Is not Catch-22 the greatest book of all time?
 

I do believe that it is!

(i read it over the weekend)

It's a great book, but I've read better. But I have to give him credit for thinking of the idea of the catch-22 scenarios and making it into a book.

Its just so well written . . and so shockingly funny that when it turns grisly you are not at all prepped for it at go into shock and read the paragraph four or five times to make sure that it really says that another one bites the dust.

Still, perhaps there are better books, and probably I have read them, but right now Im infatuated with C22.

Catch-22 is not so much a book as a joke that goes on much too long. The humor redeems it, but it's definitely not the best book ever. Go read some of Heinlein's stuff. At least he can write more than one book that sells.

I really enjoyed Catch-22, and am going to read it again this year. I recommended it to my friend, and he ended up reading it numerous times and buying his own copy.

It's definitely a great book.

And I don't believe an author should ever be criticized for the amount of selling literature he or she produces. To write a novel like Catch-22...that's something I would never be able to-gtg

Catch-22 is my favorite book of all time.

Consider that good books are written by good authors. Conversely, good authors write good books. Heller has written Catch-22. How many of his other books can you name off the top of your head?

I have to agree with sr here, Heinlein is probably one of THE best authors of all time. I also have to give Vonnegut his "props" too, I loved Harrison Bergeron, it is a reall good short story, all of you need to read it.

Vonnegut is from Indiana :)

I read Catch-22 as my book report for my composition class this year and it was excellent! My dad said that Heller's other books inhale audibly though...

Closing Time- the sequel to Catch-22. Loved it too, but not as good as Catch-22. Was very different in tone than Catch.

All I have to say is: Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy.

Something Happened, for one, although I have not yet read it. I plan to. I've heard its good. Catch-22 more than makes up for sucky books written. Note I said "book," not "author."

w00t ^____^

I agree.

Haven't read the book yet, but I love the ska band of the same name ;-)

Speaking of which...
*hits "9mm and a Three Piece Suit" on playlist*

I don't know why you said Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy

but w00t indeed.

I love the radio show as well as the books.

Interestingly enough, I found the humor in Hitchiker's Guide to be very similar to Catch 22. They both have the same element of random insanity.

If just being funny is enough to make something a good book, why not just nominate a book of jokes or random humorous anecdotes?
Being a good book is about more than just being funny.:eek:

But Catch-22 had a good stoy and lots of humor and class. It was above all else. I can't describe it, you'd have to read it.

I did, and I didn't think it was that great. It didn't really have much class either, at least not in the jokes. THe story was kind of :rolleyes:

I wouldn't say it was the greatest book ever, but I would say it's a good book. I enjoyed it, even if it wasn't my all-time favorite.

Oh man, I thought the story was great. I thought that was the best part. Satire isn't my favorite humor, so I actually got more into the story. Of course, I still appreciated the humor.

This is my fifth favorite book, and that is quite an honor. (IMO)

By that logic, To Kill A Mockingbird and Catcher in the Rye must be some of the worst books ever written. After all, their authors must not have had any talent what-so-ever since neither of them wrote anything else.


As for Catch-22: absolutely amazing! I read it for AP US History sophomore year and have since re-read it. It's the kind of humor I love and has a decent story to go along with it. Sure, it gets a little slow at times, but the satire is some of the best I've ever read.

Read Raise High the Roof Beam, Carpenters now.
Although I didn't like those either. Especially how everyone else seems to be totally in love with CitR, it's almost sickening.

If Catch-22 appeals to a certain person's sense of humor, then there's not really much that I can say. If the humor was the only reason it was good, then there's a problem. If you want a laugh, save your twelve bucks.

What are the first four?!!

(I already think I know)

Want great "in your face world!" reading? Look for Grendel by John Gardner. My senior english class hated it- I loved it. It's an interesting take on the old epic of Beowulf, told from the standpoint of a depressed monster. Good stuff if you ask me, then again, I also liked Catcher in the Rye and Farenheit 451.

Im currently reading Beowulf in my English Lit class, and its funny how you can see that a priest finally wrote the story on paper with all of the religious references that did not believe in or know about in that time of the world ;) I think after I finish it Im going to read Grendel.

Farenheit 451 was an interesting to say the least....

I have to say that Catch-22 and Hitchhikers guide are two of my favorites not only because of the crazy humor, but because it seems to fit in with the story. Its not like "And all of a sudden a pitch fork sprung from the floor, skewering all three characters at once." (though it may have something close in Hitchhiker's guide, i remember a certain unfortunate whale)
Anyway, its not a compilation of jokes with no connection to each other, except maybe by chapter title(Chapter 5, Knock knock jokes)

Have you ever seen the really old, really bad movie of Farenheit 451? It is so ungodly horrible, if memory serves me right. Btw, I have read the book, and it was fairly good.

Celsius 232.8 is a pretty cool book. It's one of the classics. I'm going to read it again soon.

Never read Catch-22.
Never read Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy.
Never read Beowulf.

I need to start reading more!! :(

Fahrenheit 451 was definitely interesting. The Ender's Game quartet rules! :D C.S. Lewis is a good author. If you're looking for a good read, check out Screwtape Letters. It's a very interesting book. Then there is that book that Ashlee recommended I read ... it was also very good - but I can't remember the name. :confused: Maybe Ashlee will help out! :)

- Katie

Most of Bradbury is interesting- I've determined him to be one of my favorite authors- I've read Martian Chronicles, Illustrated Man, and various short stories, and all seem pretty cool. I find it cool because it's what he percieved as the future in the 40s and 50s, and here we are living in it right now. Granted, there's no rockets to Mars yet, but the general theme of Farenheit rings almost painfully true- people are buying more into mass media and standardization rather than intelligence and self awareness. *shrugs* maybe book burning isn't too far off- most people these days would rather watch "Friends" on TV than read classics like Shakespeare, Beowulf, or Catch 22.

I totally agree. Oh wait, maybe you meant something else. :D
The Ender's game short story is so much better than any of the books.

I read the beginning of one of the Ender's game books(if there aren't more, well oops)
Sounded good, and I was gonna read more, but i got distracted with other things :)

heh, my Honors english class is reading Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead, which is Hamlet told through the eys of R+G, the inseperable sponges who Hamlet has killed. . . . sounds like its really good . . . (my english teacher read it at a courthouse while waiting for jury duty . . . . laughed out loud every coupla minutes or so. He looks crazy enough without random laughs as it is . .)

and then, interestingly enough, we are moving on to Catch-22. haha, i can't wait to study it and go deeper than a pleasure read.

Er ... that should have been:
(I've) never read ... :)

- Katie

Wow, i'm having flashbacks of my sr. year ap lit class. Read catch 22, the idea was good but it was kinda drawn out for a lonnnnggg time so it was decent but I've read better.

Rosencrantz and Guildenstern was a great play! First time you read it (you can finish it in an hour or two) you have no idea what just happened but it all makes sense eventually.

Other good plays that we read in AP lit were W;t and Equus. Definately check those out, they read really fast but are soooo good! We read a lot of novels too that year but the only one I really liked was One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest.

There's Kristina's short book reviews for now, as you can tell I'm big on reading...I was even an English Major for six whole weeks :)

Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead sounds pretty interesting. Who's it written by? Maybe I'll give up on trying to read White Noise and read that instead.

Yes, definately read it! It's by Tom Stoppard who wrote the screenplay for Shakespeare in Love. It's kinda "Waiting for Godot" like but way better in my opinion.

Since it's late, I'm bored, and I have no class tomorrow...oh, and I'm going through English withdrawl, more book recommendations by moi: Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen, Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden, Tender is the Night & The Great Gatsby both by Fitzgerald, and Blindness by Jose Saramago (new contemporary book if you haven't heard of it...really good!). IM me if you want details or more recs. I <3 reading

Wow, you just ruined it. I think I'll stick to my own schedule.

I liked Waiting for Godot . . . . . . . . . . .

I'm still going to read Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead