Is this a masterpiece in prose or a mindless comedy?

[Thom]

I first read Catch 22 in 1969 in Vietnam. It was about another war but the system seems to never change. Joseph Heller takes the senselessness of war to an extreme but never loses the basic truth of the military system and structure. Yossarian takes the war and his part in it personally. I first read this book in a very unsafe place and it saved both my life and mind. By reading it I was able to laugh at the helplessness and hopelessness of war. I suddenly realized there was a personal side to war and not just patriotism and policies. I have five copies of this book in my house and have read it a score of times since the 1969 encounter. The words stay the same; the world around me changes but the initial impact the book had on me doesn't alter with the passing of time.

[uh8myzen]

I agree with you Thom. I think this book is a profound work because of its ability to portray the senselessness and absurdity of war without diminishing the brave souls who must suffer through it.

I have never had the misfortune of being in your position, but after reading the book, I gave it to my father who was in the Dutch Resistance in WWII and he was a medic in the military until they surrendered. His reaction was very similar to yours.

Also, I was able to recognize some of the truth of it through the war stories (gory and otherwise) that he told me (though a poor substitute for being there).

Catch-22 will always be a favorite for me, I read in high school and stole the book (ssshhhh!) I loved it so much.

I was so excited when Closing Time, came out, but as is the case with most "sequels," it didn't live up to Catch-22 for me.

[Robin]

I never read the book, but did see the movie with Alan Arkin. It also reminds me in a way of Mash, the Korean War when Klinger was trying to get a section 8 out of the military, I think that is what the book is about also, right. I think I need to read this book.

[[deleted user]]

Reading this book for the first time many years ago, I hated it and wondered what all the fuss was about, namely as it did not fit my admittedly all-too-conservative preconceptions of how a novel should be. That said, something about it intrigued me, enough anyway, to entice a rereading. It seemed I wasn't ready previously, to recognise or respond to its humour and the dark brilliance in which its title and main theme gleam amid the novel's all-pervading absurd, bleak, blackness. It is a book that tells too, we learn nothing from history, a book that continually resonates today, balking at how human beings are still expected to witness and/or commit acts that dehumanise them and of course others. What I got then, after this second reading, was a sense of why Catch 22 is so brilliant a piece of writing, and why it, in conjunction with Kurt Vonnegut's also powerful anti-war novel, Slaughterhouse 5, will always be heralded a classic.

[Arthur]

Dull and mindless.
Didn't find it funny. At all.
I could not finish it. It is a very rare occasion when I give up, because usually even if I don't like a book I am curious how it ends. Not this time.

[Robin]

I just read the play online, and although it was funny,some of the text wasn't available for viewing, but I got the gist of it, Yossarian couldn't be insane if he asked for the test, some mumbo jumbo like that. He couldn't prove insanity and act insane because even the doctors and other military men clearly were insane, or almost there.

[Thom]

Arthur I suggest you follow Keiron's example and try a re-read. It isn't like your average book so don't look for or expect the expected. Go with the flow and judge the whole before condeming a part.
Robin..... I would strongly recommend that you read the novel in a complete and unabridged form (not a synopsis) and heed the advice I've given Arthur. Don't start the book with any preconceptions and go simply where the story takes you. In my opinion the one over-riding theme of Catch 22 is the absolute senselessness of war. Imagine if war a was ever declared and everyone refused to show up (much less fight).

[Robin]

I think that was once a slogan for the Vietnam war, what would happen if they had a war and no one came. That is all I could find on-line. I will get the book from the library. Read enough that it is senseless the whole catch-22 idea.

[Thom]

Catch 22 isn't senseless.....war and the system that supports it is senseless. Discovering this fact and fighting to stay alive, it becomes Yossarian's war within the war.

[Robin]

That is what I meant. The system of a Catch 22 and no one can possibly get it, and if they take the test that means that they aren't insane, because if you are insane you wouldn't know it. come on, this is pointless, just given the bureaucracy of the whole thing is laughable.

