Catch 22

Kai

I only heard about this book from a post DeVore put in somewhere, a few people said how good it was. Im half way thru it now and i cant belive i never heard of it before.
Its really well done the way yossairian looks like the only sane person although he thinks completely differently than everyone else around him.
Anyone else read it ?

Mark

Its probaly my 2nd or 3rd favourite book, and yes it is unfortunately under-rated.

Yossarian is a timeless character, up there with Ford Prefect and the boys and the novel itself is excellently written (took 8 years to do IIRC).

It has the element of insanity so prevelant in Hitchhikers, yet still remaining coherant and very funny

Now If I can only get my copy back...

shotamoose

Catch-22 an excellent book, personally it's my favourite novel and I think it will eventually be given its due as one of if not the definitive 20th century books.

It's the funniest book I've ever read, but some people seem to think that means its not 'serious'. As anyone who's read it knows, the whole point is that there's no distinguishing the serious and the surreal, the horrifying and the hilarious. The characters live in a world of systematic chaos and murderously absurd regulations. Any rational reaction is treated as madness.

I think it stands up to critical scrutiny, but it's perfectly possible to just sit back and enjoy it too. The jokes, the characters, the situations - it's all so inventive and sharp. And I think it helped kick off counterculture comedy, eventually resulting in the likes of M*A*S*H, Bill Hicks and The Onion to name a few.

There was a film made of it in the early seventies, with Alan Arkin as Yossarian. The first time I saw it I was a bit taken aback, as they basically took out most of the jokes and about 80% of the plot. Seond time around I thought it was brilliant.

And you might want to have a go at some of Joseph Heller's other stuff, but don't expect more of the same. Something Happened is a very difficult, very dark but pretty amazing second novel, and God Knows and Picture This are very funny historical satires. Heller admitted that he never wrote anything better than Catch-22, but added that nobody else did either.

Sorry for going on so long but I tend to start frothing at the mouth when Catch-22 comes up in conversation. it's just that good

D-Generate

I must say that it was probably my favourite book that i have read. I rarely get involved in a book but this book had me on the floor laughing.
When ever i think of the book I allways get the image of Yossarian sitting on the escape hatch covered in flak jackets and with one hand on his parachute cord and the other on the hatch release switch. That whole chapter about his flying exploits with (guy who smokes pipe, can't remember name) and how he kept comeing in to his compartment of the plane and blocking his exits is one of the funniest chapters in literature ever in my opinion.

Kai

That whole chapter about his flying exploits with (guy who smokes pipe, can't remember name) and how he kept comeing in to his compartment of the plane and blocking his exits is one of the funniest chapters in literature ever in my opinion.

read that chapter last night, think i had tears in my eyes, Girlfriend thinks ive gone mad because im laughing at a book.

oh and his name was aarfy.

Mark

I still cant hear you old boy

Hip

It took me a while to get into it, but I really enjoyed this book, it's like Kafka with humour.

Caesar_Bojangle

favourite book, bought the follow up to it last week. "Closing time" or something, i must start reading it.

Illkillya

i just read it last week, it was indeed v.good

Evil Phil

I finally read it last year and loved it. One of the best books I've ever read. Followed it up with the Thin Red Line by James Jones. A very different book but I'd recommend for your next novel (if you're reading Catch 22 that is, or even if you're not).

Talliesin

Those of us that grew up learned the expression before we heard of the book (well I did anyway) so its funny to think that it was called Catch 18 until the last moment.

Someone asked him if he agreed that he hadn't written a better book since, he replied "yes, but neither has anyone else".

MrNuked

Read Catch 22 and Closing Time. Agree with what's said about them above. Didn't read Good as Gold although I started it....it was crap.

Nemici

there was a film made of it in the early seventies, with Alan Arkin as Yossarian. The first time I saw it I was a bit taken aback, as they basically took out most of the jokes and about 80% of the plot. Seond time around I thought it was brilliant.

I thought the book was amazing - but I was horrified by the film, I thought the actors were well chosen but as said above they lost half of the film. To have been effective it would have to have been about 12 hours long.

Dar

Just finished it today - one of, if not the best book ive ever read. Especially at the end when you find out why orr's whore was beating him on the head with a shoe. And i thought the usual suspects had a twist