Customer Reviews

Joseph Heller's Catch 22 (Monarch notes)

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Catch 22 has, by far, ranked higher than every other book I have read about war, or any other subject. Heller has an amazing ability to take a subject such as war and allow it to effect the emotions without leaving the reader with a feeling of distress or hopelesness for mankind. The book gives you a look inside the minds of men who would be considered crazy, and makes you feel crazy compared to them. Read it...again and again.

Joseph Heller's book, " Catch 22," although extremely difficult to understand, has many valuable lessons hidden within the text. Yossarian, the main character, is a navigator during World War II. After realizing the dangers and down sides of flying, he became afraid of his condition. The aspect of flying and the never ending trials and dilemmas he is confronted with, give him second thoughts on the life he is living. The only way to be exempt from flying was to be crazy or mentally incapable. Yossarian pretends to be crazy. The catch, Catch 22, if you know that you are crazy then you can't be.

Heller's use of conflict throughout the story provides the reader with beneficial insights to everyday life. Heller uses conflict to convey his theme that we face trials and dilemmas everyday. Often we are confronted with a lose-lose situation. Avoiding these situations or how we deal with them, is the determining factor of the outcome. More specifically, Heller portrays conflicts such as man versus self and man versus destiny. Yossarian is in constant conflict with himself and the choices he has to make. He also is frequently in conflict with what he will become. Heller shows the reader the reality of life, in that we are constantly facing lose-lose situations. Heller suggests making the best of it: Seize opportunities as they arise, make them learning experiences, and try to have a good attitude about doing so. No matter what cards you are dealt, life is only what you make of it.

I found that CATCH22 is a awesome, sitting on the edge of your chair, for every page novel. The excitment is never ending. I found it to be one of the best books, right up there with the Horse Whisperer. I LOVE Catch22.!!!!!!

One word can sum up this book. Real! This book is a witty, saterical piece of truth, in a world of lies. Joseph Heller does a masterfull job not only of writing this book, but of expressing the true emotins of a person, who is scared to death of war. In closing, this book is loved for the same reasons that it is hated.

..... "There was almost no conversation about it that I can remember," he told an interviewer.
He went on to explain that his father's death may nevertheless account for his books' being "very pessimistic, very black, very morbid.
Death is always present as a climactic event that never happens to the protagonist but affects him profoundly."
As a boy Heller enjoyed going to the beach, reading, and writing.
"I WANTED TO BE A FAMOUS WRITER WHEN I WAS TEN,"
HE SAYS....."
[from the book of the page 2, The Author and His Times]

To sum it up- this is by far the funniest book I've ever read. This book kept me laughing from beginning to end.

Every one has days like "Why is this happening to me!". Read this book and you will find out... It has got nothing to do with what I just said... It has nothing to do with anything, except the catch me if you can statement, Catch 22!

Heller's novel gave our language a new term, but the popularity of it should be tempered by its overriding flaw--it's contrived. But go ahead and read this book for entertainment, though I don't believe you will learn much or perceive insights into war, institutional behavior, etc.