Catch-22 in The Dusty Bookshelf

Feb 21, 2012 Casey rated it it was amazing

Shelves: the-serious-lit, 1001-books, grungy-shelf

I was under the impression that Catch-22, as a serious classic about World War II, was a difficult read. Obviously, I was aware that it was a comedic masterpiece, but I didn't know how to reconcile that fact with the perceived seriousness of it all. So I kept putting it off. I shouldn't have.

This book is funny. Like, laugh out loud funny. Laugh out loud funny, and not in the internet way but in the literal way, and when I say literal I also mean that in the literal way and not the figurative way I was under the impression that Catch-22, as a serious classic about World War II, was a difficult read. Obviously, I was aware that it was a comedic masterpiece, but I didn't know how to reconcile that fact with the perceived seriousness of it all. So I kept putting it off. I shouldn't have.

This book is funny. Like, laugh out loud funny. Laugh out loud funny, and not in the internet way but in the literal way, and when I say literal I also mean that in the literal way and not the figurative way.

In fact, the only parts of the book that aren't funny are the parts that are deeply serious, and these parts hit me even harder than similar parts of other war novels because it became quite obvious that, at least for a moment, the book was no longer funny.

Catch-22 is composed of a series of non-linear, layered vignettes. Each builds upon previous episodes, meaning that the book gets funnier the deeper in you get. Fans of Arrested Development might feel some serious structural déjà vu.

It's hard for me to understand why people don't like Catch-22. Here are a few possibilities:

-The book is quintessentially American. If you prefer that subtle, sarcastic British humor, you'll probably be disappointed. Catch-22 can only be described as subtle slapstick, which is quite different.

-The scenarios involved are absurd. Imagine you're at an improv show. Two actors are trying to make their way out of the arctic. The first actor attempts to call his mother from a satellite phone, only to find that his mother has turned into a banana. The second actor has just been struck by an acute phobia of the color white. In this scene, they attempt to distract themselves from the cold by trying to remember the 10 Commandments. Would you enjoy watching this show? If not, you may not enjoy Catch-22.

-This is clever comedy and, as such, will most likely be enjoyed by clever people. It should probably be given a pass by those whose IQ falls less than one standard deviation above the mean. If you are put off by such terms as "standard deviation," I'm sure CBS is currently airing a rerun of Two and a Half Men that's better suited to your comedic needs. ...more

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