Start reading this book early on in the day, because I can guarantee that:
a) You will need to focus on this book completely.
b) You will not want to put it down for a moment.
The book follows Yossarian and his bid to get out of World War 2 after seeing a horrific injury of one of his crew when he was lead bombadier of a mission.
Hilarity ensues as he is told that there is a catch-22 situation, to be sent home from the army you have to tell the doctor that you are crazy, but then if you d... (show more)

Start reading this book early on in the day, because I can guarantee that:
a) You will need to focus on this book completely.
b) You will not want to put it down for a moment.
The book follows Yossarian and his bid to get out of World War 2 after seeing a horrific injury of one of his crew when he was lead bombadier of a mission.
Hilarity ensues as he is told that there is a catch-22 situation, to be sent home from the army you have to tell the doctor that you are crazy, but then if you do tell the doctor you are crazy you are evidently sane and will be forced to continue flying missions.
Upon reading the book you wonder whether Yossarian is also crazy, but begin to realise that he is possibly the most sane person within the squadron as he tries to get out of active duty time and time again.

Hilarious and tragic this book is a complete classic and it certainly deserves 5 out of 5 stars. (show less)

This was a crazy book. At times it reminded me of Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy in the style of twisted logic and craziness that was abundant throughout the whole book. The logic behind the rule of Catch 22 alone is genius.

It took a while to fully grasp what was happening in the book because of the writing style. Events didn't really flow in chronological order. Things would happen in one point in the book and maybe 100 pages later you would see why it happened and the events that led ... (show more)

This was a crazy book. At times it reminded me of Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy in the style of twisted logic and craziness that was abundant throughout the whole book. The logic behind the rule of Catch 22 alone is genius.

It took a while to fully grasp what was happening in the book because of the writing style. Events didn't really flow in chronological order. Things would happen in one point in the book and maybe 100 pages later you would see why it happened and the events that led up to it. You'd have to look for people or events to figure out what point you were in in the time line.

Nevertheless, if you just let go and went with the story and did your best to keep all the characters straight, it's worth the ride. The plot is great, the dialogue is witty and funny, and trying to figure out the logic behind some of those conversations was like deciphering a puzzle. It was a very enjoyable read and I can see why it's so greatly regarded as a classic. (show less)

I first read Catch-22 in high school, and ever since have held it to be my all-time favorite book. So it was with some trepidation that I cracked it back open as an adult. Would it hold up? Thankfully, it did more than hold up; it turns out that it's even better than I remember. It's not just Heller's brilliant, through the looking glass logic that makes Catch-22 so remarkable, even though that logic leads to innumerable laugh-out-loud hilarious passages and too many brilliant sequences to co... (show more)

I first read Catch-22 in high school, and ever since have held it to be my all-time favorite book. So it was with some trepidation that I cracked it back open as an adult. Would it hold up? Thankfully, it did more than hold up; it turns out that it's even better than I remember. It's not just Heller's brilliant, through the looking glass logic that makes Catch-22 so remarkable, even though that logic leads to innumerable laugh-out-loud hilarious passages and too many brilliant sequences to count (my personal favorite may always be the sudden moaning outbreak). Had the book merely been a brilliant and hilarious piece of satire, I would have enjoyed it, but it wouldn't be the classic that it is. What makes Catch-22 absolutely unforgettable is the deep layer of melancholy and rage that underlies the satire and drives the book. I've always held that one of the hardest things to do in any medium is mix genres, and I'm always impressed when someone does it well. In Catch-22, Heller mixes drama, comedy, romance, and war story together without even blinking, and slides so effortlessly between them that you go from laughing to horror in the blink of an eye. It's this juxtapositioning that gives the book so much of its power - the transition, for instance, from Yossarian's insane arguing with Danby to the horrific fate of poor, doomed Snowden remains one of the most effective and haunting passages of any book I have ever read. There has never been another book like Catch-22 - even Heller never wrote anything this brilliant again (although Something Happened is a minor gem of an altogether different sort). But given how incredible this book is - how funny, how touching, how haunting, how powerful, how brilliant - who can complain? With its spectacular and wonderful set of characters, its trenchant and hilarious take on the military mind, and Heller's masterful writing, Catch-22 remains the finest book I have ever read. (show less)

I have a new favourite book. I've never read anything by Joseph Heller, and now I want to read everything by Joseph Heller.

I can't imagine that I have anything new to add to a review of this classic that hasn't been said before.

The characters, the dialogue, the plotting, the humour, the horror. I'm kicking myself now for having put off reading this as long as I did. I "read" this in audio version, and the performance was spectacular. This particular collection featured H... (show more)

I have a new favourite book. I've never read anything by Joseph Heller, and now I want to read everything by Joseph Heller.

I can't imagine that I have anything new to add to a review of this classic that hasn't been said before.

The characters, the dialogue, the plotting, the humour, the horror. I'm kicking myself now for having put off reading this as long as I did. I "read" this in audio version, and the performance was spectacular. This particular collection featured Heller himself reading several passages at the end.

I was mesmerized throughout. I laughed with Yossarian, got wonderfully baffled with Orr and wanted to kick Milo's a$$.

I'll be keeping a copy of this book handy, as it's likely to be in my "must re-read" selection for quite some time.

If you were "forced" to read this book in school, and therefore didn't. For the love of all that is holy, pick it up again.

You'd be crazy not to. (show less)