[Thom]

Now you've got it! It is laughable so read and laugh! It sure beats crying about a bureaucracy man can't change but just has it bare it.

[Arthur]

Thom wrote: ". Go with the flow and judge the whole before condeming a par..."

I could not go with the flow. It was illogical. Time jumps. One moment A says this, the next moment A says that....ahh apparently that was before this, the author decided to go backward without any warning. I didn't laugh. I didn't find anything in the storry one bit funny. One of the most frustrating reading experience I had.

I am over the High school ideology. Just because some people like a book and believe it is classic and masterpiece it doesn't mean
a) that I must read it;
b) that if I read it I will enjoy it;
c) it is a classic and masterpiece indeed

People who claim a book is classic and/or masterpiece are just people and it is their personal opinion. They probably would be able to read books I love.
I plodded through 1/3 or even 1/2 of the book and it was awful. On the other hand, I finished Gardens of the Moon the other day and it was brilliant. I could not put it down.
I guess to each its own.

[Robin]

nor I. It kind of poked fun at the military as well. So everyone looked not in the best light, anyway/

[Marcus]

I couldn't finish it. I found it dull and repetive, a frustrating experience, and not very funny. Much like war itself, I guess.

[Melissa]

It's strange how much this book divides opinion. I loved it from the very first page. However, many people I speak to - or have recommended it to - say they just can't get on with it and stopped reading before the end (nearly all around p80, strangely).

Since I loved it from the first, I don't push it. But there is something in it which both moves me and makes me laugh which clearly doesn't affect everyone.

That said, I then read Something Happened, also by Joseph Heller. I MADE myself finish, page by excruciating page, only because Catch-22 is one of my favourite books. If people reading Catch-22 feel even half the tedium and disappointment I felt when reading that, I really can't blame them for giving it up.

A thought - the reason I hated Something Happened (so much - there were other reasons) was that I hated the main character and felt no connection with him. Maybe I see something of myself in Yossarian and root for him, where others don't?

[Thom]

I agree with you Melissa. Catch 22 is in my top five and you would think that other Joseph Heller works would also rate an honorable mention. I have all of his books and nothing even came close.

[Marcus]

Melissa wrote: "I hated the main character and felt no connection with him. Maybe I see something of myself in Yossarian and root for him, where others don't? "

I think this is why I hated Catch-22. I just could not connect with Yossarian. I felt like after 100 pages, I knew nothing about him and he was nothing but a bad joke. None of the characters seemed particularly interesting or 'real' to me.

[Arthur]

Marcus wrote: "Melissa wrote: "I hated the main character and felt no connection with him. Maybe I see something of myself in Yossarian and root for him, where others don't? "

I think this is why I hated Catch-2..."

I guess I am in the same boat.

[Swati]

Beautiful writing, interesting thoughts. To me, it is a masterpiece.

[Donster]

Tedious, dull, repetitive crap. The movie was better.

[P.C.]

Seems to me that if you've worked for the federal government, or some similarly thinking body, in some form or another, you 'get' this book more than if you haven't. I love this book.

[Robin]

or if you work for the state, which I do, but come on, catch-22, no one in their right mind would want to get out on a catch-22.

[Tarun]

extremely dull,repetitive and senseless.

[Thom]

I think I was first hooked on the book and Yossarian in particularly when he was forced to censure letters of enlisted men. His fight to clean up letters to the home front was refreshing. I would have never thought of doing that (sometimes I wish I had). I found all the characters interesting and unique, much as any group of people studied in-depth.

[RETRODOLL]

I started reading this book a few weeks back and dropped it early on. I had high hopes because it's a classic I kept hearing about -- but IMHO, it sucked. If it was humorous, I wasn't getting it. I agree with Tarun.

[Sheila]

I read Catch-22 and was intrigued enough with it to find a second book to help me more completely perceive the first one.

