🕷️ Crawler Inspector

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Raw Queries and Responses

1. Shard Calculation

Query:

Response:

Calculated Shard: 152 (from laksa081)

2. Crawled Status Check

Query:

curl -X POST \
  'http://laksa152.int.ahrefs:8124/' \
  -H 'Content-Type: text/plain' \
  -H 'X-ClickHouse-Database: crawler3' \
  -H 'Authorization: Basic YXBpOg==' \
  -d 'SELECT getAhrefsURLFromUnparsed(src_unparsed) AS found_url, ifNull(toUnixTimestamp(download_stamp), 0) AS crawl_time, ifNull(toUnixTimestamp(props_url_first_seen), 0) AS first_indexed_time, download_http_code AS http_code, src_unparsed AS src_unparsed, src_root_hash AS src_root_hash, history_drop_reason AS history_drop_reason, meta_title AS meta_title, meta_descriptions AS meta_descriptions, attrs_boilerpipe_text AS attrs_boilerpipe_text, attrs_markdown AS attrs_markdown, attrs_readable_markdown AS attrs_readable_markdown, meta_canonical AS meta_canonical FROM crawler3.page_info_local FINAL PREWHERE (src_root_hash, src_unparsed) IN ((getAhrefsRootHashFromUnparsed(getAhrefsUnparsedNoserviceFromURL(\'https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22\')), getAhrefsUnparsedNoserviceFromURL(\'https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22\'))) FORMAT JSONEachRow'

Response:

