Catch As Catch Can: The Collected Stories and Other Writings

Found this book at a library sale. Hadn't known Heller ever wrote any short stories. But frankly these stories are just not very good. Not surprising perhaps, as many were first efforts from a young writer just back from the war, written between 1946 and the fifties. Indeed, a couple are not much more than college writing assignments never intended for publication, while others are early stories published in Story, Esquire, The Atlantic, and other magazines. They reflect the tone and fashions of those times, and seem dated now. One, "A Man Named Flute," about a father highly incensed about his son smoking pot, seems almost comical, bringing to mind the old film, "Reefer Madness." A few others offer quasi-tough looks at bookies, thugs, show more and off-track betting, also dated, almost quaint.

The magazine pieces written years later, after CATCH-22 success, are much more polished and interesting, especially one about the making of the film adaptation - "Joseph Heller Talks about Catch-22." A couple others, purportedly missing chapters from that book, published years later in Playboy are not so good - the omissions were a sound choice.

The best essay here to my mind is "Coney Island: The Fun Is Over," which gives us an intimate look at Heller 's childhood and the close knit Brooklyn neighborhood where he grew up. It's the closest thing to autobiography since his actual memoir, NOW AND THEN: FROM CONEY ISLAND TO HERE, a volume i enjoyed immensely some years back.

I have always loved CATCH -22,. I tried a couple of Heller's later books but never finished them. CATCH AS CATCH CAN is a pretty good title for this uneven gathering together of odds and ends. Heller died in 1999, and his children, Erica and Ted, apparently approved this publication. It was mildly interesting, as a literary artifact, but I would only recommend it for Heller scholars. I skimmed several of these pieces. Like I said, just not very good. I'm glad I only paid a buck for it.

- Tim Bazzett, author of the memoir, BOOKLOVER show less

When reading a collection of short stories, the hidden gem brings the greatest pleasure. Yes, all the Catch-22 related stories will not disappoint fans of Heller's first novel.

Yet 'To laugh in the morning' is a sheer delight and a highlight of this collection. It is always welcoming to read about narcotica; and this story doesn’t disappoint.

The collection also fulfils the primary objective of a short story collection such as this. And this is to demonstrate the progress Heller made in his abilities and confidence as a writer.

All in all, a pleasure to read.

Comma 23, ovvero tutto ciò che in qualche maniera ruota intorno a Comma 22, indiscusso capolavoro dell'antimilitarismo, e quindi i primi racconti di Heller, per la verità un po' scipiti, poi parti scartate del romanzo e scritti successivi, compreso il ritorno di Heller sui luoghi della guerra.
Un po' altalenante e non indispensabile.

Patchy and, from memory, somewhat repetitive. The "missing" chapter of Catch 22 is genius.

This includes a chapter left out of Catch 22, which is just as funny as anything left in.