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Review
Carlin Romano "The Philadelphia Inquirer" Score one for Joseph Heller..."Closing Time" is Heller's best novel since "Good as Gold."
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Product Description
A reissue of the breath-taking sequel to CATCH-22 - now a classic in its own right. Forty-two years ago Joseph Heller wrote the 20th century masterpiece CATCH-22, capturing the hilarious and tragic insanity of the times and galvanising the conscience of a generation. In the sequel, CLOSING TIME, he revisits many of the characters - now older, if not wiser - that made CATCH-22 so unforgettable: Yossarian, Milo Minderbinder, Chaplain Tappman, Sammy Singer and giant Lew, all linked in uneasy peace and old age, fighting not the Germans this time, but The End. CLOSING TIME is a stunning achievement; a chilling, darkly funny depiction of the moral collapse of the Western world.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
First of all, I was not expecting another Catch-22, both in terms of my overall enjoyment and the stucture Heller was to employ. Therefore this isn't a comparison to Catch-22 alone by any means.
I found Closing Time sometimes exhilerating, sometimes very hard going.
This sometimes the reflects the two strands of the book - Lew and Sammy looking back at their lives was at times repetitive and seemingly unnecessary, while Yossians shennaigans were often highly amusing and, like in catch-22, Heller's love for the paradoxical and the absurd shone through in the hilarious dialogue.
In parts however, the opposite was true. Lew and Sammy were occasionally very touching: Sammy's description of his wife Glenda's rapid surrender to cancer, mirroring what happened to Heller's own wife, moved me greatly. Additionally, Yossarian, Mylo and co were occasionally predictable, lumpen and annoyingly preposterous - the overly-stupid generals in the flying wing meeting, for example.
Overall, I think it was a commendable and brave effort from Heller to try to piece together his and his characters' thoughts on getting old, and satire the modern America that he and they fought for, but for me Closing Time has the feel of something unfinished - wonderful in places, but wearing in others.
I found Closing Time sometimes exhilerating, sometimes very hard going.
This sometimes the reflects the two strands of the book - Lew and Sammy looking back at their lives was at times repetitive and seemingly unnecessary, while Yossians shennaigans were often highly amusing and, like in catch-22, Heller's love for the paradoxical and the absurd shone through in the hilarious dialogue.
In parts however, the opposite was true. Lew and Sammy were occasionally very touching: Sammy's description of his wife Glenda's rapid surrender to cancer, mirroring what happened to Heller's own wife, moved me greatly. Additionally, Yossarian, Mylo and co were occasionally predictable, lumpen and annoyingly preposterous - the overly-stupid generals in the flying wing meeting, for example.
Overall, I think it was a commendable and brave effort from Heller to try to piece together his and his characters' thoughts on getting old, and satire the modern America that he and they fought for, but for me Closing Time has the feel of something unfinished - wonderful in places, but wearing in others.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Judging from the reviews on this page, it seems to me like most (but not all) of the negative reviews are from people who were merely expecting more Catch-22. Some comment that Closing Time has nothing to do with Catch-22, some that it is merely a poor rehashing of the material from Heller's earlier work, thus implying that the content is effectively similar, albeit inferior. I suppose I'm lucky not to be a Novel Nerd, because it seemed to me that Closing Time does an excellant job of what Heller set out to do: show us the effects of time, age, and society on young people with strong ideals and direction. The meandering reminicences of Yossarian and the others are not shoddily constructed prose, they are the sounds of old men trying to put their past into the context of what their present has become, and vice-versa.
