Joseph Heller

carpetmojo · 10-08-2011, 06:13 AM

Catch 22 .

A Good read.

That's all really - you won't regret it.

Dr. Drib · 10-08-2011, 06:37 AM

Read it.

Liked it.

Nothing more to say.

Don
Seriously: I loved this book when I first read it, while in my teens and worried about being drafted.

DiapDealer · 10-08-2011, 08:22 AM

I agree with the consensus, so far.

Hamlet53 · 10-08-2011, 08:35 AM

Great book with a terrific dark message delivered in a hilarious manner. It says something that "Catch-22" has entered the common lexicon.

"That's some catch that Catch 22." "It's the best there is"

Apache · 10-08-2011, 08:48 AM

I also read it as a teen and loved it. And yes this was during the Vietnam era.

Apache

DiapDealer · 10-08-2011, 08:49 AM

Is it worth reading the 1994 sequel Closing Time? I'm always leery of a writer returning to the same characters after such a long period of time. The magic can rarely be recaptured for me in those situations. Nothing can "spoil" the original for me at this point, of course, but I was just curious if anyone who loved Catch-22 had an opinion on Closing Time. Online reviews tend to be fairly evenly distributed across the entire five star spectrum. That's unusual, in my experience.

Rob Lister · 10-08-2011, 09:16 AM

Catch-22 was a great read. Something Happened...not so great. I got through it but just barely. I never glanced at Closing Time which presumably revisits characters from 22.

RDaneel54 · 10-08-2011, 06:44 PM

Catch 22, another one of those books that stays with you. I think I read it about 40 years ago. A classic.

beppe · 10-11-2011, 08:07 PM

Great book.
I am slowly reading Catch As Catch Can: The Collected Stories and Other Writings. A 2003 collection of writings by Joseph Heller, author of Catch-22. Nice. There is the ebook.

RichL · 10-11-2011, 11:00 PM

Closing Time is a decent read but by no means is it Catch-22. The only places I would (mildly) knock are some of the scenes that seem to be mediocre re-writes from Catch-22.

To put it another way. I've read Catch-22 several times and will probably read it again. I happily read Closing time once but doubt if I will ever bother to re-read it.

HappyMartin · 10-12-2011, 01:09 AM

Time to read this book again.

carpetmojo · 10-12-2011, 06:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

Is it worth reading the 1994 sequel Closing Time? I'm always leery of a writer returning to the same characters after such a long period of time. The magic can rarely be recaptured for me in those situations. Nothing can "spoil" the original for me at this point, of course, but I was just curious if anyone who loved Catch-22 had an opinion on Closing Time. Online reviews tend to be fairly evenly distributed across the entire five star spectrum. That's unusual, in my experience.

I'm too windy to try anything else of his, I'm afraid - stupid I know.
But I too saw the spread of opinion and have steered clear.

Just a natural born coward I s'pose .............

kennyc · 10-28-2011, 06:11 AM

Something of a reading recommendation for Catch 22 which is 50 years old this year.

26 October 2011 Last updated at 20:00 ET

Catch-22: Is the novel still relevant to modern soldiers?

By Virginia Brown BBC News Magazine

The classic novel that coined the term describing impossible situations is celebrating its 50th birthday. So how close does Catch-22 come to accurately portraying today's military?

Most people will have uttered a remark about being caught between a rock and a hard place, in a Catch-22 situation. A no-win dilemma where you're damned if you do and damned if you don't.

But fewer people will have read the 1961 novel of the same name that propelled the phrase into the English language.

Catch-22 was published 50 years ago. Written by Joseph Heller, it describes the wartime experiences of B-25 bombardier, Captain John Yossarian. Heller himself had served as a US Air Force bombardier in World War II.

He drags us through the muck and absurdity of a droll group of WWII airmen stationed on a small island off the coast of Tuscany - taking in the dark and brutal nature of war. In it hero Yossarian takes drastic measures to avoid flying an ever-increasingly required number of dangerous missions.

Captain John Yossarian is the protagonist and hero. He is a bombardier in the 256th Squadron of the Army Air Corps during World War II, responsible for sighting and releasing bombs. All he really wants to do is go home.
Milo Minderbinder is the mess officer who runs a global black-market syndicate. He pursues profit unscrupulously, going so far as to bomb his own men as part of a contract.
Major Major Major Major was born Major Major Major and is unjustly promoted to major. He is uncomfortable with his new role and lonely because it keeps him at a distance from the other men.
Colonel Cathcart, who keeps increasing the number of missions the men have to fly to complete a tour of duty, is the bane of Yossarian's life. He's obsessed with promotion and will do anything to please his superiors.
General Dreedle is the typical no-nonsense military man, who is exceedingly demanding of his soldiers. His arch-rival General Peckem wants to take his place in Pianosa.
Doc Daneeka is disgruntled that he was drafted and is missing out on a lucrative medical career. "Why me?" is his attitude towards war.

The only way to avoid such deadly assignments was to plead insanity,

more here:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-15446588

Dr. Drib · 10-28-2011, 06:24 AM

Check out this, too:

https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...22#post1778867

Don

kennyc · 10-28-2011, 06:28 AM

Oops, sorry...feel free to combine the threads or move this...

10-08-2011, 06:13 AM	#1
carpetmojo Wizard Posts: 3,117 Karma: 9269999 Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: UK Device: Sony- T3, PRS650, 350, T1/2/3, Paperwhite, Fire 8.9,Samsung Tab S 10.5	Joseph Heller Catch 22 . A Good read. That's all really - you won't regret it. Last edited by Dr. Drib; 10-28-2011 at 07:12 AM.

10-08-2011, 06:37 AM	#2
Dr. Drib Grand Sorcerer Posts: 44,747 Karma: 55645321 Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Peru Device: Kindle: Oasis 3, Voyage WiFi; Kobo: Libra 2, Aura One	Read it. Liked it. Nothing more to say. Don Seriously: I loved this book when I first read it, while in my teens and worried about being drafted. Last edited by Dr. Drib; 10-08-2011 at 07:15 AM.

10-08-2011, 08:49 AM	#6
DiapDealer Grand Sorcerer Posts: 27,549 Karma: 193191846 Join Date: Jan 2010 Device: Nexus 7, Kindle Fire HD	Is it worth reading the 1994 sequel Closing Time? I'm always leery of a writer returning to the same characters after such a long period of time. The magic can rarely be recaptured for me in those situations. Nothing can "spoil" the original for me at this point, of course, but I was just curious if anyone who loved Catch-22 had an opinion on Closing Time. Online reviews tend to be fairly evenly distributed across the entire five star spectrum. That's unusual, in my experience. Last edited by DiapDealer; 10-08-2011 at 08:52 AM.

10-28-2011, 06:11 AM	#13
kennyc The Dank Side of the Moon Posts: 35,872 Karma: 118716293 Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Denver, CO Device: Kindle2; Kindle Fire	Catch-22: Is the novel still relevant to modern soldiers? Something of a reading recommendation for Catch 22 which is 50 years old this year. 26 October 2011 Last updated at 20:00 ET Catch-22: Is the novel still relevant to modern soldiers? By Virginia Brown BBC News Magazine The classic novel that coined the term describing impossible situations is celebrating its 50th birthday. So how close does Catch-22 come to accurately portraying today's military? Most people will have uttered a remark about being caught between a rock and a hard place, in a Catch-22 situation. A no-win dilemma where you're damned if you do and damned if you don't. But fewer people will have read the 1961 novel of the same name that propelled the phrase into the English language. Catch-22 was published 50 years ago. Written by Joseph Heller, it describes the wartime experiences of B-25 bombardier, Captain John Yossarian. Heller himself had served as a US Air Force bombardier in World War II. He drags us through the muck and absurdity of a droll group of WWII airmen stationed on a small island off the coast of Tuscany - taking in the dark and brutal nature of war. In it hero Yossarian takes drastic measures to avoid flying an ever-increasingly required number of dangerous missions. Captain John Yossarian is the protagonist and hero. He is a bombardier in the 256th Squadron of the Army Air Corps during World War II, responsible for sighting and releasing bombs. All he really wants to do is go home. Milo Minderbinder is the mess officer who runs a global black-market syndicate. He pursues profit unscrupulously, going so far as to bomb his own men as part of a contract. Major Major Major Major was born Major Major Major and is unjustly promoted to major. He is uncomfortable with his new role and lonely because it keeps him at a distance from the other men. Colonel Cathcart, who keeps increasing the number of missions the men have to fly to complete a tour of duty, is the bane of Yossarian's life. He's obsessed with promotion and will do anything to please his superiors. General Dreedle is the typical no-nonsense military man, who is exceedingly demanding of his soldiers. His arch-rival General Peckem wants to take his place in Pianosa. Doc Daneeka is disgruntled that he was drafted and is missing out on a lucrative medical career. "Why me?" is his attitude towards war. The only way to avoid such deadly assignments was to plead insanity, more here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-15446588

10-08-2011, 08:22 AM	#3
DiapDealer Grand Sorcerer Posts: 27,549 Karma: 193191846 Join Date: Jan 2010 Device: Nexus 7, Kindle Fire HD	I agree with the consensus, so far.

10-08-2011, 08:35 AM	#4
Hamlet53 Nameless Being	Great book with a terrific dark message delivered in a hilarious manner. It says something that "Catch-22" has entered the common lexicon. "That's some catch that Catch 22." "It's the best there is"

10-08-2011, 08:48 AM	#5
Apache Readaholic Posts: 5,137 Karma: 89858112 Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: South Georgia Device: Surface Pro 6 / Galaxy Tab A 8"	I also read it as a teen and loved it. And yes this was during the Vietnam era. Apache

10-08-2011, 09:16 AM	#7
Rob Lister Fanatic Posts: 532 Karma: 3293888 Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Virginia Device: Nook Simple Touch	Catch-22 was a great read. Something Happened...not so great. I got through it but just barely. I never glanced at Closing Time which presumably revisits characters from 22.

10-08-2011, 06:44 PM	#8
RDaneel54 Aging Positronic Brain Posts: 633 Karma: 2155452 Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Aurora (when off-Earth) Device: Amazon Oasis; iPhone, iPad Mini	Catch 22, another one of those books that stays with you. I think I read it about 40 years ago. A classic.

10-11-2011, 08:07 PM	#9
beppe Grand Sorcerer Posts: 5,161 Karma: 81026524 Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Italy Device: Kindle3, Ipod4, IPad2	Great book. I am slowly reading Catch As Catch Can: The Collected Stories and Other Writings. A 2003 collection of writings by Joseph Heller, author of Catch-22. Nice. There is the ebook.

10-11-2011, 11:00 PM	#10
RichL Evangelist Posts: 407 Karma: 1096520 Join Date: Dec 2009 Device: back to x51v	Closing Time is a decent read but by no means is it Catch-22. The only places I would (mildly) knock are some of the scenes that seem to be mediocre re-writes from Catch-22. To put it another way. I've read Catch-22 several times and will probably read it again. I happily read Closing time once but doubt if I will ever bother to re-read it.

10-12-2011, 01:09 AM	#11
HappyMartin Martin Kristiansen Posts: 1,546 Karma: 8480958 Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Johannesburg Device: Kindle International Ipad 2	Time to read this book again.

10-28-2011, 06:24 AM	#14
Dr. Drib Grand Sorcerer Posts: 44,747 Karma: 55645321 Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Peru Device: Kindle: Oasis 3, Voyage WiFi; Kobo: Libra 2, Aura One	Check out this, too: https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...22#post1778867 Don

10-28-2011, 06:28 AM	#15
kennyc The Dank Side of the Moon Posts: 35,872 Karma: 118716293 Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Denver, CO Device: Kindle2; Kindle Fire	Oops, sorry...feel free to combine the threads or move this...

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