Review: Catch-22

CATCH-22 written by Joseph Heller in 1961, though the copyright was 1955 and 1961. My copy was a re-release in 2011 by Simon & Schuster Paperbacks. in this copy there is an introduction by Christopher Buckley. I did not read the introduction, preferring to read it after I have written a review. There are also notes in the back that goes over Mr. Heller's notes and reviews from various people. I did not read those either, choosing to come up with my own thoughts on this book. I will read them after I write this review. Maybe I will add some new notes after reading them, but that will be a different page.
The phrase Catch-22 is still in use today. I have used it several times to explain the way the world works to my children. In this book there are some crazy uses, such as Catch-22 used when someone says they are crazy to get out of service, the catch is that if you think you are crazy then you are not really crazy because you want to get out of the service because you are trying to preserve your life which is clearly not a crazy thing to do. The book goes on and on dumping the Catch-22 when ever they want to explain something away. Even if that is all they say, " Well, it was because of Catch-22," leaving the hearer trying to figure out what it means.
The characters are terrific and terrifying. We have the main character Yossarian, who is tired of flying missions, only to have the number of flights increasing every time he is within three flights of going home. Then Colonel Cathcart who is the one increasing the missions, for a couple of reasons, one he gets mad at something the men do or he is afraid to order in new replacements because he has to train them. Milo Mindbender who is making money on both sides of the war effort, with his syndicate, even bombing his own men to make a buck. The Chaplain who is questioning God and whether he saw a miracle of a naked man in a tree. Plus a whole host of other characters which make this story come to life.
The setting like the characters are fictitious, an island in the Mediterranean Sea which serves as the Air Force base where excursions to Rome to meet prostitutes was the norm. Mindbender used resources to fly everywhere to help the syndicate get supplies. He wanted to bilk the military of 1000's of dollars and give it to members of the syndicate, which was everyone.

I loved this book, being a military spouse there were several times our orders changed just because of what was needed at the time. I related to you can't do this because of that, then the change where they did it anyway. A very comical, dramatic and well written book. GREAT.