If I could offer any constructive negative critism of this book, it would be that the surreal juxtaposition of concrete life, the military, and Hell seemed somewhat ill-defined, and as a result Heller's conclusion to the novel lacks some of the conviction that it could have had.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
It could be argued that in embarking on writing a sequel to "Catch 22" was indeed the ultimate Catch 22 itself. Unless "Closing Time" proved to be an absolute classic, a wonderful funny-sad commentry on contemporary life, then it would pale in comparison with it's predesessor. Make it too similar, of course, and the author is open to charges that he is merely retreading old ground. Heller waited 25 years to write this sequel, and sets some of the characters introduced in "Catch 22" in modern life. More than forty years after the War, Yossarian remains as abrasive and dissatisfied as ever in his old age. Milo remains the entrepreneur of his earlier life. Both these characters have made successes of themselves in the business world. "Closing Time" attachs the absurdities of the contemporary business world in the same way as "Catch 22" attachs the absurdities and attrocities of war. Milo's new idea is to sell a stealth bomber type aircraft to the American military, and he employs Yossarian and his son, Michael, to help him sell the plane to the military. Yossarian has the ear of the "little p***k", the American President, who is obsessed with video games. Yossarian also has the plan of holding a massively expensive and gaudy wedding ceremony in a bus shelter. When exploring this possibility he finds a network of tunnels beneath the ground, where officials are safe from nuclear war, and dead people live with their wealth.The characters of Yossarian and Milo remain as good points in this book. Yossarian has the feel of a "dirty old man" in some of his sexual flirtings, and has certainly grown old disgracefully. He does however show a devotion to his son Michael. Yossarian still shows that biting wit at times, especially when dealing with the private detective that has bugged his telephone, and in conversations with his son Michael over what he is going to do with his life. Milo's dodgy dealings remain as fun as ever, attempting to sell a plane he has no intention of building. Mingling with these are passages from other old characters Sammy and Lew, which bring a note of seriousness in comparison with the decadent lifestyle led by the other two. It remains strange to see Yossarian in such circumstances as in this book. "Catch 22" is a difficult if impossible book to follow up, and the only way to really read this is to totally detach that book. If you do not expect another "Catch 22" you will still enjoy the updated exploits of Yossarian and friends.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
a kick in the teeth to catch-22 fans
i found myself hating this book by the time i finished and unwilling to read anything by heller again (i'm certainly not in a hurry to). Read more
Published on 30 April 2008 by fredthe3rd
avoid like the plague
i was so pleased to finish this book - because it felt like such a drag.
this is a long boring book with a dull ending. Read more
this is a long boring book with a dull ending. Read more
Published on 29 Mar 2008 by fredthe3rd
Better than "Catch -22"!!!...(kind of)...
This is the best book I have read since "Catch-22", and is in many ways better.
The satirical view of Yossarian's America is easily as funny, if not funnier than,... Read more
The satirical view of Yossarian's America is easily as funny, if not funnier than,... Read more
Published on 26 Sep 2006 by N.W. Coast
Sequel to Catch 22
Initially I was a little disappointed with Joseph Heller's sequel to Catch 22 but when I thought about it after completing Closing Time I realised perhaps I was being a little... Read more
Published on 3 Jun 2004 by Mr. Dr. Washbrook
Possibly the best sequel ever written
How do you follow up Catch 22? Simple, if you are one of the twentieth century's finest authors. Yossarian is back, still cynical, world weary and in hospital despite having no... Read more
Published on 23 Aug 2002 by "craigmiller_brum"
The impossible follow-up has arrived; and it's excellent.
When I first saw this, I was sceptical: how was Yossarian, previously concerned with only himself, going to save the world? Read more
Published on 13 Aug 2000
Essential reading for Catch-22 veterans !
This is the book I though could never be written, After Catch-22, I was certain that never again could a book so crazy, so side-splittingly funny and yet so soberingly realistic be... Read more
Published on 11 July 2000
Hilarious, Fantastic, Sad, Sickening
This book is almost - though not quite as - good as its predecssor. It will have you rolling around the floor, it will have you thinking about the meaning of life, and it will... Read more
Published on 29 May 2000
A brilliant follow up to Catch 22
Catch 22 was a classic. Funny, insightful and brilliantly written. Closing Time rejoins Yossarian et al in less youthful times. Read more
Published on 24 Feb 2000
Some people can't take the hint
It is almost funny that this would be described as a sequel toCatch-22, when it is not a sequel at all. Read more
Published on 25 Aug 1999
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