Catch-22: 50th Anniversary Edition  (English, Paperback, Heller Joseph)

This satirical novel written by Joseph Heller is based on the author’s personal experiences as a bombardier in World War II. Today, it is considered to be one among the greatest works of the twentieth century.

Summary of the Book

The narration of the book is written as though it is a third person perspective in order to give the readers a different point of view. Captain John Yossarian, the main character of this novel, is a U. S. Army Air Forces B-25 bombardier and is always coming up with new schemes to save his life and find a way out of the war. However, his attempts are always failing as Colonel Cathcart is always increasing the number of missions that they should finish before the bombardiers are let off duty. As per the law, Yossarian would be said to be a completely sane person if he asks to not take up further missions. This would mean that they will not allow him to be relieved and, therefore, he is stuck. This dark comedy gives the reader a view of the horrors of war. It also portrays how the bureaucratic institutions play a significant role in destroying the human spirit.

About Joseph Heller

Joseph Heller was an American novelist and playwright who was born in Brooklyn. His writing career started with him penning short stories. His novel, Catch 22, has been ranked among the 100 greatest novels of all time by The Observer.