A Satirical Take on World War II
A novel that has been credited with changing the face of World War II, Catch 22 was first published in 1961 and is now considered to be one of the modern classics. It is a satirical book about the absurdities of bureaucracy and no-win situations in wars. It was also a major contribution to the American cultural consciousness and became a cult favourite.
The Story of Captain John Yossarian
A sarcastic, hilarious read with an interesting storyline.
The story of a squadron of bombers during World War 2 is the basis for this satirical novel written by Joseph Heller. It centres on Captain John Yossarian, a bombardier who is stationed in Pianosa near Italy. He has no friends in the squadron and he is constantly infuriated by the men around him. He is able to cope with some of them but the majority of them make him want to run away from the war.
Yossarian's Perceived Perils
Yossarian is convinced that the military is trying to send him to his death and spends much of the novel concocting ways to escape the missions he has been ordered to do. In addition to this he also starts to become very depressed and eventually believes that the whole war is a personal attack on him.
Humor and Confusion
There is some great humour in this book and the writing style is really good, but I would have liked to have seen more of it as the story is extremely long. It is very nonlinear and jumps back and forth in time. This can get very confusing at times, especially when the author is jumping between different events and trying to explain them.
A Satire on War and Existentialism
This is a very sarcastic and clever book, which focuses on the absurdities of war and bureaucracy, but it also makes some very interesting points about life in general. It is very existential and you will often find yourself thinking about how God deals with suffering, why do people suffer and if there is a purpose for pain.
Complexities and Unique Characters
Despite all this it is still a very good read and I highly recommend it for anyone who wants to understand more about the complexities of war and how bureaucracy can create no-win situations. The characters in this book are very well drawn and the way they think is very unique.
Changing Perspectives on World War II
I have never been very interested in reading World War 2 books but this has changed my opinion on them and I am now looking forward to reading more WWII fiction. It was very enjoyable and it is definitely a book that I will be rereading again!
A Glimpse into the Psyche of WWII
Another great thing about this book is that it shows you a lot about the psyche of the people involved in World War 2. There are many different types of people in this novel and they are all quite strange.
A Balance of Sombre and Humor
The characters are all fairly sombre in most cases and deal with a lot of tragedy, but there is still a healthy dose of humour. The writing is very good and you will definitely laugh out loud when you read this book.
