About this title: Joseph Heller's manic, bleak, blackly humorous, and brilliant novel has become a classic of American literature, and "Catch-22" has entered the language as a term describing a no-win situation. Set during the last months of World War II, the novel tells the story of an Air Force bombardier, the hapless Yossarian, who is convinced--quite rightly, of course--that people are trying to kill him. The famous "catch" is that the terrified Yossarian, who constantly and by increasingly inventive means tries to persuade his superiors that he is crazy and should be grounded, can't be grounded because ...
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Note: This is a general synopsis. Each listing is described below.
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: SparkNotes
Date Published: 2002
ISBN-13:9781586633813ISBN:1586633813
Description: Good. A copy that has been read, but remains in clean condition. All pages are intact, and the cover is intact (including dustcover, if applicable). The spine may show signs of wear. Pages can include limited notes and highlighting, and the copy can include "from the library of" labels. read more
Description: Good. Light shelf wear and minimal interior marks. Millions of satisfied customers and climbing. Thriftbooks is the name you can trust, guaranteed. Spend Less. Read More. read more
Description: Good. Shows some signs of wear, and may have some markings on the inside. Shipped to over one million happy customers. Your purchase benefits world literacy! read more
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Date Published: 1996
ISBN-13:9780684833392ISBN:0684833395
Description: Acceptable. * ARC Paperback version, no markings of any kind * Ex-libris with typical marks. ** Shop the most eco-conscious seller and keep the earth clean! ** read more
Binding: Mass-market paperback
Publisher: Dell, [New York
Date Published: 1970
Description: Good. No dust jacket as issued. Older book with average reading wear and dustsoiling. Pages tanning due to age. 463 p. 18 cm. A Dell book 1120.. read more
Description: Good. 1994-Paperback----Used-Good-Hall Street Books proudly ships from Brooklyn, NY. All orders are processed and shipped within 24 hours, M-F. 100% money back No-Worry guarantee with expedited delivery and delivery confirmation available. read more
Binding: Softcover
Publisher: Dell
Date Published: 1980
ISBN-13:9780440111207ISBN:044011120X
Description: Good. 1980; Mass Market Paperback; No notes/hiliting; Clean pages; Lightly edgeworn cover; No dog-ears; Strong binding; cover is lightly soiled; bald corners. read more
"I can't say how much I hate this book. I definitely acknowledge its cultural and literary significance, which is why it gets two stars instead of one. I appreciate that Heller is a bit of a genius for the way his mind works and the style of his writing. It's quite unique and even impressive. I value the themes in this book. I, too, think war is insane. I appreciate the realism of this book and especially that juxtaposed with the comedy. BUT reading this book feels like reading a very repetitive and very LONG Abbot and Costello skit. Abbot and Costello are funny, but imagine watching "Who's On First" for hours and hours and hours...as long as it takes you to read 450 pages. I admit I didn't finish this book. I have a 100-page test for books: if I get to 100 pages and I'm still in agony, I stop wasting my time. I just couldn't do it. I think I really would have enjoyed this as a short story."
"Hands down my favorite book of all time. The humor of this novel is write up my alley. I would go as far as admitting that I have used the book as a test and those who don't like it don't get me and those who do, do. I love how things snowball in this book and something that seems small at first by the end of the book is a huge avalanche of laughter. This book boasts one of the largest casts of any book I have ever read but I kept track of all of them when reminded and loved them all dearly. They are all so confused out there in the hell of war and make the best of it in their own ways. All with a different mission and all of them crazy with the exception of our friend Yossarian who is the only sane one. Joseph Heller is god."
"This might be one of the more original American Novels ever written were it not utterly derivative of one of the more original French novels ever written: Journey to the End of the Night (Celine).
Still it is really funny. But most American young people have the same experience of this Novel as they have of Coldplay. They experience it when they are teenagers and don't come across the thing that engendered it (Jeff Buckley) until later. The former is affecting and competent, the later is sui generis, crucial, numinous. (Well, I don't feel quite as strongly about Buckley as I do Celine, but you get the idea.)"
"The following is an example of how many conversations in this book took place.
Jen: I didn't like this book. Nigel: Why didn't you like the book? Jen: I did like the book. Nigel: You just said you didn't like the book. Jen: No I didn't. Nigel: You're lying. Jen: I don't believe in lying. Nigel: So you never lie? Jen: Oh yes, I lie all the time. Nigel: You just said you don't believe in it. Jen: I don't believe in it, Jen said as she ate a chocolate covered cotton ball. Nigel: Well I liked the book. Jen: Fabulous! I liked it too! Nigel: What did you like about it? Jen: Oh, I hated it.
I think Heller was showing how war is chaotic by not writing in a chronological order. You really have no idea in what order events are taking place. I think he was showing how war is ridiculous by writing conversations like the one above. I'm not sure if any of his goals were to annoy the living hell out of his readers, but he annoyed me. 460 pages of absurdness is too much for me. Most of the characters were very one-dimensional. I could only distinguish between people by their names. Most of the good guys all had the same personalities and the bad guys all had the same personalities except one character ate peanut brittle and another put crab apples in his cheeks. Other than that - same personalities. Maybe his goal was only to distinguish between the good, everyday guys and the evil, power-hungry men in charge. If so, he succeeded. I just wasn't thrilled after page 150 or so. There is some funny stuff in there. The chocolate-covered cotton balls will crack me up for life. There's some really sad stuff too. It's weird because every time someone died, I cared, even though I knew nothing about them, except what they ate or who their favorite whore was. I'm not sure how Heller pulled that off. Anyway, I would recommend it. It's just that the ridiculousness of it gets to the point where it's just, well, ridiculous, and beyond my personal tolerance level. I still appreciated it though."
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