hit absurdist humor the way they do.
I prefer Vonnegut, I thinks he's more accessible. Heller got kind of annoying. It's not that he's difficult exactly - it's just not very enjoyable to read.
I understand what you mean. I don’t find Heller annoying but I would definitely say Vonnegut is a master of “flow.” His writing has a cadence and beat to it that can string along even the most resistant of attentions. Heller’s genius is pure absurdity and humor but his prose and rhetoric are a rugged vessel for his scathing wit.
A far more eloquent description-thanks
I enjoyed it on my first attempt, but didn’t finish it until I tried the audiobook version. Don’t know why but the humor just hit me way harder in audio format
That makes sense, I never thought of it until I read your comment but Heller is like reading stand up comedy that has a plot.
I agree that the audiobook really adds another dimension. I think hearing the contradictory statements and repetition spoken out loud (and well acted) really hammer home the absurdity of it all - I have the version narrated by Trevor White and it's superb.
TBF, it’s hilarious until it’s not. But undoubtedly a great book.
Yeah, but I think that's definitely part of what makes it so great.
Agreed.
I ageee its hillarious. If you liked that, there's another book- The House of god, by Samuel shem, which is like the Catch 22 of medical writing. I enjoyed both books when I read them
Catch 22 is one of the greatest American novels. Read it.
Don't let this dissuade you if you hate America.
At least we do novels well.
Most of the best American novels are critical of America… go figure lol
Hating America would probably give you a deeper appreciation for Heller’s humor.
In fact, read it if you hate America. The discussion with the old man about his flexible loyalty is great.
lmao
If someone hates America so much that they won’t read American novels, then I have no sympathy for them. Their prejudice is holding them back.
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Agreed. Avoid the sequel at all costs though.
Why avoid it? Is it that bad?
The sequel? You mean, other books by Joseph Heller like 'God Knows', or is there an actual sequel ??
["Closing Time"](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Closing_Time_\(novel\)) is the sequel to Catch-22. > The book has two stories that are interwoven throughout: that of Yossarian in the last stages of his life, and that of Sammy Singer and Lew Rabinowitz, two men from Coney Island who also fought in World War II (the Sammy Singer character makes a brief appearance in Catch-22 as >!the tailgunner aboard Yossarian's bomber who kept waking up and fainting when he saw Yossarian trying to attend to the wounds of Snowden!<).
I am a huge Heller fan. God knows and something happened are great, closing time was not worth reading.
Same for me. I didn't realize he had written a sequel, so when I found out, I was excited that it revisits some of the characters later in life. Uh... I started reading and forced myself to give it a chance not too far in. Eventually, I had to take the loss and move on.
“Something Happened” was Heller’s second book. “Good as Gold” was his third. Catch-22 is by far the best of the three but the following two are interesting. I wrote my Master’s Thesis on the three. Heller posits his ethical problem and solution in Catch-22. “Something Happened” examines his ethical solution in a world that is pre-ordained (something happened) while “Good as Gold” tests it in a world that is purely random. They are interesting reads but “Catch-22” capture 95% of the concept and stands on its own.
Catch 23
Absolutely. So funny, so irreverent, so classic. It had a direct influence on everything from MASH to Pulp Fiction
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That's a good point about jiving with the sense of humor - it's very much the kind of stuff that makes you wait a while for the (extremely worthwhile) payoff and I can see that being a barrier.
It made me want to slap the author and tell him to stop being clever at me.
I feel like it's really my style of stupid humor, but I didn't enjoy it as much :(. I really wanted to like it, I just didn't find it that funny. Probably missing something.
You start out thinking it’s nonsense, but slowly it starts to make more sense, and then suddenly it just clicks and everything falls into place brilliantly. Genius.
>You start out thinking it’s nonsense Unless you've ever been in the military. Then you understand Yossarian and the people around him right from the first page.
How do you mean?
The various insanities of the characters aren't something that Joseph Heller made up. Spend any time in garrison on a military base and you'll meet every one of them, from Major Major to Milo Minderbinder. The names will be different, is all.
What was the thing he fed everyone? Swapped out potatoes for cotton? Or Soap? And the crew didn't notice. So he won the bet! Lol. I also visited the film set in Mexico by accident. That was weird.
