Catch-22

By Joseph Heller


People are trying to kill Yossarian. He knows this is true because every time he goes up in the air to drop bombs, people he doesn't know shoot at him with cannons. He wants nothing more than to be out of the war, but that is looking increasingly impossible. Technically he only has to fly a certain number of missions, then he can go home. Unfortunately, Colonel Cathcart keeps raising the number of missions he has to fly. He could also, theoretically, be excused on grounds of insanity. Catch 22, however, states that wanting to fly dangerous missions is insane, and not wanting to is sane. Therefore, if he applies to get out, he is sane, and so has to keep flying missions. This is war in the twentieth century though the prism of sanity. Or insanity, if you prefer.
This book is really quite entertaining. Wierd as all get out, but entertaining. I wouldn't call it funny in the same way that, say, Terry Pratchett is funny. It's more just the sheer weirdness of the book and the insanity of the characters that gives it its unique character. Every single character, I swear, is utterly, completely insane. I know I keep using this word, but there is really no way to describe this book than brilliant, weird, genius. There is a movie, which I haven't seen, so I don't know if it's any good. I am a bit apprehensive, because I'm not sure Catch-22 would translate well. Really an extremely good book. It's too odd a book for me to gush on like I usually do, but it is fantastic nonetheless.