false http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166289004m/10718.jpg 10718 18 Bob Slocum was living the American dream. He had a beautiful wife, three lovely children, a nice house...and all the mistresses he desired. He had it all -- all, that is, but happiness. Slocum was discontent. Inevitably, inexorably, his discontent deteriorated into desolation until...something happened.<P><I>Something Happened</I> is Joseph Heller's wonderfully inventive and controversial second novel satirizing business life and American culture. The story is told as if the reader was overhearing the patter of Bob Slocum's brain -- recording what is going on at the office, as well as his fantasies and memories that complete the story of his life. The result is a novel as original and memorable as his <I>Catch-22.</I><P> 2703812 1974 Something Happened total:983|5:214|4:264|3:286|2:150|1:69| 983 3353 1418 108 5 12 false false Sat Mar 01 00:00:00 -0800 2008 Tue Jun 17 15:27:09 -0700 2008 Tue Jun 17 17:26:17 -0700 2008
This book takes place entirely inside the head of a middle-aged, upper middle-class, middle manager. He is not a nice person. He is not a unique person. He is not a particularly interesting person...except ...more...]]> 0 1 false false Thu Aug 21 06:46:38 -0700 2008 Thu Aug 21 07:00:50 -0700 2008 more...]]> 2 1 false false Sun Aug 01 00:00:00 -0700 2004 Sun Feb 03 12:02:09 -0800 2008 Sun Feb 03 12:02:25 -0800 2008 more...]]> 4 1 false false Thu Jul 10 12:08:33 -0700 2008 Sun Sep 14 06:57:38 -0700 2008 more...]]> 3 1 false false Sun Jun 01 00:00:00 -0700 2003 Sat Mar 17 18:57:22 -0700 2007 Sat Mar 17 19:06:30 -0700 2007 more...]]> 5 1 false false Sat May 01 00:00:00 -0700 1999 Wed Jul 04 10:28:00 -0700 2007 Wed Jul 04 10:33:13 -0700 2007 Nothing Happened," I've heard it quipped, which misses the entire point. Where Catch-22's Yossarian was essentially likeable, Heller doesn't give you that easy out with Bob Slocum.

From Vonnegut's review in the New York Times (1974): "Is this book any good? Yes. ...more...]]> 3 1 false false Wed Jan 28 21:07:02 -0800 2009 Wed Jan 28 21:07:02 -0800 2009 more...]]> 2 1 false false Tue May 20 21:31:28 -0700 2008 Tue May 20 21:31:56 -0700 2008 1 0 false false Fri Mar 01 00:00:00 -0700 1974 Mon Jun 08 09:00:27 -0700 2009 Mon Jun 08 09:30:16 -0700 2009 Catch-22, had finally brought forth a new novel. The rejoicing stopped as soon as people read it. Something Happened is a long, deliberately static description of a dull, unhappy, quagmired A...more...]]> 4 1 false false Tue Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2008 Tue May 19 23:14:45 -0700 2009 Tue Jul 14 20:21:58 -0700 2009 more...]]> 4 1 false false Mon Jun 01 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Mon May 11 11:53:19 -0700 2009 Tue Jul 28 09:42:29 -0700 2009 more...]]> 4 0 false false Mon Jul 20 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Sat May 02 15:28:35 -0700 2009 Mon Jul 20 17:38:12 -0700 2009
What do you make of 550+ pages of internal narration, with no discernible plot, no character growth, no catharsis after reading the darkest, most selfish, most petulant and childish and sad and real meander...more...]]> 2 0 false false Fri Jun 12 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Sun Apr 19 19:44:21 -0700 2009 Fri Jun 12 04:21:30 -0700 2009 more...]]> 1 2 false false Sun Feb 15 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Sun Mar 22 22:51:56 -0700 2009 Mon Jun 22 23:47:07 -0700 2009 more...]]> 2 0 false false Thu May 01 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Tue Jul 15 11:06:24 -0700 2008 Tue Jul 15 11:13:03 -0700 2008
This is a very different ...more...]]> 5 1 false false Sat Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2000 Wed Feb 04 05:20:41 -0800 2009 Wed Feb 04 05:29:20 -0800 2009 Something Happened, and few experiences remain as gripping. For substantially all of the book, we follow the inner monologue, pepper with flashbacks, of the protagonist. Though decades, generations, and cultural differences separated me from...more...]]> 3 0 false false Wed May 20 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Wed May 13 19:12:04 -0700 2009 Tue Jun 09 18:09:15 -0700 2009 more...]]> 5 0 false false Mon Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 1996 Sun Nov 02 06:54:28 -0800 2008 Mon Nov 03 14:05:16 -0800 2008 more...]]> 2 0 false false Mon Jun 11 00:00:00 -0700 2007 Wed Apr 30 09:30:46 -0700 2008 Wed Apr 30 09:38:39 -0700 2008 more...]]> 5 0 false false Sat May 30 18:14:55 -0700 2009 Sat May 30 18:16:54 -0700 2009 Catch-22, Heller's second novel is profane, hilarious, and sexist in parts -- and is also one of the most depressing books about relationships between mates and within families that you'll ever read. Don't let that stop you, though -- this is an inexplicably now-overlooked classic.]]> http://www.goodreads.com/book_link/follow/8?book_id=10718