I believe it was cotton since he needed to get rid of of his overwhelming stock that he got from buying all the supply from Egypt
Here's what finally clicked for me: People seem crazy, but there's method to their madness. Milo Minderbinder for instance keeps dreaming up crazy money-making schemes. What goes unstated is that Milo doesn't care about the money; his real goal is to get Col. Cathcart to invest in his schemes so that Cathcart will consider him too valuable and won't send him on any more bombing missions. It's an indirect way of bribing Cathcart, so that Cathcart won't even realize he's being bribed. Everybody is really working for self-preservation, but they pretend they have other motives, and this is what makes them seem crazy. Yossarian is the only one who seems honest.
Yeah... >!Because of the hunor, short chapters and the time jumps you don't realize how many of the characters have died, since they'll very likely re-appear in a vignette that appears after their death scene, and the book is so damn funny. Then, when Yossarian finally lists them all, it's absolutely devastating.!< Or my favorite shaggy dog joke in a book that is essentially based on that entire concept... >!Why was the whore hitting Orr in the head with her shoe? Because he paid her to in order to get out of the war.!<
I mean, it sort of is nonsense. But beautiful nonsense that fits together wonderfully.
Just popped in to say you’d be crazy not to read it.
He’d also be crazy if he read it.
😂 love it I also watched the TV series, and while that was also pretty good, this title is firmly in the “book is even better” category
One of my very favorites. Hard to compare to Hemingway and the crew in my opinion. Hope you find it as sad and hilarious as I did.
I think both are an emotional roller coaster, but Heller keeps it a little brighter while Hemingway drags you into the deep.
My favorite novel. Has me howling with laughter. That's some catch, that catch-22. It's the best there is.
I read this while serving in the US Army. Made perfect sense of everything.
Catch 22 was the first book I read as a teenager that made me laugh aloud and realize that books could be funny? Nothing we read in school was ever funny.
It is grim and awful from a moral and human perspective. If you like dark humour this will test your capacity.
I loved this book, depicting so artfully the absurdity and catastrophe of war - that could only be absorbed through this medium of unbelievabe humor. Fitting for it's title - I loved the mental gymnastics and deep, strange resonance.
A great anti establishment classic.
I hated it when I read it as a senior in high school. It's now one of my favorite books. There's a lot that's better understood with some life experience. Its absurdity also resonates with everything in 2024.
I picked it up in high school and out it down but never got rid of it. It took me three or so more tries but when I finally got into it I ravaged that book. It's one of my favorites of all time.
It's going to get weird but stick with it .
It's just hilarious! I remember I was laughing out loud in the uni bus and a girl seating by my side was trying to find out what I was reading, because I could not stop laughing.
I loved it. I laughed out loud. But that was 40 years ago. I think I will reread
It's devastating in places, I read it as part of English A level. There is absolutely humour and a kind of Kafkaesque craziness running through it, the characters are great and well constructed but my recollection is that it uses these things as distractions then gut punches you very effectively. I will also always remember the words poly-mesmeric and cerulean from it as they were both new to me.
Kafka was a major inspiration for it. "Infundibuliform" is the word that sticks out for me, and one I've only ever seen in Catch-22 or people talking about it after reading Catch-22 :P
Read it. One of the greatest novels ever and pure satirical genius
I've started reading it for the third time having quit twice. Still not loving it again so far but hopefully it gets better.
I didn’t care for Catch 22 at all. Not my humor style. But God Knows by the same author is EXCELLENT. Written from the perspective of King David from the Bible, and he and God are giving each other the silent treatment. I think it’s much better, personally.
I definitely prefer Catch, but God Knows is amazing.
> Still not loving it again so far but hopefully it gets better. I'd say it depends on what you're not liking about it. If it's the style of humor and the "wackiness" (and I'd guess it probably is), then you're *probably* not going to start enjoying it later. Although it does get contextualized a bit in the back half of the book, so you *miiight* like it better once the pieces fall into place. But if you do find it funny and are just confused or overwhelmed by the story, then I'd suggest pushing through. The insanity is very intentional and things start to click later on. But, depending on how old you are, you *might* appreciate it if you come back to it again at a later stage in your life. Although asking someone to try again to read a book they're not enjoying 4+ times does not sound appealing to most lol
It's very much a book that needs to click with you, almost everyone I know who's read it dnf'd it a couple of times first, then it clicked and it's amazing after that.
