Catch 22 by Joseph Heller
Catch 22 by Joseph Heller
A different version of this note and thoughts on other books are available at:
- https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEVa4_CsRStSBBDo4uJWT8BSWtTTn0N1E and http://realini.blogspot.ro/
Catch 22 is one of the best novels ever written.
One of my favorites, it is in the top ten books that I love.
And it has been included on the All- TIME 100 Novels list:
And the Modern Library of 100 Best Novels at number seven:
Even if the subject is war and the madness of World War II, amidst all the mayhem, heavy losses and dead soldiers we can laugh.
And the laughter is loud and the reader is given the opportunity very often, since the officers are mostly mad and escaped from
- One flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
One of the few reasonable men in this American Army is the hero, Captain John Yossarian who tries very hard to stop flying missions.
The trouble is that stupid, vain commanding officers keep volunteering for more missions, easy since they are not the ones to fly over the enemy lines.
Catch 22 refers to one impossible situation in this unit, but we can find this paradox in other places in the book and in life.
Those who are crazy do not have to fly more missions, but whoever came to ask to be grounded would not qualify:
- The crazy ones do not mind and keep flying, whereas asking not to fly combat missions was a proof of sanity.
There are other references to this outrageous situation and I think now of the Italian girl that Yossarian wanted to marry
But it would be out of the question, because a normal man would not marry a girl like her and therefore Yossarian was “pazzo” aka crazy.
One of the men that appeared to be a friend of Yossarian is Milo Minderbinder, who is a very intrepid business man.
Only he makes profits out of the food, cotton, fruits and all sorts of other produce that he trades in the name of a syndicate.
He claims everyone has a share in it and hence it makes sense for all to support his transactions and –again- crazy maneuvering.
At one stage he bombs his own squadron, at another he announces the Germans about an incoming raid, because the enemy is, well…his partner in business.
When the issue arises that in order for Milo to get tens of missions on his record Yossarian would have to fly them for him, the ruthless Milo agrees.
There are only interesting, intriguing characters populating this mesmerizing masterpiece, even if some are despicable.
There is Doc Daneeka and his schemes to avoid being sent to fight the war and then a mission that he did not take part in.
Doc Daneeka hated flying so he was listed on paper as taking part, whereas in reality he was walking on firm ground.
When the plane went down and the doctor was –falsely- reported as being on it, he was declared dead.
In spite of the fact that he was alive and could be seen by all men on the base, many of them avoiding to see the “dead man”.
The wife was notified and when the doctor wrote to say that he is not dead, the Army denied it and sent money.
It is not a war narrative that avoids or neglects the many dead and the atrocities, for all the friends of Yossarian are in trouble.
Even the chaplain is investigated by some ridiculous CID men- two of them are sent to look into a kind of joke made by Yossarian.
The hero has flown his missions, has done his duty for the country and whenever he looks up he sees people “cashing in”
“The enemy is anybody who's going to get you killed, no matter which side he's on, and that includes Colonel Cathcart. And don't you forget that, because the longer you remember it, the longer you might live.”
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