Posts
Catch-22
is a M*A*S*H-like look at the atrocities and absurdities of war, the people who conduct them and the people who actually fight them, whether they want to or not.This book is worth the time you spend during the first 1/3 or so of it wondering what on earth is going on. Stick with it! Once the back stories start getting filled in, it gets a lot easier to just sit back and enjoy the ride. In here are some of the funniest conversations I have ever read (such as when Major Major gives orders that no one is to see him in his office unless he's not in there). And, just like M*A*S*H, you can go from hysterical laughter to wide-eyed unbelief at what is happening so quickly that you'll wonder if you should have yourself checked for whiplash. Like all good books, you'll find yourself thinking about all the messages these characters have to pass on to us. It's no mystery to me why this book is studied, read and loved.
Lezlie
Just FYI -- There is a great article on Wikipedia that talks about concepts, themes, and has links to descriptions of who all the characters are to help you keep track of everyone. Also, for those interested in the continuing story, Heller did write a sequel entitled Closing Time: The Sequel to Catch-22
.Other reviews of Catch 22:
Lost In A Good Story
Trish's Reading Nook
