Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Catch-22


My commute is being greatly enhanced by my nephew's Christmas present: Joseph Heller's Catch-22 on cd. I started the book many years ago but gave up on it. Listening to it is joy: Heller's cynicism buoys the spirits and he can be quite witty eg "Some men are born mediocre, some men achieve mediocrity, and some men have mediocrity thrust upon them. Major Major managed all three." Heller was once told by an interviewer that he'd never written anything as good as Catch-22 and Heller replied, "Who has?"

4 Comments:

Blogger Eurodog said...

Perhaps it is easier to listen to than to read. Will try it.

8:06 am  
Blogger kinglear said...

Yes its is a wonderful book, and despite being tongue in cheek I think much is probably true.
Of all the things in it, the nicest is the creation of "Major Major Major" by a computer in the Pentagon with a quirky sense of humour.
And which consigns him to a life bereft of his erstwhile friends....

10:01 am  
Blogger Whispering Walls said...

Let me know if you like it, ED.

That's right, KL: the IBM machine's sense of humour (humor?) was even greater than that of Major Major's father.

10:08 am  
Blogger Welshcakes Limoncello said...

Sounds interesting.

12:57 am  

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