{"found_url":"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22","crawl_time":1775355794,"first_indexed_time":1376071111,"http_code":200,"src_unparsed":"org,wikipedia!en,\/wiki\/Catch-22 s443","src_root_hash":"17790707453426894952","history_drop_reason":null,"meta_title":"Catch-22 - Wikipedia","meta_descriptions":[],"attrs_boilerpipe_text":"Catch-22\nFirst edition cover\nAuthor\nJoseph Heller\nCover artist\nPaul Bacon\n[\n1\n]\nLanguage\nEnglish\nGenre\nDark comedy\n,\nabsurdist fiction\n,\nsatire\n,\nwar fiction\n,\nhistorical fiction\nPublisher\nSimon & Schuster\nPublication date\nOctober 10, 1961\n[\n2\n]\nPublication place\nUnited States\nMedia type\nPrint (hardback)\nPages\n453  (1st edition hardback)\nISBN\n0-671-12805-1\nOCLC\n35231812\nDewey Decimal\n813\/.54 22\nLC Class\nPS3558.E476 C3 2004\nFollowed by\nClosing Time\n(1994)\n \nCatch-22\nis a\nsatirical\nwar novel\nby American author\nJoseph Heller\n. It was his\ndebut novel\n. 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,\n[\n3\n]\nit uses a distinctive non-chronological\nthird-person omniscient\nnarration, 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 satirizes military bureaucracy and greed.\nThe novel is set during\nWorld War II\n, from 1942 to 1944. It mainly follows the life of\nantihero\nCaptain\nJohn Yossarian\n, a\nU.S. Army Air Forces\nB-25\nbombardier\n. Most of the events in the book occur while the fictional 256th US Army Air Squadron is based on the island of\nPianosa\n, in the\nMediterranean Sea\nwest of the Italian mainland, although it also includes episodes from basic training at\nLowry Field\nin Colorado and Air Corps training at\nSanta Ana Army Air Base\nin California. The novel examines the\nabsurdity\nof 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.\nThe book was made into a\nfilm adaptation\nin 1970, directed by\nMike Nichols\n, and a\nminiseries\nin 2019, produced by\nGeorge Clooney\n. In 1994, Heller published a sequel to the novel titled\nClosing Time\n.\nThe main character, Yossarian, is introduced in the setting of a military hospital where he has retreated under the guise of a chronic liver condition to avoid flying further combat missions since he has grown disillusioned with the war effort and distrustful of his commanding officers. Throughout the novel, the\ncommanding officers\nshow extreme disregard for the lives of their troops and are all too willing to sacrifice their men to further their own ends. In particular,\nColonel Cathcart\nvolunteers his unit to fly dangerous missions and forces his men to fly more combat missions than any other unit, constantly raising the number of missions necessary to complete a tour of duty so that the men can never return home, because he wishes to be seen as brave by his superiors even though he has only ever flown one combat mission. After flying forty-four combat missions, Yossarian has become\ntraumatized\nby aerial combat and witnessing the deaths of his friends; he is terrified of being killed in action during each combat mission, but still succeeds in flying twenty-seven more missions over the course of the novel, totaling seventy-one by the end. As the novel progresses, Yossarian's moral character and courage emerge more clearly, in contrast to his seeming selfishness and cowardice when first introduced. He is shown to be an honest, loyal, and able flyer who has been pushed to desperation by the selfishness and cowardice of the authorities responsible for him, especially doctors and military leaders.\nThe development of the novel can be split into sections:\nThe first (chapters 1–11) broadly follows the story fragmented between characters, but in a single chronological time in 1944.\nThe second (chapters 12–20) flashes back to focus primarily on the \"Great Big Siege of\nBologna\n\" before once again jumping to the third part.\nThe third (chapter 21–25) is the chronological present of 1944.\nThe fourth (chapters 26–28) flashes back to the origins and growth of\nMilo's\nsyndicate.\nThe fifth part (chapters 28–32) returns again to the narrative present and maintains the tone of the previous four.\nThe sixth and final part (chapter 32 and on) remains in the story's present, but takes a much darker turn and emphasizes  the darkness and brutality of war and life in general.\n[\n4\n]\nFor most of the book, the reader is cushioned from directly experiencing the full horror of war, but the existence of these horrors is implied by the extreme trauma and fear that afflicts the airmen. In the final section, these events are laid bare. The horror begins with a pointless attack on an undefended Italian mountain village, with the succeeding chapters incorporating depictions of despair (\nDoc Daneeka\nand the\nchaplain\n), disappearance in combat (\nOrr\nand Clevinger), disappearance caused by the army (Dunbar) and death of most of Yossarian's friends (\nNately\n, McWatt, Kid Sampson, Dobbs, Chief White Halfoat and Hungry Joe), culminating in the horrors of Chapter 39, in particular\nAarfy's\nrape and murder of the innocent young woman Michaela.\n[\n4\n]\nIn Chapter 41 the full details of the death of Snowden are finally revealed.\nNevertheless, the novel ends on an upbeat note with Yossarian learning of\nOrr's\nmiraculous escape to Sweden and Yossarian's pledge to follow him there.\nCatch-22\ndust jacket, first edition (1961)\nMany events in the book are repeatedly described from differing points of view, so the reader learns more about each event from each iteration, with the new information often completing a joke, the setup of which was told several chapters previously. The narrative's events are out of sequence, but events are referred to as if the reader is already familiar with them so that the reader must ultimately piece together a timeline of events. Specific words, phrases, and questions are also repeated frequently, generally to comic effect.