On this, the third day of Banned Books Week, I’m celebrating a book that is one of the rare shared favorites between my husband and me. We are both avid readers, but there is very little overlap in our libraries, so it’s exciting to find a book that we’ve both loved. Joseph Heller’s modern classic Catch-22 is one such rarity.
Catch-22 is one of the funniest, weirdest, most unique novels I’ve ever read. It presents the story of Yossarian, a World War II bombardier who is constantly inventing illnesses and ailments in hilarious attempts to prevent himself from having to fly dangerous missions, which is a realistic concerned, given that whole armies—thousands of people—are trying to kill him. The government bureaucracy is always one step ahead of poor Yossarian, though, and his attempts are thwarted by Colonel Cathcart, who constantly raises the number of missions the men must fly in order to fulfill their service.
Yossarian is also caught by the Great Loyalty Oath Crusade, the rule by which a man is considered insane if he willingly flies into a dangerous situation, but he is considered sane if he requests to be removed from the mission, and because he is sane, he does not qualify to be replaced. It’s a classic catch-22, a term which was, by the way, introduced into the lexicon in this book that serves as a scathing critique of war and bureaucracy.
According to the ALA, one reason Catch-22 was challenged was its multiple references to whores, which are plentiful, given that this is a World War II novel set overseas. In fact, a whore plays a key role on the final scene, which creates one of the most memorable moments in all of American literature. It’s stayed with me for six or seven years now.
Heller’s characters and their experiences of army life are hysterical, maddening, and utterly mad, and his satire is spot-on. Catch-22 is a classic that should be on every bookshelf, whores and all.
My husband and I both love this book so much that we had an engagement picture taken with it a few years ago:
That’s one of the giant bookspines from the parking garage of the Kansas City Public Library (where I got married), which you can also see in my header photo. And just for fun, and because it’s naughty like Banned Books Week, here’s one in the stacks:
Be sure to check back here every morning for a new Banned Books Week spotlight, and don’t forget to visit Devourer of Books each afternoon at 2pm Central for a double-dose of banned books fun.
Filed under: Book Reviews, banned books week | Tagged: banned books, banned books week, Book Reviews, books, catch-22, joseph heller, reading
Sweet story. You and hubby I mean, not the book. And the mystery of the huge books is now solved.
I’ve posted a banned book survey if it interests you.
I had no idea your header was real… I always assumed that it was Photoshopped. That’s so cool!
I fully support Banned Books Week but I could not get into Catch 22! It was a book group pick and none of us finished it. I would be willing to give it another shot but I don’t have fond memories of what I did read.
My husband loves catch 22, but I haven’t read it yet. I guess I should do it….thanks for the review.
I have a little something for you at my blog
I don’t care if you re-post it though…just wanted you to know.
I LOVE Catch-22 and I love that pic of you and your husband! So cute!
I really need to make a concentrated effort to read this book again. I tried once years ago and found the beginning confusing and didn’t continue. But my sister loves it, and so do all you, so I’m probably missing out!
Aw great pics! I ought to try to read this one again sometime.
Hi Rebecca, Thanks for leaving a comment on my post on Banned Books. I love Catch 22, just love it. There’s a beautiful Folio Society edition out here in the UK which I’m coveting at the moment (http://www.foliosociety.com/book/CTT/catch-22), hoping my husband will spring for it for Christmas. I love the pictures and am impressed by the giant book spines, I thought it was a photoshopped thing until I read your post. Now I want big book spines in our library carpark! Claire
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Love the pictures
And the book, too – at least one from your list that I read!
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love ya
[...] Catch-22 by Joseph Heller. This anti-war satire is surprisingly not challenged due to that theme, but because of the depiction of women in the novel. The word “whore” is used frequently and there have been claims that the book promotes misogyny. [...]
[...] Catch-22 by Joseph Heller. This anti-war satire is surprisingly not challenged due to that theme, but because of the depiction of women in the novel. The word "whore" is used frequently and there have been claims that the book promotes misogyny. [...]
[...] Catch-22 by Joseph Heller. This anti-war satire is surprisingly not challenged due to that theme, but because of the depiction of women in the novel. The word “whore” is used frequently and there have been claims that the book promotes misogyny. [...]