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Catch-22: For Those Who Have Finished!
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I love this book. It is definitely one of my favorites. The ending made me cry because I was so happy for Yossarian. One of the things I've noticed about this book is that most people either love it or hate it. And of those who hate it, many cited that they couldn't follow the plot.
Anyone agree or disagree with that?
Ooh! Another thing...anyone find themselves saying (or thinking) "Where are the Snowdens of yesteryear?" Because I definitely do.
Most people I've met who hated the book hadn't gone past the first twenty pages. Like the person above, they said they couldn't follow the plot and gave up trying after the first couple pages.But Catch-22 is amazing nonetheless. It's hard to remember the parts that were boring. It remains to this day my top fave, and I recommend the book to just about anybody who is interested.
The first and last time I read this book was around four years ago. But some of my favorite scenes and characters back then were (and still are): Major Major Major Major (gotta love the story behind that name), the cherry tomato incident, Yossarian without his clothes on, and Nately's whore. Only if it had not been for the giant pile of unread books in my room, I might have been giving the book a second runthrough.
Heller's sense of humor reminds me of Vonnegut, especially Cat's Cradle....
Has anyone read Closing Time, the sequel? I own it, but haven't gotten to it yet (surprise, surprise).
This is my favorite book of all time hands down! Lately, every time I want to tell someone to get out of the room so I can speak privately with someone else I find myself wanting to jerk my thumb and say "screw". I think the best parts that stick out for me are the Major Major Major Major story (of course), the man in white, the Catch-22 for psychiatric medical leave, the dead man in Yossarian's tent, and Milo with his M&M Enterprises. I know that's pretty much the whole book, but it is my favorite. I love this book because I'd never read anything like it before in my life (I read it in high school). It was the first book with substance that was not written in purple prose. It was hillarious, but talked about some very serious issues that most people don't take the time to recognize. My absolute most favorite theme from the book was the funny-because-it's-true portrayal of beaurocracy. This, coupled with the horror of war, really paint a picture of just how bad the world can be, but also how you can make light of just about any terrible situation if you can stand back and laugh at it.
Interestingly, the ending was not exactly my favorite part of the book, but I couldn't imagine a more suitable one for the temperment of the book. In any case, I know others hate it, but for my money I've never seen a book do a better job making a comedy out of themes that are as deep as they are profound.
I too have noticed that those who do not like it generally do not like it because they feel it's repetative or they cannot follow the plot. I also noticed that some of the people that do no tlike it are more prone to enjoy purple prose. Personally I hate purple prose, but it's simply a matter of preference. Do any of you who liked Catch-22 also like purple prose? If so, what was it about Catch-22 that interested you?
Mod
I loved the book, but it took me a long time to read it. I kept thinking, I didn't read that right, so I would go back and re-read it and I had it right the first time. So I do understand why people have a hard time with it. Since it is very comical, you would think it would be a breeze to read.
Favorite characters: Not really sure, I liked them all.
Part that made me laugh the most: Toss up: 1: When the gang "rescued" Nately's whore from the higher ups. 2: How Milo got distracted by the mere mention of a money making scheme. (I know some people like that) 3: General Sheisskompf! Classic.
Some general starting questions:
Did you like or dislike the book? Did you like the ending? Favorite characters? Favorite quotes? Did you like the author's style? Were you confused by anything in the book? etc.
Feel free to post any discussion questions that are more specific to the book once you have finished. The moderators and discussion leader will try and facilitate the discussion but since everybody's reading schedule/life schedule are different, they may not be able to do so at the beginning of the month. So, any discussion questions are welcome! :)