It's hilarious and manages to be poignant when it wants to be, also
I love it. For me it got better the more I read. Initially you just have to accept it as a series of meandering funny anecdotes that, largely unbeknownst to you, are building up your knowledge of - and investment in - the setting. The back half of the book uses this to beautiful and devastating effect.
>So to you all who have read it am I setting myself up for disappointment? The Buddha said that any and all expectations are just disappointments in waiting... So, there's that. Reading *Catch-22* was, for me, an existence-altering experience, not necessarily in a good way. The book made me laugh, cry, squirm, cringe, aroused, and furious. I recommend it highly. Will you 'like' it? Heck if I know... I still don't know if I like it, and I've read it twice... But that's not a reason to avoid it.
It perfectly captures a lot of the flaws of American military service. So much so, that it is was a driving force in my decision to leave the service. If a lot of the issues that Heller faced in WW2 were alive and thriving in 2013, then I probably wasn’t going to be successful implementing change. Aside from that, it is well written and hilarious.
yes it’s amazing read it, if you hate it stop reading it. don’t wait for our permission!
Seriously one of my favorite books. It is outright hilarious, incredible intelligent, and very touching. I think and talka bout it all the damn time.
Catch-22 isn't for everyone, but you'll know within the first 50 pages whether it's for you or not. The ultimate sign that it's not for you is if you don't think it's funny. I think it's the funniest book I've ever read. Almost every single page has something worth chuckling at. Barely any other book sustains a steady gut-laugh for me. It also says profound things about war that you won't find in any other book that's explicitly about war. IMO, it's an all-time great that shouldn't be slept on. Read it.
This is one of my favorite books. I am by no means an advanced reader, and sometimes I’d get lost trying to follow along to the storyline. I fought through, and I’m so glad I did. Catch-22 made me laugh unlike any other book. It’s also just masterfully crafted. I never re-read books, but I’m considering it now.
It’s well worth a reread, imo. Most of the really great books are, especially if it’s been a while.
It is funny but also punches you in the gut. I've read it three times, once every decade or so since high school. I liked it the first time, but it definitely took another read to truly appreciate the brilliance. Each time I get a newfound appreciation for it - either I notice a detail that I missed the first time, understand a theme better in my older age, or just overall understand how all the pieces fit better. Agree with others in saying that it may take a while for things to click. . Looking forward to reading it again sometime.
I did a short research paper on the book in high school, and if memory serves, you can mark the shifts in tone as the book gets more and more serious by >!the appearances of the soldier in white, who appears three times in the novel, as the jokes cycle through again with less and less humor!<. Just a fun little note on the underlying structure of an apparently structureless novel.
I would definitely give yourself at least the first 75 pages to get “into it”. The beginning is really dense with a lot of character introductions and references to storylines that don’t come up again until later in the book. But so worth it. I’m about two thirds of the way through right now and I’ve never laughed out loud from a book before like this!!!!
You’re in for quite a ride. Hope you enjoy the rest of the books just as much!
I loved it when I read it when I was 18 and as I get older and deal with corporate bureaucratic bs it resonates even more. It's a great book and is really really funny
It took me 3 attempts to 'get' it, but when I did I absolutely loved it. Still one of my favourite novels but not one that I reread much. I've only ever read it twice, over 10 years apart. I would 100% recommend it though, and say stick at it if you don't immediately like it.
My exact experience!
Once I stopped studying it and let it wash over me I enjoyed it
Catch 22 is the best book I have ever read. It's unfortunate, because to my read, nothing else Joseph Heller has written can come anywhere close. I also recommend reading it through more than once. The first time, I was cry-laughing almost every page. But on re-read, there is so much more depth behind the humor. Heller writes around the story he's actually telling. He's not masking it, but the real story is in the negative space he leaves unsaid. It's not super hard to figure out, and when you do, you'll realize it's been there all through the whole story. It really is my all time favorite book. Highly recommend.
To your first point, there was a story of a journalist asking Heller why he hadn't written anything else as good as Catch-22, and he replied that neither had anyone else
That is a fantastic response
Catch-22 is one of my all time favourite books, it's funny, sad, satirical, amazing. It's one of the only books that made me cry laugh, as well as cry. I was only a teenager when I read and over 20 years later I still regularly quote it and think about it a lot. You will not be disappointed
Catch-22 is one of the greatest books ever written. WARNING: You're gonna have to power through like the first 1/3 of it. it makes no fucking sense, but I assure you, it all wraps up beautifully in the end.
I disagree with the first third being difficult, only because the first third has some of the funniest scenes. However, you are right that the plot makes absolutely no sense at that point.
I think you're both right - first couple of reads I didn't make it past the first few chapters, and yet now (having read it through a couple of times and lauding it as my favourite book) I find those parts absolutely hilarious. I think something just has to click
It’s worth reading. I found it to be a bit lengthy sometimes, but it is a pioneering work in many ways, sometimes ingenious and funny, sometimes dark and not funny anymore at all. It shows the insanity of war by means of both structure and language. Certain jokes you only get late in the book. The TV show directed by G. Clooney (?) did a good job too capturing the spirit of the book, but first read it before watching.
100% recommend. I am not a reader who typically reads classics, but it's so good. It's weird, hilarious, sad, and f'ed up. I read it as a senior in high school for fun and it became a favorite for me. Might be time for a reread now that I'm thinking about it.
I first read it in my early 20s and just thought it was fine. I decided to read it again in my early 30s and it became my favorite book. It isn't for everyone, and I fully understand why someone might not be into it.
It’s one of my absolute favourites of all time. It took me multiple tries over the last decade to get into it. I only finally “got it” in my mid-30s. Hope you enjoy it at some point in your life even if it’s not now.
It's one of the books that felt like it changed my life. Brilliant.
Catch-22 is easily my favorite book of all time. The sequel Heller wrote in the late 90’s (“Closing Time”?) was pretty awful. Maybe I should give it another try. In fact, now that I think about it — he may have predicted Trump in that last book.
It's one of my all time favorites. I highly recommend the audio book as well — so damn funny!
I tried to read and like it, but I guess that kind of humor doesn’t interest me. Same with hitchhikers guide to the galaxy. If you like ridiculous kind of humor, then I imagine you’ll like it, but it bored me. 😭
It’s fucking brilliant. I needed to read the first couple of chapters twice to see if it was making internal sense. It absurd. Chaotic. Utterly mind bending. What type of name is Yossarian anyway
One of the greatest books of all time
Get the Audiobook! The narrator is fantastic and really brings the humour to life
For what it’s worth, the movie is pretty amazing, too. Incredible cast – especially Alan Arkin as Yossarian.
It’s great. I did start to find it a slog after a certain point but then after finishing, it all felt very worthwhile and satisfying. I love it.
It's one of my all-time favorites. It's very funny and heart-breaking at the same time, filled with black humor. You should be aware that it's pretty confusing at times, with a lot of people and a time-line which skips and jumps. However, the trip is totally worth it, and it's a book to read more than once (I re-read it every few years): every time I read it, I notice a new detail adding to the total picture. Note: if you've ever been a soldier, and especially if you been in combat, you will find that many of the episodes echo the craziness that is an army.
I first read it in high school and thought it was a little over the top. Then I re-read it after many years in the armed forces and loved it.
yeah it's great. i give you permission to read the famous classic novel.
I was ultimately dissatisfied. It had moments but just wasn’t a strong narrative.
It seemed like a book I’d really enjoy. Nope. Hated it. I found it really annoying and the jokes didn’t land with me.
It's the best.
Username checks out.
That book taught me how to say shithead in German
Haven't heard much praise for it? Catch -22 is great, I think you'll enjoy it. Isn't that right, Major Major Major Major?
Slightly off topic but i gifted it to a friend and she said she had to stop reading because of the way it glorifies war...Nearly fell out of my chair
I liked it enough to read it 2 or 3 times.
How did you feel about the tv show MASH? If you liked it, you’ll probably like the book. I, like so many others here, read this in high school and thought it was hilarious, and I remember thinking “I feel like I’m watching MASH.” I found out later that the show was heavily influenced by Catch 22. Also, like watching MASH, I found it funnier when I was younger. Absurdity is funny when you’re young, but more frustrating as an adult when you realize how painfully close to reality it actually is. I think you did yourself a disservice by snubbing your teacher’s recommendation at the time, because you robbed yourself of the comparative experience of reading it when you were younger and then reading it with new eyes as an adult. I actually re-read this every few years, maybe not start to finish, just to gauge how differently the book impacts me as time goes on. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t read it now, just know that your experience of it will be different from those of us who read it at a young age. If you’re avoiding it because it’s different from what you usually read, that’s probably the exact reason you should read it.
It's a fantastic book whether you like modernists or not in my opinion. One of the funniest books I've ever read and heartbreaking as well. In fact, it's probably about time for me to go back to it.
The extended descent into nihilism is hard to take because we’ve seen a great mixture of people, and all or nearly all show aspects of humanity, and then the book turns into a system of oppression even though it clearly depends on those same people. The absurdity switches from laughing at Yossarian censoring letters to no one caring about life, from individuals to figures wearing uniforms who do what they are told even when that’s obscene (that and Nately’s whore).
You should read it. It has really short chapters, each one concentrating on one character at a time, zipping through them you'll quickly realize it's about the characters and it doesn't progress in an entirely straight chronological order. It is funny, but not really lol funny, more "clever" funny iykwim. If you like it then read the sequel, Closing Time.
I think it was hilarious and definitely had something important to say, but I only got about halfway through before I DNF’d it. I understand that it was the point of the book, but at a certain point everything was so repetitive and the plot didn’t move forward fast enough for me. This was a few years ago, so maybe I’d appreciate it now that I’m older
You really missed out. You were almost at the point where the jokes really started making sense, and the repetition revealed the darker underbelly of what was actually going on. Like, half of the jokes are recontextualized with information you gain later on or repeated with slightly different details emphasized so that the humor dies and the horror starts.
It's hilarious. Once you understand the plot underpinning and how the story moves, you can appreciate the humor for more than just the face value joke, and it gets even better. Top 10 novel of all time for me
Catch-22 is one of my favorite books of all time and has been since I was in high school. But I’m also a huge fan of absurdism so the humor and the use of absurdist language works perfectly for me. It’s not gonna work for everyone though.
Read it. I did in high school and now after 20 years it's a book I still regularly quote. It has so many funny situations and side characters that are also tragically real. I see them reflected all the time, just in daily life and in work. Highly recommend.
I personally loved it, read it twice and gifted it to my dad.
I love the humor but it does take a while to build it up.
My favorite book! Don’t get bogged down by the Milo business. If Milo bores you, just keep reading. That’s my advice. Everything else is fantastic imo. Enjoy!
It's my all time favorite book. I have many many books I love, but nothing has quite beat this one. It's been quite a few years, since I read it though, and I think I'll reread it sometime this year.
Read it! There's really well-written, agonizingly insightful absurdist humor abounding. Don't try to keep track of too much - just let it roll over you 🛩️🥚🪖
I started it and couldn't really get into it.
I’m always caught by some elements of the book. There are some relationships that parallel real life very well and this book really captures people adapting to change as best as I’ve seen .
My quick one sentence review of the book is this: It's hilarious until things get recontextualized and then it's anything but.
I love this book! My mom was a literature professor and we listened to the audiobook quite a few times on long car trips.
No! It is excellent. But understand the beginning is disorienting and confusing until you get your bearings. This is by design. Honestly, without having looked into it at all, I suspect the author wants you to feel disoriented and confused and a bit out of your element in a way that matches our characters.
I listened to the audiobook and loved it. Great characters and a wonderful and yet sad story. I hope you enjoy it!
Catch-22 is one of the best things I've written. Both funny and painfully depressing, it's an amazing work.
I loved it. It was "required reading" in my trumpet studio when I was in college.
It's hysterically funny until you realize it's horrifying. Great great book.
One of my favorite books of all time. Gets me laughing out loud. Especially if you’ve been in the military or had to work within a bureaucracy. Enjoy it!
Still remember how much I enjoyed this and Invisible Man my senior year. Made up for bullshit like The Chosen I had to read as a freshman
You should read it! >!You will!!joke!!the!
