From the Bookshelf of Should have read classics…
Find A Copy At
Group Discussions About This Book
No group discussions for this book yet.
What Members Thought
I read the good soldier Svejk which, apparently, inspired this book. Catch-22 was certainly more modern in its references and it covered things from multiple viewpoints. Catch-22 was more slapstick comedy whereas in Hasek’s classic you were never sure if Svejk was a genius or an idiot with his simple minded torpidity and senseless compliancy. At the end of the good soldier I leaned towards Svejk being a genius underminer and from reading Heller’s book, he too probably thought this. It’s almost
...more
I had to read Heller’s masterpiece in chunks, between other books. For me CATCH-22 was a catch-22. I got lost sometimes and had to take notes, but when I finished it today I was impressed by Heller. He has created a comic tragedy in three acts. In the first act, we meet all of the characters, flaws and all. The people don’t want to be there. And here’s the catch. If they are crazy, the boys go home. If they say they are crazy and ask to go home, they are sane. The bombardier flights continue wel
...more
A masterpiece of surrealistic satire, this book deserves its spot in the literary canon. Highly recommended, though the structure may put some readers off.
Jul 08, 2010
Amy Curtis
marked it as to-read
Sep 17, 2010
Lan
added it
Mar 14, 2011
Tuğçe Gökırmak
marked it as to-read
May 25, 2011
Paige
marked it as to-read
Sep 17, 2011
mayee
marked it as to-read
Dec 05, 2011
Caleb
marked it as to-read
Dec 17, 2011
Sam
marked it as next-on-list
Jul 22, 2012
Maria
marked it as to-read
