Catch-22 by Joseph Heller

[Erin]

This is one of my choices for the book list, so I hope everyone enjoyed it! Or, if you hate it, please share why, I'd love to hear your thoughts.

1. What types of conflict (physical, moral, intellectual or emotional) are in Catch-22?

2. Is John Yossarian consistent in his actions? Why is he often referred to an an anti-hero?

3. How does sanity/insanity figure into the plot of the novel?

4. How effective do you think the novel is as a statement against war? Is it still a timely statement?

5. Would you recommend this novel to a friend?

[Heather]

I had so much trouble with this one - it made my head hurt. So many times I thought I was losing focus and missing parts of the storyline and would reread back a few pages and then realise nope - it jumps about.
I couldn't finish it, after reading six chapters I just couldn't go on.
It was interesting, I posted a status about it on FB and got so many responses from my friends and had a bit of a debate about making yourself finishing books vs abandoning them. Most people had the same experience as me - got 50-100 pages into the book but haven't finished it - some had even made several attempts.
From what I was told (by a fan of Catch-22) was the writing style - the nonsensical, jumping around and absurdity was to illustrate how absurd and nonsensical war is. Which makes sense to me.

Does anyone else abandon books? Or do you make yourself finish them?

I'm not having a good run this year - I abandoned the Bookstore, Catch-22 and am contemplating abandoning Longbourn (I'm behind on the reading for Literary Adventures...).

[Erin]

I'm slowing a bit, Heather. I've also jumped around a little from our reading order. Shhh, don't tell Madelyn, LOL I haven't given up on any yet, but I do find myself annoyed with the book by the time I get finished. Honestly, this one was my dad's favorite book, as well as my brother's, but I'm just now getting around to reading it, so I'm not sure my luck will be any better!

[Jacey]

I am glad to know I'm not the only one struggling with this book. I made myself read the first 50 pages, and I don't think I can keep reading. I rarely abandon books, but I cannot imagine 400 more pages of this book. After fifty pages, I'm not even sure what this book is about. I agree with Heather, I kept thinking I missed something, but then realized there was nothing to actually miss. The nonsensical way it is written just gives me a headache! I'm hoping someone in the group likes it. I always find it interesting to hear (read) opinions that differ from mine; it often helps me gain a new perspective on the book.

[Colleen]

Jacey wrote: "I am glad to know I'm not the only one struggling with this book. I made myself read the first 50 pages, and I don't think I can keep reading. I rarely abandon books, but I cannot imagine 400 more ..."

I'm looking to see what other people think as well and maybe explaining a bit more as to what is going on.

[Erin]

I finally finished. It took a while to get into. The best way to describe Catch 22 is that it is a lot like reading Monty Python. The maddening movement of the storyline is a bit like a round in music, a literary "Row, row, row your boat." An incident or character is discussed, as if the reader has complete knowledge, then a chapter or two later, the character or the incident is introduced. I think Heller is using this method to make the reader feel as unprepared and out of the loop as his characters. His use of sanity and insanity extends to his audience as well as his subject, characters and his Mediterranean Hell for US military personnel.

Once I caught the rhythm of the timeline, I did enjoy Catch 22. The games and petty power trips the many layers of bureaucracy play are, unfortunately, very familiar to me. I see them every day in my own office setting, although my superiors play for cubical space and budgets, not lives. Heller's Yossarian is not the most interesting character. He is consistent in his stubborn refusal to go out and die for what he see is clearly, no good reason. He can even articulate his reasons. His strength and power are never really in doubt. The fascinating characters are the chaplain, Orr and Nately. The chaplain is the ordinary man caught in horrible circumstances. He has a position of some authority, but never has the courage to use it. His growth and his realization that he must make himself resist those who would use him to harm others is fascinating. Orr is the surprise. I thought he was just another comic character, thrown in for Heller to kill off later. Nope. Nately is the sweet, Mom and apple pie kid who never had a thing go wrong, and like so much of the novel, his plot is mostly comic, vulgar and off-hand, until, suddenly, Nately is my favorite character. His earnest, if inarticulate arguments with the dirty old man in Rome, are Heller's way of presenting the typical, American belief in war, democracy and doing the "right thing". His exposure to ideas that are not the same as his, people who do not behave the way he does are beginning to shape him into an entirely new character. Then, of course, war and Catch 22 happen. Also, I hated Milo. Just the kind of horrible human being everyone has the misfortune of knowing, and the sort of person who thrives when everyone else is suffering.

There is some great imagery in the book, particularly use of the ocean, and you can feel the madness circling these poor men who are only trying to survive while their superior officers use them as pawns. There are some really funny scenes too. The fight Yossarian and Clevinger have in the mess about someone trying to kill Yossarian, the description of Catch 22, in depth for the first time, and the scenes of the parades in California will make you laugh. What might freak you out is how much you will think about this funny book about war, you know, if you finish it!