Catch-22

Joseph Heller

Recommended By

Book Reviews

Book Synopsis

"Catch-22" by Joseph Heller is a satirical novel set during World War II. It tells the story of Captain John Yossarian, an American bombardier trying to maintain his sanity amidst the chaos and illogical bureaucracy of the military. The title refers to a paradoxical bureaucratic rule that makes it impossible for soldiers to escape dangerous situations or be considered insane if they seek to. Yossarian and his fellow soldiers face absurd challenges, including the relentless pursuit of missions that often result in death, a corrupt and indifferent hierarchy, and the constant fear of losing their lives. Heller’s brilliant use of dark humor and absurdity reveals the insanity of war and questions the logic of the institutions that perpetuate it. Through a series of interconnected vignettes and flashbacks, the novel explores the themes of trauma, mortality, loyalty, and the fragility of the human spirit. It confronts readers with the absurdity of war and the inherent contradictions that accompany it, leaving them pondering the true meaning of courage, morality, and human nature. Heller’s masterful storytelling, comic style, and biting commentary make "Catch-22" a timeless classic that continues to resonate with readers, reminding us of the inherent absurdities and paradoxes present in our own society.

Explore More Books

See All
The Varieties of Religious Experience
Artemis
Only the Paranoid Survive
In Over Our Heads
How The Internet Happened
Shaping the Future of the Fourth Industrial Revolution
The Story of the Human Body
King Lear
The Song of the Cell
Lost Ocean
Brave New Words
Behind the Beautiful Forevers
As One Is
The Ten Golden Rules of Leadership
Q.E.D.
Where are the Customers Yachts
Evolving Ourselves
Scaling People
The Little Liar
The Humanure Handbook
Where Mountains Roar
The Enchiridion
The Singularity Is Near
Radical Candor
Freedom from the Known
I Wrote This Book Because I Love You
State of the Art
The Method Method
When To Jump
The Art of Memoir
Crucial Conversations
Maps of Meaning
David Bowie
The Odyssey
The Devil’s Financial Dictionary
How to Teach Your Baby to Read
The Essays of Schopenhauer
The Demon Under The Microscope
I Want To Be A Mathematician
Philosophy and Scientific Realism
Heretics of Dune
Savage Son
Modelling Extremal Events
Proof of Corruption
Peter Pan
Determined
More From Less
Superhuman
Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World
The Meaning of It All
The Giving Tree
Lincoln
Linchpin
The Evolution of Everything
The Design of Everyday Things
My Forty Years with Ford
Survival to Thrival
The Origin of Species
Friday Forward
An Elegant Defense
Permaculture: A Designer's Manual
Anything You Want
Relentless
How Will You Measure Your Life?
American Crusade
Screw Business As Usual
The Quest
The Law
Forged in Crisis
Range
On The Move
Call Me by Your Name
QED
Seveneves
Just Kids
The Holy Bible
Secret Sauce
The Plot Against the President
Liberal Privelege
Toussaint Louverture
The Museum of Other People
Winners Take All
The Tipping Point
Portraits of Interiors
Winning The Loser's Game
Days of Rage
Treasure Island
Financial Derivatives
Creative Selection
When Reason Goes on Holiday
Great Short Poems
The Fatal Conceit
World War 3.0
The Art of Possibility
Getting It Done
Road to Wigan Pier
I am Benjamin Franklin
Kill Decision
Very Classy