A review by vince_reads
Catch-22 by Joseph Heller

adventurous dark funny sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.25

 Catch-22 is a novel overburdened with absurdity and tragedy. A jocose satire with dark themes, looking to elicit laughter from the lunacy. The crux of enjoyment for the reader will be their ability to endure the suffering with the humor.

Heller produced a clever piece of satire. There are moments of laughter that pop in your face like fireworks, sudden surprising one-liners and subversions. 

In addition, his exploration of the theme of the banality of evil during wartime is effective and timely. Powerful and corrupt men thrive in the absurd, inhuman conditions that war creates. 

The problem is, it can also feel like Heller is tossing jet fuel on dynamite and lighting a match, expecting you to cackle at the fireball. The anguished moments are often couched in these comedic scenes and quips. But often, it just feels mean more than anything else.

Also, the absurdity never takes a break. Once the grippy-socks get put on, there's no leaving the ward. Eventually, the brain is reprogrammed to expect a subversion in every paragraph. The boredom, and the madness, compound.

With all this drudgery already, it's deeply unsatisfying that there's never a cathartic "pie to the face" moment of comedic justice—any panacea really.

Heller is also a product of the Mad Men era. Which means his men are mad at all the women. Misogyny is rampant and there is some literal slapping disguised as slapstick. If anybody is going to get a pie in the face, it's going to be one of the ladies, at her expense.

Catch-22 hits with the subtlety of a bombing squadron dropping nukes. The spectacle is dramatic, but the fallout is anything but funny.