Catch-22 by Joseph Heller
Catch of Two Centuries
Ever wonder where the expression “Catch-22” comes from? Well, I did, so I finally read the book Catch-22
by Joseph Heller. Captain
Yossarian, a WWII Army bombardier discovers that Catch-22 is a regulation in
which the men must continuously fly more missions, and can only stop flying
them if they are deemed insane. But if
they themselves declare that they are insane and request to stop flying, it
proves they have cognitive abilities and are considered sane. Therefore must
fly more missions.
This book follows Yossarian who is trapped in the “Catch-22,” "damned if you do, damned if you don't" conundrum and must continue flying more and more missions, which the General continues
to increase the moment Yossarian has met the set limit. It explains Yossarian's story
as well as other airmen in chapters which tell and re-tell their experiences in
a different light, revealing more and more about the situations and the men
themselves.
It’s a book that humorously explores the ironies,
rules and structure of the military. But
it’s the writing style, not the subject matter, that make this novel
amusing. Heller’s well-written, sharp
wit abounds, as do paradoxical sentences such as: “Everyone was always friendly toward him, and
no one was ever very nice, everyone spoke to him and no one ever said anything.”
At times the book reads like an Abbot
and Costello double-talking comedy routine like “Who’s on first?”
The book was first published in 1961 and has boasted a
tremendous staying power over fifty-three years, blasting it into a modern
classic. While I enjoyed the book that
has sold ten million copies, and I finally understand where “Catch-22” comes
from, I thought it could have been a tad shorter. It didn’t have me enraptured where I was eagerly
turning each page wondering what will happen next. It was more like reading a sitcom with
serious undertones of war to balance it—like reading masses of M*A*S*H
episodes.
Bottom line: I give
it a slow but steady thumbs-up.
Happy Reading,
Annette
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