A review by backyardjake
Catch-22 by Joseph Heller

dark funny sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

I *did not* find the majority of this book funny. Some of the humor was lost on me, due to a factor of language, different sense of it, things that haven't aged well (though I doubt they were meant to even at the time). What I did connect with was the dark nature underlying the events and paradoxes. The horror and reality of the situation the group was in, with their incompetent command and soul sucking bombing runs. No wonder the average character is a bit wacky. Entertaining the nonsensical makes more sense than the cruel truth of what can happen on mission and all the other unfair and repugnant things that fill the world.

Some thoughts:

-The Catch itself is a paradox that not only does not make sense, it is intentional for the purposes of exercising power. As we see later in the novel it does not just apply to flying. I do not believe it is explicitly stated but this is my take away. 
- I would like for Arrfy to be gelded, beat as badly as Bogs was in Shawshank Redemption, and then serve the majority of his life in the worst brig the military had available.
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