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Catch-22

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( 877,208 ratings, 26,646 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Catch-22 by Joseph Heller is a satirical novel set during World War II, following Captain John Yossarian, a U.S. Army Air Forces bombardier, as he grapples with the absurdities and bureaucratic nightmare of war. The plot centres on Yossarian's desperate attempts to maintain his sanity and survive amidst the illogical rules and contradictions imposed by military authorities. The term "Catch-22" highlights the no-win dilemmas faced by soldiers, particularly the paradox of being considered insane if one desires to escape dangerous missions, yet proving sanity if one recognises the peril and seeks to avoid it.
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

You might enjoy this book if you're drawn to darkly comedic takes on the absurdities of war and bureaucracy. The narrative weaves a complex tale that combines satirical humour with profound insights into the human condition, delivering a thought-provoking experience for lovers of historical fiction.

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SOON TO BE A MAJOR TV SERIES

Discover Joseph Heller's hilarious and tragic satire on military madness, and the tale of one man's efforts to survive it.

It’s the closing months of World War II and Yossarian has never been closer to death.

One of the great novels of the century.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

One of the greatest novels of the twentieth century - a potent satire on the madness of war.

Discover Joseph Heller's hilarious and tragic satire on military madness, and the tale of one man's efforts to survive it.

It's the closing months of World War II and Yossarian has never been closer to death. Stationed in an American bomber squadron off the coast of Italy, each flight mission introduces him to thousands of people determined to kill him.

But the enemy above is not Yossarian's problem - it is his own army intent on keeping him airborne, and the maddening Catch-22 that allows for no possibility of escape.

'The greatest satirical work in the English language' Observer

'The most devastating satire ever written about the lunacy of war and military bureaucracy' Antony Beevor

Introduced by Howard Jacobson

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Catch-22 has been praised for its ability to seamlessly blend humour with poignant emotional depth, making readers both laugh and reflect within the span of a few pages. Critics have noted its original and dazzling nature, highlighting its ability to both outrage and delight audiences. The book is often described as cynically funny and fantastically unique, and has been lauded as a significant work of satire in English literature.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780099470465

Publisher: Vintage Publishing

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 05 February 2004

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Vintage Classics

Contributors:

  • Introduction by Howard Jacobson

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 34.0mm

Width: 129.0mm

Height: 197.0mm

Weight: 376g

Pages: 544

About the Author

Joseph Heller (Author) Joseph Heller was born in 1923 in Brooklyn, New York. He served as a bombardier in the Second World War and then attended New York University and Columbia University and then Oxford, the last on a Fullbright scholarship. He then taught for two years at Pennsylvania State University, before returning to New York, where he began a successful career in the advertising departments of Time, Look and McCall's magazines. It was during this time that he had the idea for Catch-22. Working on the novel in spare moments and evenings at home, it took him eight years to complete and was first published in 1961. His second novel, Something Happened was published in 1974, Good As Gold in 1979 and Closing Time in 1994. He is also the author of the play We Bombed in New Haven. Howard Jacobson (Introducer) Howard Jacobson has written seventeen novels and six works of non-fiction. He won the Bollinger Everyman Wodehouse Award in 2000 for The Mighty Walzer and then again in 2013 for Zoo Time. In 2010 he won the Man Booker Prize for The Finkler Question; he was also shortlisted for the prize in 2014 for J.

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