Spotlight on Books: WFM’S All Time Best: “Catch 22” by Joseph Heller

There are certain books that fundamentally shift your understanding of the definition of great literature. Catch 22 was revelation to me when I read it back in 1971. We were at the peak of the Vietnam War polarisation and the book was recommended to me by a mentor, Father Robert McLaughlin. Mr Heller’s 1961 masterpiece taught me the transformative power of daal comedy- the ability to find profound humour amid profound tragedy. A funny book could be a great book- a vehicle for understanding the complexities of the human condition. Disappearances, rape, murder, horror, criminality and despair are not generally fertile ground for brutal satire but Catch 22 did the trick. The book had cachet on release and was a college favourite during the Vietnam years. It had been nominated for a National Book Award, but its notoriety led to it being banned from libraries and reading curricula in many conservative school districts. Heller had served as a bombardier during WWII and he definitely relied on certain aspects of his own wartime duty in crafting the novel. We are all aware that the phase “Catch 22” has entered into the English language as shorthand for bureaucratic impossibility and craziness. I recommend the book to all- it remains sharp and timely 60 plus years after publication.

Catch 22 is set on the fictional Mediterranean island of Pianos during WWII. We follow Captain John Yossarian and his fellow American airman as they seek to avoid death amidst the carnage of the war. The book’s central concept- the infamous “Catch 22” drives the overall story. Simply stated, pilots are excused from flying further missions if they are insane or mentally ill. However, requesting to be excused from future missions is confirmation that you are totally sane. What could be more sane than trying to stay alive. Therefore, as an abundantly sane person you are assigned more missions. BINGO! It is logical irrationality. I laughed from my gut the first time I read it and couldn’t refrain from laughing every additional time I read it.

There are some challenges in reading this book. The structure is unconventional and it takes some time to adapt to it rhythms It is not a linear war novel. It is circular and repetitive. Heller jumps backward and forward in time, circles around events and presents freestanding anecdotes from multiple angles. Characters appear and disappear without explanation and conversations frequently wander off into the sunset. It is chaotic. However, the fragmented style works because it correlates with the absolutely bonkers world that Yossarian must navigate. The random episodes gradually coalesce into a coherent whole. It works and the ultimate message is crystal clear.

The novel’s greatest strength is the extraordinary cast of characters, each one sui generis- utterly unique and unforgettable. Each character captures different aspects of human frailty and institutional folly I made the effort of matching up each of the lead characters with the personalities of family members and good friends. There were lots of hits!! He covered an entire universe of strengths, weaknesses and quirks in his vivid individual portraits. The existence of overwhelming social pathologies that inevitably lead to complete institutional dysfunction is mind boggling and hilarious. Here is a sampling:

Captain Yossarian is at the centre of the novel. He is its moral conscience as he desperately tries to survive a system that he sincerely believes is trying to kill him. His paranoia comes increasingly rational. Yossarian shows compassion and maintains moral clarity. He makes a moral stand against corrupt leadership and chooses desertion over compromise.

Milo Minderbinder is corrupt. He represents capitalism run amok. He is a brilliant entrepreneur who turns war into a business opportunity, eventually bombing his own base because “the Germans pay better.” His black market syndicate (M and M Enterprises) where “everyone has share” is a prototype for modern doublespeak.

Colonel Cathcart is the boss and he is obsessed with promotion. He constantly increases the required number of missions. He is the perfect bureaucrat but has no regard for human life or the needs of his men.

Doc Daniela is the flight surgeon who explains the Catch 22 rule to Yossarian. He illustrates the absurd extremes that adherence to rigid bureaucratic rules will take an institution. He is officially dead due to paperwork errors but continues his medical practice despite technically not existing. Major Major Major is an officer promoted because of his name and he represents the randomness of the military hierarchy. Orr is Yossarian’s roommate who keeps crashing his planes into the sea. Captain McWatt accidentally kills another airman in a flying stunt. Nately is a young officer in love with an Italian prostitute. Chaplain Tappman provides a moral counterpoint, struggling to maintain faith and decency in an amoral and indecent world. An unlikely mosaic of compelling characters.

The novel pioneered what might be called “the theatre of the absurd” in American fiction. Humor illuminated horror. I found myself laughing out loud repeatedly- at Milo’s profit driven schemes, at Major Major’s sustained effort to avoid all contact with subordinates and at the circular logic which traps everyone in impossible situations. The laughter never undermines the novel’s serious critique of war and authority. Modern warfare is insane and only an absurd narrative can do justice to a crazy and zany subject matter. Frankly, the lessons on how humans are controlled by dehumanising systems can be applied with equal force to corporations, academia and government agencies. Catch 22 is a metaphor for any institution that perpetuates its own survival over human welfare. Yossarian is a symbol of anyone who is trapped by circumstances and reality beyond their control. Maintaining integrity, humanity and your soul is the ultimate challenge.

Catch 22 stands as proof that laughter and outrage can coexist in great literature. Heller created something genuinely unprecedented; a war novel that was anti war and a comedy that was deadly serious. His dark comic vision created a reading experience that was entertaining, thought provoking and transformative. I loved it!

A final observation. When I love one book by an author i usually find that their other work is also in my wheelhouse. See my earlier discussions of Ferrante, Caro, Halberstam and Orwell. Unfortunately, my experience with Mr Heller’s post Catch 22 was not satisfying. I found Something Happened - a setup of modern suburbia to be slow and repetitive. Good as Gold was a satire on his Jewish American identity but it was uneven and pretentious. I recommend Philip Roth if you wan to pursue that line of subject matter. For me, Heller is a one shot wonder.