The Great American Read discussion
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Catch-22
PAST Group Reads 2018
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Catch-22- June- SPOILER THREAD
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Marnie
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May 28, 2018 08:58PM
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I am just starting this book.
I finished it a few days ago and thought it was really interesting. Not a book I would usually pick up but I think the whole point of the Great American Read is to get us out of our comfort zones. Without any spoilers- while the writing style was not my favorite I think the author used it to show the mental state of the main character. Parts of this book were really humorous to me and parts were so heartbreaking. I don’t think I’ll read it again anytime soon, I’m glad I did finish it.
I have always wanted to read this. I never find the time.
I read this a few years ago - not an easy/light read, but well-done, humorous & thought-provoking. Basically about war and how insane it is. I'm glad I read it too, just to get more classics under my belt.
Loretta wrote: "One I've always wanted to read but haven't yet but based on some posts here maybe it's time to crack it open, eh? 🤗"Lots of quirky characters and some really funny stuff. The basic premise is a pilot wants to go home because he is tired of always having the number of combat missions he must complete increased. Some compare it to M*A*S*H*, but they're similar only in that they're both humorous, have those aforementioned quirky characters, and make fun of the military. Enjoy!
I read this a few years ago and can understand it is an important anti-war book, but I really didn't think it was funny. Humour is a very personal thing, so other readers may not share my opinion. But I can see why this book made the list.
I think it was more of a dry, ironic wit vs. an over-the-top-laugh-out-loud funny.
It certainly did have a lot of irony.
Exactly Rosemarie.
Having never been in the military myself I was not able to relate to the satire of military life, but I was able to relate to it in the sense that it relates to college life and corporate life which I do have experience with.
For a completely opposite take on military culture, nationalism, etc. I would recommend Starship Troopers by Robert A. Heinlein.(Note: If you have watched the film you should know that not only is the movie only a lose adaption, the movie plays as a satire of the book itself.)
I tried this book once a few years ago and gave up on it after 100 or so pages because I thought the joke had landed and was going on for too long. Last year, I decided to give it a second shot and stuck with it through the end. I'm glad I did. That growing feeling of tedium and absurdity began to needle in a different way than on the first read. Rather than feel frustrated that the BOOK was going on for too long, I became frustrated that the WAR was. On that second read, I became more immersed in Yossarian's experience and felt a real sense of despair. It wasn't fun to read, despite all the humor/irony, but it felt important to read.
