Zinta's review
Catch-22 by Joseph Heller
For so many of us growing up in the USA, our high school teachers assigned us Joseph Heller's "Catch-22" as required reading, and I was among those assignees. I'm not sure why the requirement, other than perhaps some Catch-22 type of logic that everyone else was assigning it, so there, must be great, must read. I don't particularly remember liking the novel then, perhaps with no more substantial of a reason than -- just not my style. Reading the novel now, in midlife, my opinion (or my literary style) has changed little, but today, I can attempt to add to "not my style" perhaps a few deeper insights.
In this second read, I realize what so fails to appeal to me is Heller's slapstick, absurdist, repetitive and dizzyingly circular style of storytelling. At the same time, I fully realize this is also the appeal of the novel for many: it's absurdity. Indeed, time has tested Heller's topic of war having little logic or reason in the real world, mostly born of individu...more
In this second read, I realize what so fails to appeal to me is Heller's slapstick, absurdist, repetitive and dizzyingly circular style of storytelling. At the same time, I fully realize this is also the appeal of the novel for many: it's absurdity. Indeed, time has tested Heller's topic of war having little logic or reason in the real world, mostly born of individu...more
It's a classic because it's an allegory. You see, it's not really about war. :-)
Oh, I disagree, Ricky. It is most certainly about war. But like many good books, it has many varied layers of meaning, so you are right about the allegory... allegories. But war is one of those layers of meaning. In all of its absurdity.
yeah, i was pouting about something. sorry for getting sassy at you.
Don't pout. Sassy's fine. But tell me, if you didn't see war in it... what did you see?
I mean, it talked about the war but it never really seemed like that's what the focus was. I guess it seemed to me to be more about how irrational we are in our daily interactions and our social institutions and our management styles. I don't know, the funny thing is that I don't really care that much about it. I was just reading this essay today that was kind of about the death of the social novel and it reminded me of how my ex refused to read this book and when he did his response was that he learned more about war his freshman year in high school. **face palm** I guess I was looking for a random surrogate to vent about people insistently and reliably missing the point and, feeling lazy, I indiscriminately and unfairly settled for you. I don't know, as you guessed, I really loved the absurdity in the book but I also thought it was a compelling criticism of a big chunk of American culture. He's kind of harsh in his treatment of Americans but he shows us hope at the end. It's possible I was just smoke and mirrored by the humor in the book and maybe I should take another look at it but there are just so many memorable scenes in that book. And lines like "I yearn for you tragically" and "That's another thing that's wrong with you." The thing is I don't really remember the ins and outs of that book, I just bumped a nerve today and this is how I ended up pouting.
I see. Well, I don't mind the sass. Good reviews should inspire a bit of sass, I think. Thing is, I can see in the book all that you've named, Ricky; my point is that a book can contain all these messages, on various levels. Which is probably why it is so time-tested. Facets, nuances, call them what you will. Complexities. And that's not at all saying the author has intended all of them... beauty of art, that it can be seen in many ways after the artist releases his or her work to interpretation. Your perspective is perfectly valid!
Now, the topic of death of the social novel... that does interest me... and sadden me...
