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A review by zombi
Catch-22 by Joseph Heller
5.0
I. Adore. This. Book.
I bought a copy of Catch 22 during my summer in Europe, finding it in a German bookstore in a small pile of English-language books. Catch 22 permeates pop culture and is referenced everywhere, by everyone, all the time. Once you've read it, you know what I say is true. Therefore I concluded I needed to read it -- and I was definitely not disappointed. This book is frequently cited as one of the great literary works of the Twentieth century for a reason. And yes, for the curious? The term "catch 22" (meaning a no-win situation) was coined from this book. Yeah. Who needs to read it now, huh?
Heller's novel is set during World War II, and follows Yossarian, the hilarious and witty "crazy" pilot. While it may take some a while to read due to confusing dialogue and lack of chronological clarity, the novel is well, WELL worth the time. Catch 22 made me laugh quite often, as circumlocution cracks me up. Heller's exploration of the insanities of both war and the "military-industrial complex" are fascinating.
Published during the Vietnam War, the book became a word-of-mouth success. Stickers declaring "Yossarian Lives" started to appear among other anti-war slogans. A new generation of Americans - many of them facing the prospect of being forced to fight a war they didn't understand - found themselves identifying with Yossarian's situation and the phrase "Catch-22" soon became a part of the popular consciousness.
Yossarian Lives.
I bought a copy of Catch 22 during my summer in Europe, finding it in a German bookstore in a small pile of English-language books. Catch 22 permeates pop culture and is referenced everywhere, by everyone, all the time. Once you've read it, you know what I say is true. Therefore I concluded I needed to read it -- and I was definitely not disappointed. This book is frequently cited as one of the great literary works of the Twentieth century for a reason. And yes, for the curious? The term "catch 22" (meaning a no-win situation) was coined from this book. Yeah. Who needs to read it now, huh?
Heller's novel is set during World War II, and follows Yossarian, the hilarious and witty "crazy" pilot. While it may take some a while to read due to confusing dialogue and lack of chronological clarity, the novel is well, WELL worth the time. Catch 22 made me laugh quite often, as circumlocution cracks me up. Heller's exploration of the insanities of both war and the "military-industrial complex" are fascinating.
Published during the Vietnam War, the book became a word-of-mouth success. Stickers declaring "Yossarian Lives" started to appear among other anti-war slogans. A new generation of Americans - many of them facing the prospect of being forced to fight a war they didn't understand - found themselves identifying with Yossarian's situation and the phrase "Catch-22" soon became a part of the popular consciousness.
Yossarian Lives.