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3.88 AVERAGE
3.88 AVERAGE
funny
read some funny lines in this book, which made me laugh, but then i remembered people are actually like this irl, and then i laughn't
Catch-22 will stick with me for a long time. I’m so glad I read this. Punchy, eloquent, and hilarious. The whole book is like an impressionist painting of the fucked up and absurd world we never asked to live in.
A kinda poignant anti-war novel, but the characters constantly contradicting each other and themselves got tedious quite quickly. There are also too many characters, which makes it hard to follow.
dark
funny
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
It's World War II. You're a pilot. You don't want to die, and you think you've flown enough missions to go home. The problem is, you cannot go home. You cannot go home unless someone certifies you that you are insane. So you decide to pretend you're insane. Will you go home now? Nope, because if you decide to pretend you're insane, then that is proof enough that you are not insane, and therefore can still be sent to missions.
That's the premise of this awesome novel by Joseph Heller, Catch-22. It is absurdist literature at its finest, and I am thankful to my sister for recommending this one to me. If she hadn't lent it to me, then I probably would not have read it.
The thing is, this is a very good example of absurdist literature, and it gains plenty of points for language, in my book. There are plenty of non-sequiturs, and the dialog is just hilarious, as well as the logic that is described. I often found myself laughing by myself, embarrassing myself as I was reading this.
That being said, this book also made me think. The narrative is non-linear; every chapter is centered on a particular character, and the temporal dimension of every chapter is different. It is linear within each chapter, but the beginning of one chapter does not mean it starts at the end of the previous one. Hence, the grand big picture is slowly being shaped as the reader gets to know more of each character.
Slowly, one by one, the characters die. But before they do, each character seems to have a particular quirk, a personality, and that I definitely liked. As much as it is an absurdist narrative, I didn't find myself annoyed or irritated, unlike my reading experiences with Gary Shteyngart's Absurdistan, or Ferenc Karinthy's Metropole. Somehow, I didn't get tired of the funny comic devices that Heller used in Catch-22.
So yes, I definitely recommend this book. It is hilarious, a great read, and something that in my opinion, would be considered a classic piece of literature a few decades from now. I give it 5 out of 5 stars.
See my other book reviews here.
That's the premise of this awesome novel by Joseph Heller, Catch-22. It is absurdist literature at its finest, and I am thankful to my sister for recommending this one to me. If she hadn't lent it to me, then I probably would not have read it.
The thing is, this is a very good example of absurdist literature, and it gains plenty of points for language, in my book. There are plenty of non-sequiturs, and the dialog is just hilarious, as well as the logic that is described. I often found myself laughing by myself, embarrassing myself as I was reading this.
That being said, this book also made me think. The narrative is non-linear; every chapter is centered on a particular character, and the temporal dimension of every chapter is different. It is linear within each chapter, but the beginning of one chapter does not mean it starts at the end of the previous one. Hence, the grand big picture is slowly being shaped as the reader gets to know more of each character.
Slowly, one by one, the characters die. But before they do, each character seems to have a particular quirk, a personality, and that I definitely liked. As much as it is an absurdist narrative, I didn't find myself annoyed or irritated, unlike my reading experiences with Gary Shteyngart's Absurdistan, or Ferenc Karinthy's Metropole. Somehow, I didn't get tired of the funny comic devices that Heller used in Catch-22.
So yes, I definitely recommend this book. It is hilarious, a great read, and something that in my opinion, would be considered a classic piece of literature a few decades from now. I give it 5 out of 5 stars.
See my other book reviews here.
funny
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I got stalled on this book a couple times because of other books but I really enjoyed this classic. It was one of the most entertaining and funny books I've read, albeit in a very twisted sort of way. The characters are so ridiculous and nonsensical but put your conventional sense of normalcy aside and you'll get to see how Heller's world of Catch-22 can in fact serve as an allegory and criticism of society, bureaucracy, and war itself. I also enjoyed this book a lot because of the language Heller employed. I can't remember the last time I've read a book that made me turn to a dictionary that much! The vocabulary in this book is awesome!
Read this in high school...need to re-read at some point.
adventurous
funny
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
dark
funny
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes