DVDVRSBE: Catch-22 by Joseph Heller

[jaedmc]

CATCH-22 by Joseph Heller

Picked by Hedges

Read and Reviewed by Odessasteps

 

Full Disclosure: I listened to the unabridged audio book and did not strictly read the book. Also, once I was finished, I went back and watched the 1970 movie with Alan Arkin.

 

I first read Catch-22 as an undergraduate, but not since then. So, even though I had the option of choosing another book, I chose to keep it, since I wasn't sure what I would and would not remember from my reading 20+ years ago.

 

Without doing the research, it seems to my memory that Catch-22 was one of the first cynically-humorous looks at the military, the military industrial complex and war. We all probably much more familiar these days with MASH, but Richard Hooker's novel was published in 1968, seven years after Catch-22.

 

It is, of course, one of the best novels of the era, with its depiction of the folly of war and the absurdities of modern life. 

 

The structure of the book, with its repetition of dialogue, often gives the feeling of listening to an Abbott and Costello routine (especially when listening to the audio book). And, of course, nothing represents the circuitous nature of things that the whole concept of Catch-22, which was invented by Heller in the novel.

 

Wikipedia defines Catch-22 as "a paradoxical situation in which an individual cannot or is incapable of avoiding a problem because of contradictory constraints or rules."

 

Yossarian wants Doc Daneeka to ground him from flying because he is crazy. But Doc cannot, because if if Yossarian wants to be grounded, he isn't crazy. 

 

Another noticeable aspect of the book its disjointed flow of time. The novel jumps in time in various events surrounding the main characters, often coming back to Yossarian's inability to save Snowden. In that way, with non-chronological narrative and World War II setting, Catch-22 also evokes memories of Kurt Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse Five (published after Catch-22 in 1968).

 

Heller, like Yossarian, was a bomber pilot in WWII, having flown 60 missions in 1944. That said, many of the criticisms found in the book are anachronistic, discussing things that were not actually part of WWII, including McCarthyism (Colonel Black's pointless loyalty oaths) and the military industrial complex, as personified by Milo. Milo's slogan "What's good for M&M Enterprises is good for the country" is paraphrasing something said by the former president of General Motors before Congress.

 

In hindsight, I believe listening to the audio was a good choice. Given the nature of the dialogue, it was good to hear it spoken rather than just read on the page. Jay O. Sanders does a great job distinguishing between characters and to my ear, made his Yossarian sound remarkably like Alan Arkin.

 

Catch-22 is certainly a book that holds up well today. As someone who seems daily the kind of bureaucratic nonsense that still can be found in the military 50 years later, it is just as fresh is it was in 1961.

[EVA]

Odessasteps: Our first known cheater. Though I appreciate your honesty, you are off my HOF ballot, sir.

[Hedges]

I am not offended by your choice to listen to the audio book. Honestly, it was my second choice behind Jonathan Livingston Seagull and I thought there were not enough pages in that, even though it"s awesome. Would you say that you picked up on more things this time as opposed to the first time you read it? Also, if you deal with that kind of bureaucracy every day, are you still sane?

 

edit- Or sober?

[odessasteps]

Odessasteps: Our first known cheater. Though I appreciate your honesty, you are off my HOF ballot, sir.

But i read it before. Just not this time.Does that at least get me an asterick on my plaque?

[EVA]

Yeah, and Barry Bonds was a HOFer *before* he used steroids, right?

[odessasteps]

I am not offended by your choice to listen to the audio book. Honestly, it was my second choice behind Jonathan Livingston Seagull and I thought there were not enough pages in that, even though it"s awesome. Would you say that you picked up on more things this time as opposed to the first time you read it? Also, if you deal with that kind of bureaucracy every day, are you still sane? edit- Or sober?

I honestly dont remember much about reading it the first time, other than i liked it. Certainly, this time, i already knew the plot, so i could focus more on the structure and devices used by Heller.

[RIPPA]

Just for the record - I am one of those people who didn't have to read Catch-22 for required reading (either in High School or College)

 

I read it because for some reason I had a copy and wanted to see what all the fuss was about.

Did not like it at all

[Brian Fowler]

I never had it assigned to me either, but I read it at some point and loved it.  Just a brilliant novel.

 

"They're trying to kill me."  "They're trying to kill all of us."

[RIPPA]

I never had it assigned to me either, but I read it at some point and loved it.  Just a brilliant novel. "They're trying to kill me."  "They're trying to kill all of us."

I realized awhile ago that outside of enjoying Joss Whedon's work you and I have the exact opposite opinion on everything

[Yo-Yo's Roomie]

Best book I ever read. Maybe the best book ever written. Love that line from Heller, when someone noted to him that he never wrote anything else as good as Catch-22, his reply was "well, who has?"

[Liam]

I love this book. Did try and re-read it not too long ago, but decided that reading it on the tram at 6 o'clock in the morning on the way to work just wasn't allowing me to really get into it. Might give it another go soon.