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Catch-22

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( 877,236 ratings, 26,649 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
In Catch-22 by Joseph Heller, a bombardier named Yossarian, stationed in Italy during World War II, desperately tries to maintain his sanity amidst the absurdities of war. He finds himself trapped by a bureaucratic rule that prevents him from escaping the dangerous missions because if he applies for a discharge on grounds of insanity, doing so would prove his sanity. This darkly comedic novel explores the paradoxes of war and the struggles of the individual against an oppressive system.
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Format: Paperback / softback
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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?

This book may appeal to you if you enjoy dark humour entwined with the absurdity of war and bureaucracy. The narrative captures the chaotic experiences of a World War II bombardier, highlighting the paradoxical rules that define his existence. With its satirical edge and compelling critique of institutional madness, it offers a unique take on the thriller genre.

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**AS SEEN ON CHANNEL 4**

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.

Soon to be a major TV series on Channel 4 and Hulu, starring George Clooney and Hugh Laurie

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

Soon to be a major TV series on Channel 4 and Hulu, starring George Clooney and Hugh Laurie.

As seen on BBC Two's Between the Covers

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

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?

Critics describe Catch-22 as a brutally gruesome and wildly original work that is both outrageously delightful and unforgettable. It's celebrated for being vulgarly and bitterly funny, with a style that is cynically unique. The novel is regarded as an apocalyptic masterpiece, distinct in its storytelling.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781784875848

Publisher: Vintage Publishing

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 06 June 2019

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Vintage Classics

Contributors:

  • Introduction by Howard Jacobson
  • Introduction by Howard Jacobson

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 31.0mm

Width: 129.0mm

Height: 198.0mm

Weight: 366g

Pages: 528

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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