I should have read this book 20 years ago... not because I have missed a gem but because I might have found it more interesting and less verbose. At points I wanted the Author to 'just shut up!' Favourite character was Major Major. Least favourite part was the pointless intro into a non existent relationship where, in the first chapters, Yossarian meets the Chaplain and Heller lead me to believe he would be pivotal in Yossarian's story. I think the Author occasionally got lost in his own text. ( )

"Well, do you know what you are? You're a frustrated, unhappy, disillusioned, undisciplined, maladjusted young man!"

I just finished reading Catch-22 by Joseph Heller, and before I start reading The Master and Margarita, I want to write a brief piece about what I think of Catch-22, a book often described as a 'cult classic' by critics.

At the beginning, the book didn't click with me. First, it's a war book, and I'm not a big fan (of wars, or wartime books). Second, too many characters were thrown at me and I found that connecting to them was difficult. Third, I felt it was 'too American', which I later came to appreciate as the book was released post World War 2 predominately to an American audience, and served as a response to wartime books that glorified war as a noble concept.

So why was I determined to finish it? Yossarian, of course. The protagonist of Catch-22 is a young man by the strange name of Yossarian who is constantly attempting to escape the increasing number of flying missions by diving in and out of insanity. What is so appealing about Yossarian, is that he is constantly referred to as deranged, crazy, and disillusioned. Yet, as a reader (and a disillusioned person, perhaps), found that the simple excuses he gave to escape war were quite valid. For example, when asked why he doesn't want to fly any more missions, Yossarian replies, 'because they want to kill me!'. Isn't that a valid reason to not go to war? I thought it was.

Being someone who works in a sector that is completely immersed in bureaucracy, where what matters most is ego and reputation, I found the bitter themes of the book frustrating. Yossarian's commanders demand from his group to maintain a 'tight bombing pattern' only because a picture of the bombing would look good in the papers (as opposed to destroy a target effectively). Also throughout the book, Yossarian's Colonel keeps raising the number of flying missions of his group, putting their lives on the line, only to please his superiors.

To appreciate the themes of the book (and despise them), I had to draw a link to my experiences (a weak link in this case, but relevant nontheless). Just think about the number of times you had to deliver a project bigger (not necessarily better) than the previous one, only because the previous project was run by someone that your boss was competing with? How many times were you told to omit data from a report only because it 'looked better' on one page and not two. Ah! The frustration!

At the end of the day, most of us read books to escape our mundane reality, not to affirm it. I enjoy reading books that oppose and challenge my views and offer me an opportunity to change my ideas. With Catch-22, I found myself sighing in anger and frustration at the bitterly comical reality that it presented, and wished that I had opted for another classic that didn't raise my blood pressure with every page.

Overall, does it deserve the 'classic' status it has? I think so, mainly because it was the first of its kind at the time, and challenged views that glorified war. Also, Yossarian is a timeless character that most of us would relate to in any situation when we've just had enough.

The question that it sitting at the back of my head at the moment is, would this book be so great if it were released today? ( )

I especially love Major Major Major and the egg sales. ( )

This is one of those books that I keep coming back to, and I love this Folio Society edition. (I still giggle every time I think of the scenes with Major Major.) ( )

Joseph Heller was an American bombardier in WWII and the novel's main character, John Yossarian, finds himself in the same situation. Catch-22 is masterful satire. Yossarian wants to stop flying missions, but the fact that he questions the wisdom of flying more missions assures his commanders that he is sane enough to continue flying.

The author's style can make the story hard to follow--the different points of view and events described out of sequence can be confusing. Hang in there--you'll be glad you did.

Catch-22 is a hilarious, tragic, and insightful anti-war novel. ( )