Catch-22: 50th Anniversary Edition
Set in Italy during World War II, this is the story of the incomparable, malingering bombardier, Yossarian, a hero who is furious because thousands of people he has never met are trying to kill him. But his real problem is not the enemy—it is his own army, which keeps increasing the number of missions the men must fly to complete their service.
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Community Reviews
On reading the opening I thought I would love it, but then I didn't. The characters are flat and one-dimensional, and have no recognizable human motivations. The dialogue is a total of six or eight lines repeated endlessly. The story is zany and senseless, and though I could recognize that it was supposed to be funny, it completely failed to make me laugh even once. And the women in the story are only whores or gold diggers with no other personal...read more
Very good. Reminded me of Kafka's The Trial; it shows how those who are organized yet self-centered and often thoughtless can create resilient social structures that are completely baffling to those of us who try to swim against the current and hold onto our humanity. It's meant to be an absurd satire, but the sad thing is that I doubt that it's too far (if at all) off the truth.
On a more superficial level, it's easy to see how this was the in...read more
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