At the heart of Joseph Heller's bestselling novel, first published in 1961, is a satirical indicement of military madness and stupidity, and the desire of the ordinary man to survive it. It is a tale of the dangerously sane Captain Yossarian, who spends his time in Italy plotting to survive.
Catch-22
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Review
"Wildly original, brutally gruesome, a dazzling performance that will outrage as many readers as it delights. Vulgarly, bitterly, savagely funny, it will not be forgotten by those who can take it" (New York Times )
"Blessedly, monstrously, bloatedly, cynically funny, and fantastically unique. No one has ever written a book like this" (Financial Times )
"Not only the best novel to come out of the war but the best novel to come out of anywhere in years" (The Nation )
"The greatest satirical work in the English language since EREHWON" (Philip Tonybee Observer )
"An apocalyptic masterpiece" (Chicago Times )
"Blessedly, monstrously, bloatedly, cynically funny, and fantastically unique. No one has ever written a book like this" (Financial Times )
"Not only the best novel to come out of the war but the best novel to come out of anywhere in years" (The Nation )
"The greatest satirical work in the English language since EREHWON" (Philip Tonybee Observer )
"An apocalyptic masterpiece" (Chicago Times )
Book Description
The nth book in our stunning 'Vintage Love Film' promotion (20030513)
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
73 of 79 people found the following review helpful
By S. Pollard
Format:Paperback
People I know who have read Catch-22 have:
* Been unable to talk to me about it because they laugh when they're half way through telling me what it is they want to say
* Glorified it as funnier than any book, film, comedy series or stand up performance they've ever seen
* Said that they found it so annoying they had to throw it away
* Asked me what was happening after reading the first 100 pages
* Considered never reading again because they'd decided they'd never read anything better
* Had to leave the tube due to annoying the other passengers by laughing
Why do people love it? Because it is dark, surreal, immoral, subversive and hilarious. It gets away with it because Heller finds the perfect setting (a small island) in the perfect time (World War 2 - a dark, surreal, immoral time). But it all rings true because Heller was a WW2 airman himself.
Why do people hate it? I can only speculate. Maybe it's because there is no traditional plot-weaving. Maybe because the chronology is all over the place. Maybe because the main love-interest is a whore. Maybe because it relies on being absurd.
Its humour lies in words mainly so maybe people who don't find wordplay funny don't find Catch-22 funny.
Everyone should TRY and read this book. Even if you do cast it aside and lament a waste of a week's reading after 200 pages. If you love it you will really love it. I did and it's led to me writing an amazon review - and I've never done that before.
Just don't read the sequel.
71 of 79 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Hardcover
On the surface, Catch-22 is a fine novel about the U.S Army Air Force in Europe during the 1939-45 war. You do not have to scratch the surface hard to find a classic, timeless novel of the fine line between sanity and total madness. Is Yossarian, the 'hero', totally sane, or utterly, irredeemably insane? You tell me. Catch-22 is unique in its ability to thrust confusion, frustration, despair, insanity, death and plain old fashioned misery in waves - and yet repeatedly surprise you with its sidesplitting humour. When you laugh, you are not laughing at Heller's finely crafted characters, with all their idiosyncrasies, but at yourself, your friends and relatives. Because Heller's situations mirror the daily stupidities that we all put up with, laugh about and cry about. Reading Catch-22 is like sitting through the main feature a second time - you know exactly what will happen next; you know that nothing can change it. You cannot help hoping that it won't be so bad. But, of course, it's worse.
15 of 17 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Paperback
Catch-22 by Joseph Heller is a novel full of irony and black humour about the absurdity of war. There is a rich diversity of characters, each with their own personality and objectives: from Milo Minderbinder, a cook who controls the trading of all items on the Mediterranean Island; to Major —— de Coverley, a man whose terrifying face has stopped anyone ever asking his first name; to Yossarian, a reluctant, but very fortunate pilot who is entirely fed up with bombing the enemy.
I found the plot and characters to be immensely interesting: as Yossarian tries to elude his duties (he admits to becoming more and more frightened after every mission), he actually is praised for his courageous actions in flight, is given medals and rises in rank.
The themes of anti-war, the pointlessness of most wars, and corruption of the government and military, are strong throughout and truly affect the reader. Highly recommended to all.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Brilliant book
Nothing to say about this book as have read and read it over and over again, a must to have to keep. In good condition
Published 2 days ago by Mrs. J. M. Worthington
1.0 out of 5 stars
Yossarian Lives! (But I'd rather he didn't)
Catch 22 is a metaphor for life - a long, rambling, pointless, incoherent uphill struggle.
One feels like they are banging their head against a wall, page after page,... Read more
One feels like they are banging their head against a wall, page after page,... Read more
Published 6 days ago by Alias Grace
4.0 out of 5 stars
Awesome book - a classic
Pros: Arrived quickly
Pros: A classic read
Cons: I wish an electronic version was part of the deal. I lost the book after I started using e-readers. Read more
Pros: A classic read
Cons: I wish an electronic version was part of the deal. I lost the book after I started using e-readers. Read more
Published 14 days ago by g-review
5.0 out of 5 stars
A dreadful masterpiece
I am deeply prejudiced against American soldiers in war. I blame bad American patriotic movies for that; movies that I never sought but they were thrown upon me once in a while. Read more
Published 15 days ago by Judyta Szacillo
4.0 out of 5 stars
Iconic Novel.
What can be said about 'Catch-22' that hasn't already been said. An iconic novel that speaks across the years since it was written.
Published 19 days ago by Chris
5.0 out of 5 stars
My favourite book
I first read this novel when I was 16, my English teacher lent it to me for the summer hollidays, thinking I would enjoy it. He was wrong, I loved it. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Newman
1.0 out of 5 stars
A classic finally read
50 years of life and finally got around to reading this classic book, 50 years of anticipation, but and of mystery about what Catch 22 really is..... Read more
Published 1 month ago by MR JOHN S CAMPBELL
2.0 out of 5 stars
Not For Everyone
As a lover of many classics ranging from Pride and Prejudice to On The Road I did not really enjoy this book. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Jamie
2.0 out of 5 stars
Catch 22 review
The weird book I've ever read! Obviously just didn't get it . Guess you just have to be mad in the end.
Published 1 month ago by Janet Wright
5.0 out of 5 stars
Catch 22
First read this as an 18yr old soldier stationed in Germany in 1962.Reread this year and it is still as brilliantly satirical now as it was
then. Read more
then. Read more
Published 1 month ago by John A Dayman
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