Greatest Military Satire

Catch-22 – Joseph Heller

Evan’s ESS = 8 out of 10

Erin’s ESS = out of 10

Content = PG (Adult Content, Violence, Language, Brief Nudity, Circular Logic)

"Some men are born mediocre, some men achieve mediocrity, and some men have mediocrity thrust upon them."

Why: In case you didn’t know, the word stressed spelled backwards is desserts.  Similarly, the words taco salad spelled backwards is dalas ocat, which to the astute mind, makes absolutely no sense.  We highlight this important point to foreshadow the fact that much of Catch-22 doesn’t make any sense either.  That being said, don’t think for a second that Joseph Heller’s most popular novel isn’t one of the funniest ever written.

Who in their right mind doesn’t yearn for a little dysfunctional military comedy every once and while?  We do, we do!  You’ve got to be alert (and slightly insane) to keep pace with Captain John Joseph Yossarian and the rest of his bombardiers.  The reward however, is a hilarious account of military Bureaucracy and a few other things that go well beyond our humble comprehension, but are enjoyable nonetheless.    

Catch-22 has climbed to the top of several lists, including The Modern Library, Time, and The Observer.  Furthermore, it came in at a respectable 11^th place in the UK’s Big Read campaign.  We loved the book for its unique voice and fast pace.  The novel will make you cry, laugh, and then wonder what you were so emotional about in the first place.  No catch, just a good story.