catch 22

supackofidiots

40 pages in, I just don't get the hooplah surrounding it.

I've probably laughed twice.

Nody

It's a divider of a book; some people rave about it, other hate it and find it boring and slow. No real way to move someone from one group to the other that I've found so far as it's down to individual taste.

OakeyDokey

It's like marmite; you either love it or hate it. I forced myself through it and just didn't like it I don't think I laughed once!

I don't regret reading it though I like being able to discuss critically acclaimed books with people who found it like I did.

--Kaiser--

It took me two attempts to read it. Half way through the second attempt I put it down and read two other books and then went back to it. Very hard to get through.

Don't get me wrong, bits are very funny and it's quite cleverly written but it's just so goddamn repetitive and circular it becomes a chore to get through. If it was half the length it is it would be twice the book

Slattsy

Probably my favourite book ever.

Its the wittiest (not sure if thats a word) piece of writing i've ever read.
Loved it from the first page to the last, i've read it 3 times now and i still break my heart laughing each time.

From my point of view i cant see how anyone doesnt think it funny, but i do understand that everyone has different idea's of what funny/comedy/wit is.

--Kaiser--

Slattsy wrote: »

Probably my favourite book ever.

Its the wittiest (not sure if thats a word) piece of writing i've ever read.
Loved it from the first page to the last, i've read it 3 times now and i still break my heart laughing each time.

From my point of view i cant see how anyone doesnt think it funny, but i do understand that everyone has different idea's of what funny/comedy/wit is.

It's funny, but it's nowhere near the funniest book I've read. How many times does he have to repeat himself? Not just jokes and phrases but entire sequences. It actually reads like an incredibly poorly edited book

Slattsy

--Kaiser-- wrote: »

It's funny, but it's nowhere near the funniest book I've read. How many times does he have to repeat himself? Not just jokes and phrases but entire sequences. It actually reads like an incredibly poorly edited book

Ah, i know exactly what you mean.

You see some of these sequences are from a different characters viewpoint.
So you dont actually get the whole story/scenario until the last charcters version of events have been told.

highlydebased

I got about 40 pages in and gave up.

supackofidiots

I would do that but I hate starting something and not finishing it.

johnny_ultimate

I read this when I was around fifteen-sixteen. I was in hospital for a few days and in a moderate amount of pain. Nonetheless, I was in absolute stitches reading the book - one of the only times I spent huge passages of a book in fits of laughter.

Yeah, there's definitely some sluggish bits, but the sheer wit of the book more than make up for it. And those moments of laughter are counteracted by extremely sobering when the violent reality of the characters situations really hit home.

Never did make it to the end of Closing Time though... Must revisit both one of these years.

Tom Joad

Just to add to the debate - this is one of my favourite books of all time but can equally understand why some people hate it. It appealled to my sense of humour and while I don't think its ever laugh out loud funny some of the themes in it are just so cutting and well written - The Major, Major, Major, Major and the Egyptian Cotton for instance are savagely funny, while having quite a serious message behind them.

To Alcohol

My favourite book of all time. Read it in two sittings and laughed the whole way through. No book comes close.

Mr.Nice Guy

Took me about 100+ pages to start to warm to it and after that I found I enjoyed it.

LiamMc

One of the few laugh out loud books I've ever read. A very good example of both workplace dynamics and metrics.

Stepping Stone

Gave up after about 40 pages. Each page seemed to take an hour. Didn't find one thing even slightly amusing. Only good thing that came out of it was I advised a friend to steer well clear of it and not waste her life. Quite possibly the only book that I started and didn't finish. I just don't understand the attraction at all.

mathepac

Quite possibly the best anti-war book of the 20th century (the fillum was less good) IMHO. Sharply observed and very funny, the insanity of global warfare is crystallised by the catch 22 of someone who wants to stay flying missions must be insane to push their luck, but anyone realising the insanity of this was, de facto , sane and therefore had to continue to fight.

Yossarian, General Dreedle, Colonel Cathcart and Major Major are unforgettable characters in a truly unforgettable book.

catallus

mathepac wrote: »

Quite possibly the best anti-war book of the 20th century (the fillum was less good) IMHO. Sharply observed and very funny, the insanity of global warfare is crystallised by the catch 22 of someone who wants to stay flying missions must be insane to push their luck, but anyone realising the insanity of this was, de facto , sane and therefore had to continue to fight.

Yossarian, General Dreedle, Colonel Cathcart and Major Major are unforgettable characters in a truly unforgettable book.

I liked it, i thought it was great and the sequel is even better.

Catch22 is a funny and terrifying novel, Heller was a very straight-forward writer, and he made a lot of good points about the absurdity of life, using the insane but unarguable logic of war to identify the truth of the world: Yossarian's pledge to "live forever or die trying".

"The enemy is anybody who is trying to get you killed" is one of the many many memorable quotes from the novel.

My favourite character is Milo Minderbinder, the funniest and scariest stuff comes when he's involved.

I think Heller created Yossarian as the "cool, clean hero" to juxtapose the madness and evil and goodness of the people around him.

There's a very good passage in it where a minor character says that he's being treated unfairly by the senior Army staff and Yossarian replies: "You haven't got a chance, kid, they hate Jews." and he replies "But I'm not Jewish" and Yossarian says "It doesn't matter, they're out to get everybody.", and then the chapter ends with a paragraph about how the minor character suddenly realises that "These men saw him and they spoke his language and wore the same uniform as him and they despised him, they carried their hatred of him away from him as if it were some pampered treasure, and he suddenly realised that not in all of the gunneries in Dunkirk, not in all of the foxholes in Europe, not even in all of the bunkers in Berlin were there men that hated him more." I'm reciting from memory there, it's been a long time!:pac:

The Chaplain and Minderbinder feature heavily in the superior sequel, Closing Time, a true gift of a novel I'd recommend to anyone.

Mars Bar

I couldn't get into it.

Far too many characters for me to get a grasp on the story line.

I abandoned it some way in.

Shryke

I love it. I don't rate the follow up, although Something Happened is good.

Zeek12

supackofidiots wrote: »

40 pages in, I just don't get the hooplah surrounding it.

I've probably laughed twice.

It's probably not for you then!
Quite a few years now since I read it, but I'm pretty sure I was in hoots within the first couple of chapters.
Milo Minderbinder is possibly my favourite literary creation of all time:) If you haven't got to him yet, then hang in there. He's worth it!

As with most writing, its all about how much you can relate to it.
I remember some of the sniveling senior officers really entertained me....and really reminded me of a couple of prats (sorry, "managers") in a job where I worked at the time I was reading this. The resemblance was uncanny!