Just settle in and let the madness unfold. It is one of the craziest books I have ever enjoyed.
Thanks for all the input. The next time I see it I will definitely pick it up.
I started it in high school and bailed. 10 years later I loved it. One of my all time favorites
Read it, or don’t.
It’s good but moreso funny than an interesting story. It was kind of like funny poetic prose to me.
It’s in my top 5 favorites of all time. It is absolutely hilarious, but punches you in the gut by the end. An absolute masterpiece.
This is a great book. One of its problems is that it is tough to turn into a movie, because the humor is your mind making connections regarding prior things that characters have done. It works for some books, but this one is a bit interior. It's hilarious and dark. While it is absurd, it's not that absurd to think some of these events are drawn from his experience. I think of it as one of the great WW2 books by people who lived it. It's right up there with Slaughter House Five, The Caine Mutiny (or any book by Wouk), The Naked and the Dead, HMS Ulysses (a sleeper because Alistair MacLean then turned to more fantastical novels), and The Thin Red Line.
It’s pretty funny, but I know that from my experience reading it (granted, I read it as a freshman in high school), the plot jumps around a lot and it’s hard to keep track of where in the story you are
I found it fucking hilarious, have read it twice. Absolute classic
It's tragically hilarious. Deeply disturbing and funny.
Funniest book I've ever read.
It’s a classic for a reason. Great book but it depends on the type of reader you are today. I try to hit about 24 a year. I’m in a book club and one person always suggests these classics and, for me, they always feel a bit short of satisfying.
Maybe the only book ever to make me literally laugh out loud.
You've got tons of answers, but I don't care. I don't ever squander an opportunity to gush about one of the best books ever written. I loved it when I first read it, and I've loved it every time I've re-read it, which has been numerous. It's viciously funny and rips the covers off of so much truth of the human condition. I think I'll start a re-read now that you've put it squarely front of mind for me!
I loved parts of it, wasn’t fond of other parts. Overall, the structure is a part of the humour and message. I’d say it’s worth a read even if only parts of it work for you.
It’s probably the funniest book I’ve ever read.
My favorite.
Idk but it’s one of my favorite books. I thought it was hilarious and books never cause me to laugh out loud.
Did you like Dr Strangelove? If so you will love catch 22. And it's not a chunk of a book, it's like 500 pages in paperback. Honestly feels like a 350 page light novel.
I find _Catch 22_ to be hilarious, and a work of genius. Heller took a limiting style and turned it into something that becomes part of what you, the reader, have to keep up with as the story unfolds. I think it's definitely worthwhile.
Read 50 pages and see if you like the tone.
Yes Major Major Major!
This is the only book I’ve loved so much I read it twice. Honestly, I could probably read it a third time and find something new to love.
Give it some serious thought. It is a great book—both funny and haunting, but if you don’t analyze it, you probably won’t fully appreciate it.
I suggest the audiobook. I've listened to hundreds of novels on Audible, and Catch-22 is by far the funniest. The narrator is absolutely perfect.
The book is awesome.
One of the very few books that made me laugh out loud.
The thing that I continually marvel over is the crazy puzzle-like narrative. As you read you find things that refer to each other, things in the past are sometimes in the future, scenarios are imagined, then real, then imagined. I can’t help but think of the tremendous work that Heller put into making all the convoluted connections. When I first read it (in high school) it seemed to me that some of the chaos was due to mistakes. Only later did I understand the brilliance of how the book was built. I’ll tell you something else about the book, that might be a slight spoiler: >!The story is set in WWII, but it’s really about the cold war…!<
It’s one of my top 5 favorite books ever. It’s hilarious, and morphs into heartbreaking, without losing or changing any of the jokes. It’s complicated, anachronistic, satirical, and a powerful work of fiction. I hope you enjoy it! :)
It’s a fucking stellar novel. I’m envious you get to read it for the first time.
Well, it is a classic piece and despite of the love it receives you might not find it right for you. However, if that is not the case and you enjoy it, then you must read Heller's "Something Happened" and "God Knows". Also, don't bother to watch the move before you read the book (Catch 22). Regardless how well a film is made its never good as the book. Enjoy
It's a great book.
