This quarter I've decided to read Catch-22 by Joseph Heller.
I first became interested in this book in an Introduction to Satire class I signed up for on a whim this summer. The class was very peculiar... it was designed for ages 15-16 but taught by an over-enthusiastic Kindergarten teacher who laughed at anything anyone wrote (even if it wasn't very funny) and found the need to censor everything she gave us to read (including articles from The Onion and even a few passages of Jonathan Swift's "A Modest Proposal.") On the second to the last day of class she passed out photocopies of the first few pages of Catch-22. We looked at the stapled packet in front of us in shock. What is this? we thought, An actual, well-known piece of adult literature that HASN'T been edited for immoral content?
And just as Yossarian fell madly in love with the chaplain at first sight, I had fallen in love with the writer's ridiculous sense of humor after just the first few pages. A man in the war, faking a failing kidney disease just to stay safely within the comfortable hospital walls. Forced to censor letters every morning, (ah! So there is censorship involved here somewhere!) he makes a game out of it. One day is Death to all Modifiers, in which every adjective and adverb was crossed out. Another day is The War on Articles. And the serious tone laced with ridiculous concepts that defines this genre we call satire is promised to continue for the entire novel.
I can't wait to officially start this book. I hope you enjoy my weekly thoughts and musings along the way as much as I'm sure to enjoy the book itself.
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I read Jonathan Swift's satire peice "A Modest Proposal" last year in language arts and, in a sick sort of way, I enjoyed it. I think I am actually interested in reading Catch 22, if it in any way resembles A Modest Proposal. I will look into it.
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