Last week was rough, huh? I think, for a lot of us, it was one of those weeks that didn't seem to go right at all. As if every bad thing that could possibly happen did. I don't know about any of you, but I needed a pick-me-up after a horrible week like that. The first option that came to mind was to read a good book. I chose to re-read Catch-22 because I knew that it would make me feel better. I never re-read books, unless I have to for school, but this book is one that I've read at least three times since my junior year of high school.
I decided to read Catch-22 for a summer reading assignment before going into my junior year. My English teacher at the time raved about this book, stating that he couldn't recommend it enough. Have you ever had a teacher that influenced you so much that it was difficult not to look up to him or her? That's how I still feel towards my 10th grade English teacher. So, of course, I've always trusted his opinion. I had never heard of the book before my teacher mentioned it, but I bought it anyway.
That was a decision I'll never regret.
I'm not going to spoil significant details of this plot. If you want to know more about them, then I suggest that you read the book. However, a brief summary would never hurt anybody. Catch-22 is set in Italy during World War II. John Yossarian, a paranoid bombardier, is the focus of this story. Yossarian is one of the most interesting fictional characters I have ever come across. He is a Captain of the 256th fighter squadron. With a position like that, we can assume that he must be pretty brave, right? To an extent, yes, he is brave. Anyone fighting in a war has some sort of bravery, deep down. Yossarian is unique because, by the same token, he isn't very brave at all. In fact, from the very beginning, we see that he would rather fake being sick so that he wouldn't have to go on flying missions. What is even more interesting about him is that he believes that everyone is out to kill him. Of course, the scenario we are speaking of involves war. The enemy is trying to kill everyone. But John Yossarian is convinced that the target is him alone. Whether it be by a tactic of "poisoning" his food, or by trying to shoot him down, the enemy is going after him.
Who is the enemy anyway? In war, there are multiple enemies. In this case, though, Yossarian's enemy can be said to exist a lot closer to home. His own army decides to continually increase the number of missions the young men must fly in order to complete their duties in service. Yossarian doesn't have a choice, despite how much he detests the idea of continuing these missions. Attempting to excuse himself would put him in violation of Catch-22, a rule stating that "a man is considered insane if he continues to fly dangerous combat missions, but if he makes a formal request to be removed from duty, he is proven sane and therefore ineligible to be relieved."
If you enjoy a bit of satire now and then, you'll love this novel. Joseph Heller is a genius and managed to write a brilliant piece that seems a bit cynical yet hilarious at the same time. Robert Brustein called Heller's piece "bitterly funny" which is the perfect way to sum up this story. Finding humor in a plot that is dealing with war seems pretty far fetched but in the case of Catch-22, it can be easily done for the combination works so effortlessly. I've cried over books many times, but before reading this novel, I had never read a book that made me laugh out loud. To this day, this is one of the only novels that has ever made me laugh, even after reading it again and again.
If you ever need a good laugh, I highly suggest checking out Catch-22. I've read a lot of books in my lifetime and this is one of the best. Without a doubt, this novel will withstand the test of time, with good reason.