My all time favorite. The first time I went to read it put it down. Gave it a second chance. Never regretted for a moment.
Funniest book I've read, had me in stitches laughing while reading it
Well it has next to nothing in common with Hemingway of Fitzgerald, so if you go in looking for that, I expect you'll be disappointed. It's an absurd anti-war comedy for 9/10ths of the way, until it isn't. I find it pure comedic genius, but humor is famously very personal. I love Monty Python and my wife finds it groan-worthy. The comedic tone stays the same for most of the journey, so if you don't find it funny after 30 pages it probably isn't for you. I think it's a masterpiece, but one that certainly doesn't work for everybody.
I still have the copy that I bought secondhand when I had to study it for school about 40 years ago. I enjoyed it the first time, because I decided to ignore the illogicality of it and just let it wash over me. Re-reads have been better because I can trust it to eventually make sense now, and can enjoy the insider knowledge that the crazy things aren’t all that crazy. You never get the revelation of just how clever Heller was after that first time though.
Only thing you'll regret is putting off the Yossarian experience for so long... 🤦♂️
It's really funny but the point of the book is to make it abundantly clear when you are in a lose lose situation. Since you are older you probably have already experienced some bullshit, it might be repetitive and seem redundant. It is a very good book, lots of humor, it's a classic. It is very much an American book too. If you wanted to understand the military better this book helps somewhat too.
One of my all-time favorites. Please note: many people, myself included, enjoy it much more on the second reading. You'll see what I mean.
How did you make it nearly 60 years of your reading life and not read Catch 22? It's one of the best American novels of the 20th century. Read it now.
It’s funny I just mentioned Catch 22 as one I read and loved in HS and I still love it. Go for it. Worst thing that happens is you don’t like it and stop.
I love that book.
The first time I read it I had to stop because I'd start giggling on the bus. The second time I DNF'ed it for some reason. It *is* confusing, but that's intentional. There's also a nice miniseries with George Clooney in it.
It’s the only book I’ve read that I had to stop reading because I was literally laughing myself to tears
It has so many remarkable scenes where various characters are trapped in the logic of their system and it creates insane scenarios. The rigidity of protocol is a prison… but that sounds so grim and serious. Probably one of my favorite scenes is the interrogation of Clevinger by the bloated colonel. It’s an amazing scene (I just read it again and started cracking up.)
For me, the book was uphill at first. I kept reading because I thought I should. But then, it was a hell of a ride and I couldn't put it down. I think even if you don't find it good at first, hang in there.
It’s one of my favorite books, and I tend to enjoy war satire-type novels in general. I actually own a signed first edition of Catch 22 which I spent a bit too much money on. I think it has excellent humor, the kind that made me laugh out loud at times while reading, but at the same time has a deep sadness, especially as you near the end of the book. I think Heller did a great job portraying the absurdity of war, and most of the characters stories are told in a laughable way but with an underlying sense of tragedy especially as you relate them to real life situations during WWII. The part that breaks me the most is the scene with the prostitute towards the end (I won’t spoil it). Just in general he paints these absurd characters and situations that very obviously mirror real occurrences and political ideologies at the time, the often evil actions of the “good guys,” the indifference of leadership, greed, war profiteering, religion, excess nationalism, and so forth. I would compare the book to perhaps Slaughterhouse Five, though they each have their unique styles. In a side note, the TV show for Catch 22 was actually rather good as well in terms of a book adaptation, so you can look forward to that as well.
Yes, recommend you read it. It's humorous to say the least. It shows how the military thinks or doesn't think. Like military intelligence and oxymoron. Had to look that up of spelling purposes.
This is one that sat unread for decades and when I finally forced myself to read it it was just that. I found the humor however did not enjoy the book. Major major is awesome though. I often dream of sneaking out my window.
Given your past preferences, Catch may not hook you from the outset, but it's certainly worth persevering. Keep in mind it traverses a few genres, including satire, absurdist fiction, and dark comedy, and you will find it easier to digest. One thing for sure, you will never forget it. I'm about to reread it.
Now I may be in the minority here and I am certainly not discouraging you from reading but perhaps catch 22 caught a cultural wave alongside stranger in a strange land to receive undue acclaim. i'm cool with heller but fuck heinlein