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A review by stilestastic
Catch-22 by Joseph Heller
challenging
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
0.25
I think this is one of the worst reading experiences I have ever had with a book, which sucks because it’s been on my TBR for a long time and I was excited to read it for a class. But I did not find a second of this book enjoyable. And I’m sorry to the people who loved it, because from reading the comments on negative reviews, it seems that people are very defensive about this book. Those who disliked the book are not dumb or deserving of hate.
First: it’s way too long. This book is 450+ pages of variations of the same conversation, rinsed and recycled. We were assigned certain chapters, and I tried to read as many non-assigned ones as I could in order to better understand the story. That did not happen. I only ended up being more frustrated.
Second: Every conversation felt like I was having a stroke trying to read it. I had to re-read lines several times and still couldn’t follow. Everything went in circles.
Third: I felt no sense of satisfaction. In other satiric media I’ve encountered, there’s usually someone you’re rooting for, something to care about, etc. But here, there were so many characters who all felt the same that I didn’t care about any of them. I actually didn’t feel any emotion while reading aside from frustration.
Sorry if this review made absolutely no sense. This book broke my brain and I feel like I’m going to have dreams where people talk exclusively in circles.
First: it’s way too long. This book is 450+ pages of variations of the same conversation, rinsed and recycled. We were assigned certain chapters, and I tried to read as many non-assigned ones as I could in order to better understand the story. That did not happen. I only ended up being more frustrated.
Second: Every conversation felt like I was having a stroke trying to read it. I had to re-read lines several times and still couldn’t follow. Everything went in circles.
Third: I felt no sense of satisfaction. In other satiric media I’ve encountered, there’s usually someone you’re rooting for, something to care about, etc. But here, there were so many characters who all felt the same that I didn’t care about any of them. I actually didn’t feel any emotion while reading aside from frustration.
Sorry if this review made absolutely no sense. This book broke my brain and I feel like I’m going to have dreams where people talk exclusively in circles.