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/72...

I found the story both hilarious and thought-provoking.

But I have to agree with the reviewer I quoted in my review of the casebook - Catch 22, the story, levels everything downward. The ideals of war - that there ARE some things worth fighting for, in WWII for God's sake - become nothing, morality is portrayed as stupidity, the good are only the weak and ineffectual, and Yossarian is nothing more than a man out to save his own hide - as willing as any of his superiors to victimize someone else, for his own amusement or in misplaced rebellion, until the very end of the book.

[Stephanie]

Interesting! I read this book 30 or so years ago when I was going through a passionate reading stage and really, really loved it so I've put it on my 'read' list. Really must revisit one day when my To Read list isn't so long.

[Michelle]

I read this book a couple of years ago not knowing anything about it except that it was a classic. I had no idea it would be so clever, insightful, and best of all hilarious. This is definitely a masterpiece and one of my favorite books.

[Thom]

After reading 30 opinions the conclusion can be reached that readers either love it or hate it. One man's trash is anothers treasure.

[Phani Tholeti]

When I started this book, I just couldn't get the hang of the abrupt time jumps. Or the replay of the same scene with varying amounts of detail and viewpoints. But, I haven't as yet left a book in the middle and was initially the only reason why I continued reading, and the magic worked. I began to like the style (time jumps and scene repeats). I got a hang of the dark humor underlying the whole book, never too obvious or in-your-face, but ever present. I was so fascinated, I picked up Closing Time and God Knows, and they ended being truly boring me out. I recommended it to my dad, and pushed him when he left it at pg80, he read 80 more an left it. So, I guess some like some don't, but I'd really recommend people to read it fully, maybe you'll start liking.

[uh8myzen]

I read Catch-22 in my Grade 10 English class. That class was a life changer, and some of the books we read were pivotal moments in my life... Catch-22 was one of those and remains one of my all time favourites.

I actually "borrowed," in a more permanent sense than the word implies, a number of the books from that class and still have that copy of Catch-22

In short though, it is definitely as masterpiece in every definition and will be remembered as a canonical piece of 20th century lit.

In case anyone cares for the off topic reading list of my pivotal Grade 10 year... great teacher that man. That was the year I decided to take Eng Lit in university and become a writer.

* The Handmaid's Tale
* 1984
* The Chrysalids
* The Tempest (still my fav Shakespeare)
* The Diviners
* Catch-22

[Arthur]

If somebody reads 1984, I would suggest to read before 1984. This book inspired Orwell's 1984.

[Johnny]

I didn't find it very engaging and I always had the feeling while reading it that the author was trying too hard to be funny (and not succeeding at that). 'The Good Soldier Svejk' is far superior as a humorous anti-war novel.

[Kent]

The title itself has become a generic description of any "can't win" situation. And that, I believe is it's greatest success. Like you Thom,I read "Catch 22 in 1969 (when I was 19). I believe it was published some time before that but didn't take off until the country was ready for it. AS I recall, it was so farfetched that it's anti-establishment message was seriously diluted. But, I guess I did like it enough to read Joseph Heller's next book which was so totally forgetable that I can't even remember its title. So, I guess you have you put me in the "mindless comedy" column.

[Alicia]

I think it's both. It is a mastermind's approach at prose about mindless war, which is so crazy its hilarious.

[Robert]

It is neither a masterpiece in prose or a mindless comedy.

It has sales of more than 10 million copies to date. It’s hard to argue with that kind of importance.

I think it marks a cultural divide between the romance and idealism of WWII and the decent into the deceit and cynicism of the Viet Nam War. Great book.

[Jack]

I first read this back in the late 60's. After reading the last page I went back to page 1 and read it again. I have read it numerous times since. My favourite book? Probably.

[Sanjana Raj]

It is a pretty amazing book. It reminds me of Oscar Wilde's writing in a way that it may seem like humour for humour's sake, but is actually a lot more deep and profound.

