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A satirical historical novel by Joseph Heller

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A Quick Tip by petemckelvey

Jun 12, 2010

by petemckelvey
posted in Cafe Libri: Reviewing Books & More

My favorite book of all time. War, comedy and well placed political insight. Simply the best.

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More Catch-22 (book) reviews

review by TStocksl. September 05, 2008

posted in Cafe Libri: Reviewing Books & More

Stubborn, heroic innocence in a mad world

Heller's classic is a surreal and sprawling story of immoral naivety and moral complexity. Ostensibly about the absurdity of World War II combat, Heller examines issues of group think and individual obligation with surprising philosophical clarity. The Catch-22 that Yossarian, the erstwhile hero of our story, encounters maddeningly and repeatedly is any insoluble contradiction, expressed in his case in this infinite loop: A. Yossarian realizes that … more

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review by InfanteDefunt3. May 23, 2010

posted in Cafe Libri: Reviewing Books & More

A Darkly Humorous Look At War

Catch-22 is a hilarious satire set in wartime. The main character, Yossarian, is a bombardier who is terrified he’ll be killed every time he goes out on a mission. Everyone thinks he’s insane, but he is arguably the most sane character in this book. All he sees is the futility of war. Surprisingly, he does not approve of people in high places gambling with his life. Heller’s style here is very unique; I haven’t read anything like it before. … more

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review by PeterReeve. June 13, 2010

Unique and compelling

When I moved to the US and wanted to read more American literature, the novel that people recommended to me most often was not, as I had expected, Moby Dick (which few seemed to have read) but Catch-22. Now I have finally got around to reading it and (unlike with Moby Dick) was not disappointed. The anti-hero, the anti-war sentiment and the black humor are all very characteristic of the 60s, especially 60s Britain, so it is not surprising that the novel was popular there before … more

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review by lepetitejojo. June 08, 2010

This book made me laugh quite a bit! Hoooray!

This is Joseph Heller's novel about World War Two, highlighting the absurd nature of organized a "civilized" conflict. It features a protagonist who refuses to go on missions because he believes people are "trying to kill him", an altruistic colonel who demands valor from his men as he lounges at camp, and an entrepreneur who somehow can buy eggs for 5 cents apiece and sell them for 3 at a profit (?!) (read to find out about this one). This … more

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Quick Tip by SirNate. July 13, 2010

posted in Cafe Libri: Reviewing Books & More

A Quick Tip by SirNate

Really great satire! It's a hilarious and completely engaging read!

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Quick Tip by RemembranceRock. July 09, 2010

posted in Cafe Libri: Reviewing Books & More

A Quick Tip by RemembranceRock

Okay because of the story and the original word Heller conjured for the dictionary, but too modern. why do modern authors (since about the fifties) think that vulgarity is a required element in a story?

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Quick Tip by JulieBMack. July 06, 2010

posted in Cafe Libri: Reviewing Books & More

A Quick Tip by JulieBMack

slow at the start, but keep reading!

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Quick Tip by paul46. July 05, 2010

posted in Cafe Libri: Reviewing Books & More

A Quick Tip by paul46

heller writes well and gets his characters so involved in military snafus they cannot get out of trouble without getting into more trouble to start with

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Quick Tip by scubanaut. June 30, 2010

posted in Cafe Libri: Reviewing Books & More

A Quick Tip by scubanaut

I LOVE the characters in this book

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Quick Tip by Chipmunk1954. June 29, 2010

posted in Cafe Libri: Reviewing Books & More

A Quick Tip by Chipmunk1954

Funny, just plain funny

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see all Catch-22 (book) reviews (28)

About the reviewer

Pete McKelvey (petemckelvey)
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Member Since: Jun 12, 2010
Last Login: Jun 15, 2010 02:47 AM UTC

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About this book

Wiki

Catch-22 is a satirical, historical novel by the American author Joseph Heller, first published in 1961. The novel, set during the later stages of World War II from 1943 onwards, is frequently cited as one of the great literary works of the twentieth century. It has a distinctive non-chronological style where events are described from different characters' points of view and out of sequence so that the time line develops along with the plot.

The novel follows Yossarian, a U.S. Army Air Forces B-25 bombardier, and a number of other characters. Most events occur while the airmen of the fictional Fighting 256th (or "two to the fighting eighth power") Squadron are based on the island of Pianosa, in the Mediterranean Sea west of Italy.

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