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Catch-22
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Catch-22 is a satirical war novel by American author Joseph Heller. It was his debut novel. He began writing it in 1953; the novel was first published in 1961. Often cited as one of the most significant novels of the 20th century, it uses a distinctive non-chronological third-person omniscient narration, describing events from the points of view of different characters. The separate storylines are out of sequence so the timeline develops along with the plot.
"Catch-22" is a satirical novel by Joseph Heller, published in 1961, that uses a fragmented narrative structure to tell interconnected stories from multiple characters' perspectives during wartime. The novel is widely regarded as one of the most important works of the 20th century, known for its distinctive approach of presenting events out of chronological order so that the timeline unfolds alongside the plot.
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Book · Open Library
- Author
- Joseph Heller
- First published
- 1961
- Editions
- 134
- Subjects
- Open Library Staff Picks, Satire, War stories, Fiction, Drama, World War, 1939-1945, Catch-22 (Heller, Joseph), World War (1939-1945) fast (OCoLC)fst01180924
via Open Library
Key facts
- Book.name
- Catch-22
- Book.image
- Catch-22 (1961) front cover, first edition.jpg
- Book.caption
- First edition cover
- Book.author
- Joseph Heller
- Book.cover_artist
- Paul Bacon
- Book.country
- United States
- Book.language
- English
- Book.genre
- Dark comedy, absurdist fiction, satire, war fiction, historical fiction
- Book.publisher
- Simon & Schuster
- Book.release_date
- October 10, 1961
- Book.media_type
- Print (hardback)
- Book.pages
- 453 (1st edition hardback)
- Book.isbn
- 0-671-12805-1
- Book.dewey
- 813/.54 22
- Book.congress
- PS3558.E476 C3 2004
- Book.oclc
- 35231812
- Book.followed_by
- Closing Time (1994)
via Wikipedia infobox
Wikidata facts
- Image
- Catch-22 (1961) front cover, first edition.jpg
Show 5 more facts
- publication date
- 1961-00-00
- title
- Catch-22
- Dewey Decimal Classification (works and editions)
- 813.54
- first line
- It was love at first sight.
- units sold
- 1000000
Sources (8)
via Wikidata · CC0
~29 min read
Article
22 sectionsContents
- Synopsis
- Style
- Themes
- Paradox
- Tragedy and farce
- Theodicy
- Military-industrial complex
- Characters
- Influences
- Concept
- Literary allusions
- Historical context
- Title
- Publication and movie rights
- Reception
- Challenges
- Rankings
- Adaptations
- Selected releases
- See also
- References
- External links
Catch-22 is a satirical war novel by American author Joseph Heller. It was his debut novel. He began writing it in 1953; the novel was first published in 1961. Often cited as one of the most significant novels of the 20th century, it uses a distinctive non-chronological third-person omniscient narration, describing events from the points of view of different characters. The separate storylines are out of sequence so the timeline develops along with the plot.
The novel is set during World War II, from 1942 to 1944. It mainly follows the life of antihero Captain John Yossarian, a U.S. Army Air Forces B-25 bombardier. Most of the events in the book occur while the fictional 256th US Army Air Squadron is based on the island of Pianosa, in the Mediterranean Sea west of the Italian mainland, although it also includes episodes from basic training at Lowry Field in Colorado and Air Corps training at Santa Ana Army Air Base in California. The novel examines the absurdity of war and military life through the experiences of Yossarian and his cohorts, who attempt to maintain their sanity while fulfilling their service requirements so that they may return home.