First published in 1961, Catch-22 has since gone on to become a modern classic and is widely regarded as one of the finest examples of anti-war satire to have ever been produced. Inspired by his military career as a bombardier in the U.S. Army Air Corps during World War II, the novel follows Captain John Yossarian, who also serves as a bombardier in the United States Air Force, and finds himself stationed in Pianosa during WWII. Unlike most war novels, our protagonist’s life is not threatened by the opposing force in his war, but by his own comrades and commanders. Catch-22 is a novel that, for all its humour, reveals how the absurd rules of war, rank, and bureaucracy, can be every bit as deadly in war as an enemy combatant.

Now a common turn of phrase, the book’s title refers to “a problem for which the only solution is denied by a circumstance inherent in the problem or by a rule.” Yossarian doesn’t care about the war, he only cares about surviving, an objective made increasingly difficult when his commanding officer routinely increases the number of missions his men have to fly before they’re able to be sent home. Yossarian knows that, if a man is considered insane then he is no longer fit to fly missions, but showing concern for one’s safety in the face of danger is deemed to be rational, and therefore he is deemed sane and fit to fly. The insane people are the ones who show no concern for their safety and thus fly missions. As Heller writes: “There was only one catch and that was Catch-22, which specified that a concern for one’s safety in the face of dangers that were real and immediate was the process of a rational mind. Orr was crazy and could be grounded. All he had to do was ask; and as soon as he did, he would no longer be crazy and would have to fly more missions. Orr would be crazy to fly more missions and sane if he didn’t, but if he were sane he had to fly them. If he flew them he was crazy and didn’t have to, but if he didn’t want to he was sane and had to.” Stuck in a maddening situation he can’t seem to escape, it’s not long before Yossarian is more worried about his own commanders being the death of him than any enemy fighters.

For years I’ve heard people heap praise on Catch-22, and for years it’s been on my To Read pile. After recently finishing Kurt Vonnegut’s incredible anti-war novel Slaughterhouse-Five, I decided it was time to give Heller’s novel a go. After finishing the novel, I find myself in the awkward position of having to disagree with the countless fans of Catch-22. There are a few aspects of the novel I found both interesting and amusing, but I found the overall experience to be a frustrating slog, and by the end, I couldn’t help but wonder just what all the fuss is about. I will say that I am impressed by Heller’s distinct writing style. Like many of the greats, he has his own, unique style which I feel I could easily identify from just a sentence or two. I’m also impressed at how seamlessly he’s able to weave the comedy, tragedy, and absurdity of Yossarian’s predicament in a novel that takes place during one of the darkest periods of human history. This feat is not to be understated and I do hold a great deal of respect for Heller as a writer and as a storyteller. While the novel may be a humerous satire at its core, there are still some absolutely heartbreaking passages to be found within the books pages and these moments drive home the truly horrific and desperate nature of war. I didn’t know Heller served during WWII before I read the novel, but that became increasingly clear to me the more I read. Upon reading that he was also a bombardier, I was about as surprised as a fish being told water’s wet.

There are moments of great sadness to be found in the novel, but there are many more moments of great humour. Moments that, were it not for the death and suffering, reveal war for the absolute silliness it is. One scenario that springs to mind is a part where Yossarian attends a military parade completely nude, and another involves a character named Major Major Major who is quickly promoted to Major Major Major Major, with absolutely no hope of ever being either promoted or demoted. On top of the humour, Catch-22 also raises interesting questions about the nature of war, and I found it intriguing to read a WWII novel that doesn’t waste a second on the enemy force. I’d not considered that a reckless commanding officer can be far more deadly to a soldier than enemy fire. I was also very intrigued by the character of Milo Minderbinder, who creates his own business during the war and thinks only of turning a profit, regardless of whether his actions benefit the Allies or the Axis powers. Minderbinder is a reminder of perhaps the most loathsome aspect of war, those people, businesses, and corporations that seek to use war to turn a profit.

I hope I’ve made it clear that there are aspects of Catch-22 I greatly admire, but I’m afraid I felt ultimately underwhelmed by the novel. It’s obvious Heller intends to give readers a sense of the boredom and frustration those in the military are often subjected to, even in times of war, but that doesn’t change the fact I found many chapters to either be just plain dull or just plain frustrating, to the point where I felt it was wasting my time. I can understand that a book called Catch-22 aims to give the reader a similar feeling to Yossarian, but all too often the frustration I felt simply became unbearable as our protagonist has one conversation after another that results in nothing but confusion and frustration for both him and the reader. Two moments, in particular, got to me. One involved Yossarian asking a fellow comrade why he keeps apples in his mouth, and another in which he asks a soldier why a prostitute was hitting him over the head with a shoe. I will admit that one of these points is explained by an excellent reveal at the novel’s climax, but the other, as far as I can tell, served no other purpose than to make me want to throw the book out my bedroom window. At the beginning of certain chapters, I would feel my heart sink as I realised I was about to have to endure yet another conversation that would be tedious, confusing, and frustrating, and almost certainly amount to nothing. It could be argued this may be Heller’s intention, but that doesn’t mean this book can’t be an absolute slog to get through.

My next point may be more a matter of opinion, but I felt Catch-22 failed to give me a character I could root for. I struggled to care about most of the characters in this book, save perhaps for the young Nately, the homesick Chaplain, or the downtrodden Major Major Major Major. The rest of the characters, including Yossarian, are difficult to like, and a number of them I downright despised. Don’t misunderstand me, I’m not saying I need to have a morally good character to get behind in order to enjoy a novel, in fact, I love morally complex characters, give me a Holden Caulfield or a Captain Ahab any day, and I realise men in the middle of a war are rarely the most shining examples of virtue, who would be? But I found many of the characters here to be either boring, frustrating, or just loathsome.

Another issue I quickly discovered was the fact that the few female characters are extremely poorly written and would best be described as paper-thin, and appear to only be present as objects of sexuality. I can buy that men in the middle of a war may well view the few women around them through a fog of lust and frustration, but I struggle to think of a single female character who isn’t introduced by describing the shape of her body and the size of her breasts. There isn’t a single female character with any sense of self-agency and they appear to be little more than scenery for the characters and the reader. Yossarian manages to sleep with almost every woman he encounters, despite having no wit or charm, and this all culminates in one extremely uncomfortable chapter which sees Yossarian sexually assaults a nurse and then attempts to continue the assault with another patient in the hospital he’s in. I’m not clutching pearls here, either. I’m very much aware sexual assault occurs in the military, and I’m guessing it was rifer back then than it is today, but what made me feel so uncomfortable during that chapter was the way Heller seemed to show no interest in damming the actions of the characters, in fact, I got the very uneasy feeling the whole thing was meant to be another slapstick moment meant to amuse readers. To top it off, the nurse eventually becomes romantically involved with Yossarian and the incident is never again referred to. This is not the only example of misogyny in the novel. Many of the men grope women without their consent, and the only female character who comes close to being a fleshed-out character is exclusively referred to as ‘Nately’s Whore’. There are other instances of physical and mental abuse towards women, and one instance where gang rape is implied, though Heller never uses the word. I’m no stranger to books with adult and dark content, and I’m not accusing Heller of being a misogynist, but I struggle to understand his message when it came to the women in this book. Perhaps he was trying to highlight the abuse endured by women during war? If so he failed spectacularly with the tone and execution.

The novel’s climax was the only part where I felt it was really starting to pick up steam. I still don’t feel it made the overall journey worthwhile, but it did go some way towards mitigating the frustration and boredom. It did make me reevaluate some of my feelings towards the book, but my overall feeling was still one of relief that it was over. There are things I admire about it, and their are parts of Heller’s style I admire, but I found there to be too many issues to say I can recommend this title without some serious caveats. I do have a small suspicion that this book might grow on me after a second read, but it will be a long time before I have the patience for that. I like some things about this book, and other things I can’t stand. I didn’t enjoy it, but at the same time I wouldn’t encourage you to not read it if you’re intrigued. Did Heller just put me in my very own Catch-22?

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