FunnyFirst Published 1961
Catch-22
The Darkly Comic Masterpiece of War's Absurdity
Authored by Joseph Heller
Duration375 min
Length453 pages
Rating4.78
Archival Synopsis
Set during World War II, Yossarian and his fellow airmen struggle against both the enemy and their own military command. Heller's satirical masterpiece skewers bureaucracy, logic, and the insanity of war with razor-sharp wit.
Editorial Perspective
“Catch-22 invented a new mode of dark comedy where the joke is always on institutional power. Heller's circular, self-defeating logic mirrors the actual experience of bureaucratic absurdity with uncanny precision.”
Thematic Motifs
The Absurdity of BureaucracySelf-Preservation vs. DutyInstitutional MadnessDeath as Punchline
Iconic Passages
“Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they aren't after you.”
“He was going to live forever, or die in the attempt.”
“Some men are born mediocre, some men achieve mediocrity, and some men have mediocrity thrust upon them.”
Volume Structure