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	'''''Catch-22''''' is a ] ] by ] about the madness of war. Specifically, it follows a fictional ] ] ], ] ], and a number of other American airmen during ], based on the island of ], south of ]. (A magazine excerpt from the novel was originally published as "Catch-18," but Heller changed the title after another World War II novel, ]'s ], was published.) Its pacing is frenetic, its tenor is intellectual, and its humor is largely absurdist -- but with grisly moments of realism interspersed. As the Czech writer testifies, Joseph Heller personally told him that if it weren’t for his having read he would never had written his American novel Catch 22.		'''''Catch-22''''' is a ] ] by ] about the madness of war. Specifically, it follows a fictional ] ] ], ] ], and a number of other American airmen during ], based on the island of ], south of ]. (A magazine excerpt from the novel was originally published as "Catch-18," but Heller changed the title after another World War II novel, ]'s ], was published.) Its pacing is frenetic, its tenor is intellectual, and its humor is largely absurdist -- but with grisly moments of realism interspersed. As the Czech writer testifies in his latest book "13x18" which bears the subtitle "Portréty a posřehy", i.e. "Portraits and observations", Joseph Heller personally told him that if it weren’t for his having read by Jaroslav Hašek he would never had written his American novel Catch 22.

	Within the book, ''catch-22'' is a military rule, the ] of which most notably prevents anyone from avoiding combat missions:		Within the book, ''catch-22'' is a military rule, the ] of which most notably prevents anyone from avoiding combat missions:

Revision as of 23:05, 4 May 2004

File:Catch22 cover.jpg

Catch-22

Catch-22 is a 1961 novel by Joseph Heller about the madness of war. Specifically, it follows a fictional World War II US Army Air Corps bombardier, Captain Yossarian, and a number of other American airmen during World War II, based on the island of Pianosa, south of Italy. (A magazine excerpt from the novel was originally published as "Catch-18," but Heller changed the title after another World War II novel, Leon Uris's Mila 18, was published.) Its pacing is frenetic, its tenor is intellectual, and its humor is largely absurdist -- but with grisly moments of realism interspersed. As the Czech writer Arnošt Lustig testifies in his latest book "13x18" which bears the subtitle "Portréty a posřehy", i.e. "Portraits and observations", Joseph Heller personally told him that if it weren’t for his having read The Good Soldier Švejk by Jaroslav Hašek he would never had written his American novel Catch 22.

Within the book, catch-22 is a military rule, the circular logic of which most notably prevents anyone from avoiding combat missions:

One may only be excused from flying bombing missions on the grounds of insanity;
One must request to be excused;
One who requests to be excused is presumably in fear for his life. This is taken to be proof of his sanity, and he is therefore obliged to continue flying missions;
One who is truly insane presumably would not make the request. He therefore would continue flying missions, even though as an insane person he could be excused from them for the asking.

Catch-22 also appears at other points in the novel to serve various other purposes. Among its provisions, one of the most macabre is quoted as stating that agents enforcing Catch-22 need not prove that Catch-22 actually has whatever provision the accused violator is accused of violating.

The phrase has become common to refer to any similar self-referential policy or any lose-lose situation.

Characters in the book

Captain Aardvaark is a character who giggles in serious situations and takes pleasure in others' pain.

The sequel to Catch 22, Closing Time, was published by Joseph Heller in 1994.

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