Catch-22

My favorite book

Even without serving in the military, most people work in some place with the same dynamics--hospitals, universities, corporations. The imbecile-in-charge theme is universal, as is the absurdity of the decisions made by large groups (governments, military, universities, corporations). It's why The Office is so popular

Confusing first time through

I was admittedly totally lost on the first read through of this book. In fact, I think I quit as I was nearing the end because it was difficult to follow. Only on my second try did I really come to appreciate the masterful use of irony throughout the book. I doubt I am alone in that :)

Relevance to those who haven't served?

I read this book as my five years in the Marines were coming to a close. All of the absurdities portrayed in this book were regular occurrences for me. Sociopathic officers giving murderous orders to put a "feather in their cap"? Been there, done that. Orders from immediate superiors that contradicted those of their superiors? Lived in that hell for over a year as a recruiter. Questioning your own sanity as everyone else around you appears to have gone insane? Done that as well.

For most of my time I was just like that idealistic officer attempting to lecture the old man in the brothel, but circumstances changed and I started to question my service. Picking up Catch-22 literally changed my life, or at least my perspective towards life. Due to my experiences, I instantly felt a personal connection with the character of Yossarian. Thanks in large part to this book, my perspective has changed to more closely align with that of the old man than the foolishly idealistic officer.

When I decided to read Catch-22, it was because it is a popular anti-war book in college curriculums around America. Having read the story, I do not understand why it is so popular and has achieved the status of a classic among college students. I would think that for one to have a connection with the story, one would have to have lived similar experiences, as in my case. From the reviews here and on Amazon, I can see that is not the case.

Those of you who are college students, or simply someone without military experience who thinks this book is a classic, could you please share with me the reasons why you enjoy this book so much? Could you help me understand why Catch-22 is so popular, even among those who have never personally experienced the situations portrayed in the story?

Still Relevant

There are obvious parallels to the current war that could be made, but I noticed an interesting one the other day. Listening to the radio, I heard an oil executive saying that it's good for America that oil companies are making profits because many American people have money invested in oil companies, whether through stock or mutual funds, etc. I couldn't help but think of Milo Minderbinder where everyone has a share. "What's good for M + M Industries is good for the country."