Catch-22 (the book)

[k5083]

It was a great novel, no doubt one that influenced M*A*S*H (which, by the way, was also a novel before it was a movie, and well worth reading if you get a chance) and most any other dark comedy/antiwar literature in America in later decades.

Caidin's novels like "Last Dogfight" and "Whip" are a good trashy pulp fiction read, but not in the same class at all.

August

[TonyM]

I have read Joseph Heller's Catch-22 many many times. I have helped people critique the work for college level courses and I have been collecting different printings of this fine work over the years; I have several different editions (including a 1970 edition when the movie came out). I was also quoted in the Chicago Tribune a few years ago concerning this book. My favorite book that is not non-fiction.

TonyM.

Last edited by TonyM on Sun Jan 18, 2009 11:11 am, edited 1 time in total.

[Django]

Thanks Muddy. I have been wanting to read it since I saw the movie for the first time a couple years ago. I wondered how the book compared to the movie which to me at least seems sprinkled with traits from the era in which it was made.

I read those Caiden books. Whip was the B-25 gunship right? I wonder if my parent's still have those tucked away somewhere...

[lestweforget]

Absolutely amazing book. A work of genius. Probably on of the most true to the heart war stories ever written. You grow up watching John Wayne and and all the grit your teeth action hero war movies (which I still enjoy by the way!) and then read a book like Catch-22 and realise how human (and scared) the people fighting are. I agre that it influenced MASH, which is also a great novel, and darker and grittier than the series. I think the dark humour, the way people find to deal with their situations, still run true.
Don't know what the rest of you think of it , but Jarhead is the only book I have read recently that conveys the same kind of feelings.

[Dave Smith]

Definitely one of the great American novels of the 20th century. I re-read it every five years or so and seem to get more out of it each time.

[Jerry O'Neill]

I enjoyed the book so much I actually bought the "Cliff Notes" on the book to see if I was missing anything. very interesting to read those after reading the novel. I too have different versions of the book. Still looking for a good first edition!
Jerry

[John Dupre]

I once heard Don Imus interview Joseph Heller. Imus was completely surprised to hear Heller say he loved his time in the Army Air Force and seriously considered re-upping some years after his discharge. Heller considered that the people he knew in combat were some of the best he had ever known, dedicated and professional without a lot of B.S.

Also the guy who wrote M*A*S*H didn't like the movie and hated the TV show. He apparently was much more conservative politically than either production would have you believe. He wrote a sequel titled MASH Goes to Maine which I found pretty funny as a teenager. Then there were a series of ghost written sequels, i.e. MASH goes to New Orleans etc. that were not quite as good.

[ZeamerB17]

I had to reread about every paragraph to keep from losing track of where I was. It was very good, but very hard to get through. I think I was very "challenged" by the book, even though I managed to make it through college reasonably well.

One of my all-time favorite books, but it took me two times to actually finish it!
I tried to read it in High School and had to put it down because I just couldn't understand and follow it. When I got out of college and seen the film a few times, I picked it up again and it was honestly the first time that I ever read a book and laughed out loud!:lol:
It's got a lot to say and there are many levels.
Great book!
Jerry

Same thing here, I tried reading it some years ago and couldn't get through it. I guess I'll have to give it another go.

[Randy Haskin]

You grow up watching John Wayne and and all the grit your teeth action hero war movies (which I still enjoy by the way!) and then read a book like Catch-22 and realise how human (and scared) the people fighting are.

+1

[muddyboots]

I had to reread about every paragraph to keep from losing track of where I was. It was very good, but very hard to get through. I think I was very "challenged" by the book, even though I managed to make it through college reasonably well.

One of my all-time favorite books, but it took me two times to actually finish it!
I tried to read it in High School and had to put it down because I just couldn't understand and follow it. When I got out of college and seen the film a few times, I picked it up again and it was honestly the first time that I ever read a book and laughed out loud!:lol:
It's got a lot to say and there are many levels.
Great book!
Jerry

Same thing here, I tried reading it some years ago and couldn't get through it. I guess I'll have to give it another go.

I had the same trouble, due to the jumps forward and backward in time and character. I would really suggest trying again, and remember: this is part of his intent, to make it a confused jumble as you or I would feel in times of stress and fear. The sense of distortion and confusion does go away somewhat later in the book as you begin to tie one piece to another, right up to the bitter end.