I started reading the book cuz it was much recommended. Im about a quarter way through, I see the "Catch 22" but still haven't gotten to the good part? Everyone says the end is the best, so I am just waiting for it, but its all a bit too confusing and choppy.
Is it worth finishing?

Definitely. I just finished it (about 5 minutes ago) and the last few pages had me on the edge of my seat. Keep going. The further along you go, the more apparent Catch-22's ubiquitousness becomes.

I recently bought this book because it was also recommended to me. I was told that its really funny and all that, so Jocylynn if you say its worth it, thats good to hear. The story line seems ok, so far.

I was slightly amused for the first 10 pages or so. After that it was just too annoying to continue on -- I really think this is an overrated book (and it was also highly recommended to me).

Persist, you chronologically-trained monkeys! This book is pure genius. Read it, and then read it again. If you can't get through it, go read "The Da Vinci Code" and then throw yourself off a cliff.

Yeah. Really, if you don't see the genius of Catch-22, you're really not doing the world any good at all. There are two types of people in the world: Those who like Catch-22, and James Patterson readers. Don't be the latter.

Hang in there. This book is worth it in so many ways. I can't blame folks who find it complicated, but don't let that put you off. An amazing eye-opening book.

Not everyone does, but it's still a great book. It's not a linear plot, so what appears confusing initially will become increasingly clearer as you go on. Still, if you have no taste for the absurd, this book will leave you flat. If you do, it has no equal.

No not worth finishing.

I laughed out loud at this book. Reading it cover-to-cover in three days was an adventure in hilarity. I couldn't put it down.

For all of the "chronolically trained monkeys" who had trouble with Catch-22, I recommend Slaughterhouse Five and The Things They Carried. Let the evolution begin!

Yes, I think this book is definitely worth finishing. I, too, didn't understand it at first. I learned to appreciate it in a class, though. I had an insightful teacher who was able to explicate it for his class. I think it makes a strong statement about the futility and inhumanity of war. If you want a book that is really confusing (and is meant to be so) read The Trial by Franz Kafka.

I read this book years ago during boring stretches of certain classes in my high school. Made the absurdity all the more piquant.

It only gets more relevant and hilarious and frightening as you get older. Beware.

Good literature, especially satire, doesn't necessarily keep you burning through pages because you are supposed to struggle with the concepts and ideas, some of which are obvious and some more difficult to recognize. Whether you get this book or not you have to see the humor, I laughed out loud quite often while reading this book, usually in reference to Major Major (Major Major). Great read!!

gala, i absolutely loved catch-22. but if you're now half way through it i say put it down. the ending doesn't make the book. it's brilliance, in my opinion, lies within every page.

It really is a slow burner. The genius of Heller's penmanship, and the value of the book lies in the fact that the more you read it, the more you don't get it. Then at the end, you realize you "get it" because you "don't get it".

What would you expect from a sociological piece? Human beings don't make sense!

Hey - if you are half way through and still aren't enjoying it - you won't like it better later! Maybe this type of literature isn't what cranks your motor. You aren't the only one who needs a plot to enjoy a story.

I hated it when I first started reading. I thought it was annoying, confusing and tedious. It took me about a month to get through the first hundred pages.

As you keep going, though, you start to "get it" a little better. It becomes funnier, you adapt to the style of writing.

The end makes the whole thing worth it. It took a little persistance, but the book is a classic for a reason, and I ended up loving it.

For those who think it's stupid, persist. For those who think you're stupid for not liking it, get off your literary high horse.

I read most of it years ago and the joke just got old to me. Nothing progresses. Its the same brand of absurdity in various situations with nothing quite new as it continues. Parts of it were absolutely hilarious though. I should revisit it and see if my initial impression sticks.

I'm always saddened when people don't see the genius of this book simply due to it's illogical structure. It was my favorite in High School and still stands strong as a favorite into my 30s.

That said, other works considered genius by others are not those that I adore.

I agree with those who say that if you're not enjoying it by half way through, you're not going to care about the ending. I was one of those who couldn't put it down and cared about the characters immediately.

It took me three goes before I finally broke into it - persistent, aren't I? I am very glad I did persist, because it all comes together as you go on.