[Daniel]

I see so many people loving this book and keep wondering what I missed. Is it that I've never been in the "system", or in the army (except for 1 year military service), or a war... I know I read it and really struggled to get through it. I don't like putting down books and the few I've given up still nag me to at least complete them but this came very close. Only the shortness saved it.

To me it was absurd, yes, but never funny, never intriguing, never interesting. Maybe I should reread it in 30 years and see if I change my mind but it's not something I look forward to.

In general, among the "Classics" I've found books I really love, and I've found books I can't really take (Moby-Dick, I'm talking about you!). I agree with someone earlier in the thread, that just because the cultural elite (aka literature teachers) have decided that a book is a Classic doesn't make it so.

[Joanne]

I am against war, as much as any old peacenik, but I couldn't get through this book. I tried three times over the years.

[Jason]

I love, love, LOVE this book. The use of paradox, dark humor, an unlikeable but hilarious protagonist. This book gave birth to an expression (Catch 22) and illustrated the sometimes absurd world of combat. At times, the humor is slapstick, ridiculous, and even offensive (I felt guilty for laughing at times), but the book also moves quickly from humor to tragedy and it challenges your brain and your emotions. I often gauge the greatness of a book by how unforgettable it is years after I have read it. This book has stuck with me long after I closed it and put it back on the shelf. I even remember the ending (Nately's whore chasing Yossarian with a knife again). For these reasons, I say TOTAL MASTERPIECE! Definitely in my Top 5.

[Graham]

I dont know or care if it's a masterpiece or a classic, but I think it's hilarious satire that can get a laugh out of me everytime I read it, and make me think about serious issues at the same time. Best kind of book!

[Stephanie]

I found this one hard to start. In fact, I put it down and then came back to it a few months later. Then I discovered that the book made more sense the more you read into it. In the end I really enjoyed it, appreciated the humor, and thought that it was clever.

[Phillip]

Loved the book. Really loved Closing Time (super funny sequel). Is there any chance that there is a general generation divide on this. I could see where most, not all, boomers liked it and most, not all post-boomers didn't care for it so much. Just curious.

[Jason]

P.D., it could be that, but I'm a Gen X (Post-Boomer) and I loved it. I do see where Post-Boomers may not get the humor or culture of the book as much as Boomers, but I don't know if that is the reason many disliked it. I do know that Heller wrote the book to show the absurdities of war as a sort of protest against the conflict in Vietnam. I think many Gen-Xers (like me) rediscovered the book during the Bush (George W.) era and appreciated it all over again. I think it takes a certain sense of humor and the book is just not for everyone. I don't know if liking/disliking the book has much to do with generation.

[Haley]

Robin, in fact, you do need to read this book. I read it on the advice of my father in ninth grade (we always shared books) and found it brilliant and hilarious. I think I need to red it again as I'm 27 now, and haven't revisited it yet, but think of it often.

[Borbality]

Love this book. Takes some patience to appreciate and figure out, and I agree that is not exactly "funny" in a laugh-out-loud, comedy way, but it is definitely amusing. It feels like sort of an accomplishment when things start to make sense, rather than just following a simple narrative.

Obviously, some people just hate this book. I won't tell anyone they "need" it or force them to like it, but it's unfortunate that so many don't connect with it, for whatever reasons.

[Deborah]

The book had it's moments. I thought most of it was satire. Probably an inspiration for M.A.S.H.

[Hank]

I thin Catch-22 is a masterpiece of satire. The construction of the story is brilliant as is the transition from 75/25% comedy/horror to 50/50% in the middle and 25/75% comedy/horror at the end. I can't remember how many times I've read it and I've used the transition in some of my stoires

[Ilene]

I read this book pretty much because of all the hype. It's sort of a "cult following" type of book and isn't, IMO, worth all the hoopla that went along with this book, back in the day, as they say.