For me, it is The Novel of the 20th Century, or at least the second half of the century.

Interesting that so many people find it difficult to get into. I'm sure modern agents and publishers would drop it by the end of the first page. I'm glad to see that the people above are not afraid to get into difficult reading - which really repays the effort in this case.

yes, there are people who know where their copy of 22 is at all times, and there are those who wish they never had.

I liked his sense of humor and style, but the message didn't speak to me at all. People are stupid, there's no point to life, and there's nothing you can do about it. I don't believe that at all.

Ah - but you can do something about it! Appleby (forgive me if I have the name wrong - I'm too lazy to look it up) planned meticulously and then got into his little dinghy and paddled all the way to Sweden.

The ending was so exciting and it came as a wonderful surprise. The system and its minions can be beaten! (Compare that to the bleakness of The Castle)

I just finished 22 and have to say I loved it from the moment I read the first sentence. I had heard how hard it was to get into so I was a bit daunted to begin it, but as I went on the only confusion I had was why people had so much trouble with it.

Maybe that says something about me, but I don't really mind. I think it's great - beginning, middle, and end (and yes especially the end). But if you don't like it, I'm okay with that also, not every book is meant for every person.

Meh, try using the novel's war setting to re-define your conclusions. (Military) people are stupid, there's no point to life (when you're subject to the inanities of military bureacracy and the overall stupidity of warfare), and there's nothing you can do about it. Except that in the end Yossarian (I don't know where Jacqueline got 'Appleby' from...) does do something about it: he paddles away after months of planning this rather bizarre escape.

I agree with DEFINITELY finish this book. It is choppy, it is difficult, it is long, but it is all worth it. I finished the book yesterday evening and had a wonderful experience when I finished it. The entire book makes sense. The choppiness that you see is important. The disorganization is all there for a purpose. Trust me, it will all become apparent in time.

Alissa, you're hilarious.

Wow, Norman, you just characterized millions of people as stupid who voluntarily give up their liberty and risk their lives for the protection of your rights. But hey, at least you don't judge billions of people without meeting them, so that's something.

Yes, yes, yes! Do finish it. Perhaps go and do something refreshing first -- go for a run, see a movie in the middle of the day, have a drink. Sometimes a person just isn't in the right frame of mind for the darkly funny. High school, for instance, primes most of us for Dark Humor About Futility. So does working in a cube... I'm not suggesting you try either of these dire alternatives :), but sometimes coming back to a book after a little break can give us a new point of view. This book Should Not be a chore. Just keep putting it down and then picking it back up later until it's fun. Happy reading!

I credit this book with helping to preserve my sanity. CATCH-22 and the original BBC series THE OFFICE helped me cope with a nightmare job that, for all intents and purposes, used CATCH-22 as a management guide without realizing it is a satire. I've read it twice, and am well underway on my third read in three years.

I didn't find it difficult to read. I just gave in and let Heller take me where he wanted to take me. There are few gratuitous details, and the shifts in time all make sense after a while.

It may not be The Great American Novel, but it sure as hell is A Great American Novel, and certainly the only one that I would classify as Essential Reading.

I liked Catch 22 but I didn't love it. It made me laugh and made me think but I still think it's slightly overrated.
If you don't like it, don't plough through it hating it more and more, take a break a book shouldn't be a chore. If people are telling you that you should read it and insinuate that you are too stupid to appreciate it because you don't like it tell them to re read The Emperor’s New Clothes as they were clearly too stupid to appreciate that.

Exactly, Nicky. Reading should only ever be easy. No book should ever make a demand on the reader. Readers shouldn't ever have to work to understand a book. Authors should just spoonfeed their readers.

I gotta say I started and gave up about 50 pages in. That said, I was enjoying it, but was really hanging out to read 'One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest' (and I just wasn't in the mood for the unconventional narrative - shallow I know :)) so I dropped '22' for 'Nest.

I will return though...

For first time readers, I've heard it numerous times that you should try to persist past the 100 page mark and things will become clearer.

Steve, I never characterized anyone as being stupid. In my comment above I was not stating my personal views. What I was trying to do was put some perspective on Meh's statement of the book's message. Since the military context is at the heart of Heller's satire, our conclusions about his message should recognize this focus.