\n[\ncitation needed\n]\nMuch of Heller's prose in\nCatch-22\nis circular and repetitive, exemplifying in its form the structure of a\nCatch-22\n.\nCircular reasoning\nis widely used by some characters to justify their actions and opinions. Heller revels in\nparadox\n. For example: \"\nThe Texan\nturned out to be good-natured, generous and likable. In three days no one could stand him,\" and \"The case against Clevinger was open and shut. The only thing missing was something to charge him with.\" This atmosphere of apparently logical irrationality pervades the book.\n[\ncitation needed\n]\nThis style is also recognizable regarding how exactly Clevinger's trial would be executed by Lieutenant Scheisskopf: \"As a member of the Action Board, Lieutenant Scheisskopf was one of the judges who would weigh the merits of the case against Clevinger as presented by the prosecutor. Lieutenant Scheisskopf was also the prosecutor. Clevinger had an officer defending him. The officer defending him was Lieutenant Scheisskopf.\"\n[\n5\n]\n: 76 \nWhile a few characters are most prominent, especially Yossarian and the Chaplain, the majority of named characters are described in detail with fleshed out or multidimensional personas to the extent that there are few if any \"minor characters\". There are no traditional heroes in the novel, reflecting the underlying commentary that war has no heroes, only victims.\n[\n6\n]\nAlthough its nonchronological structure may at first seem random,\nCatch-22\nis highly structured. It is founded on a structure of\nfree association\n; ideas run into one another through seemingly random connections. For example, Chapter 1, titled \"The Texan\", ends with \"everybody but the\nCID man\n, who had caught a cold from the fighter captain and come down with pneumonia.\"\n[\n5\n]\n: 24 \nChapter 2, titled \"Clevinger\", begins with \"In a way, the CID man was pretty lucky because outside the hospital the war was still going on.\"\n[\n5\n]\n: 25 \nThe CID man connects the two chapters like a free association bridge and eventually Chapter 2 flows from the CID man to Clevinger through more free association links.\nAs Heller utilizes an episodic structure for most of the novel, many chapters may appear to be a disjointed series of events with little or no connection with each other. However, individual chapters often deal with thematically unique ideas, such as Chapter 11 (“Captain Black”) which parodies\nRed Scare\n-era\nMcCarthyism\n, and Chapter 18 (“The Soldier Who Saw Everything Twice”) which explores theological concepts of mortality.\nYossarian\ncomes to fear his commanding officers more than he fears the Germans attempting to shoot him down and he feels that \"they\" are \"out to get him.\" The reason Yossarian fears his commanders more than the enemy is that as he flies more missions,\nColonel Cathcart\nincreases the number of required combat missions before a soldier may return home; he reaches the magic number only to have it retroactively raised. He comes to despair of ever getting home and is greatly relieved when he is sent to the hospital for a condition that is almost\njaundice\n. In Yossarian's words:\nThe enemy is anybody who's going to get you killed, no matter which\nside\nhe's on, and that includes Colonel Cathcart. And don't you forget that, because the longer you remember it, the longer you might live.\n[\n5\n]\n: 124 \nMuch of the farce in the novel is fueled by intentional and unintentional miscommunication, occasionally leading to tragic consequences. For example, Cathcart's desire to become a general is thwarted by ex-P.F.C. Wintergreen sabotaging his correspondence. Major Major's and Yossarian's mis-censoring of correspondence is blamed on the Chaplain, who is threatened with imprisonment as a result.\nYossarian\nquestions the idea that\nGod is all-powerful, all-good, and all knowing. The narrator seems to believe that God, if not evil, is incompetent. In chapter 18, Yossarian states that he \"believes in the God he doesn't believe in\", this version of God having created Hitler, the war, and all the failures of human life and society, as exemplified in the following passage:\n\"And don't tell me\nGod works in mysterious ways\n\", Yossarian continued, hurtling over her objections. \"There's nothing so mysterious about it. He's not working at all. He's playing or else He's forgotten all about us. That's the kind of God you people talk about – a country bumpkin, a clumsy, bungling, brainless, conceited, uncouth hayseed. Good God, how much reverence can you have for a Supreme Being who finds it necessary to include such phenomena as phlegm and tooth decay in His divine system of creation? What in the world was running through that warped, evil, scatological mind of His when He robbed old people of the power to control their bowel movements? Why in the world did he ever create pain? ... Oh, He was really being charitable to us when He gave us pain! Why couldn't He have used a doorbell instead to notify us, or one of His celestial choirs? Or a system of blue-and-red neon tubes right in the middle of each person's forehead. Any jukebox manufacturer worth his salt could have done that. Why couldn't He? ... What a colossal, immortal blunderer! When you consider the opportunity and power He had to really do a job, and then look at the stupid, ugly little mess He made of it instead, His sheer incompetence is almost staggering. ...\"\n[\n6\n]\nLater Heller writes of Yossarian wandering through a war-torn Italian city (Chapter 39):\n\"Yossarian quickened his pace to get away, almost ran. The night was filled with horrors, and he thought he knew how Christ must have felt as he walked through the world, like a psychiatrist through a ward full of nuts, like a victim through a prison full of thieves. What a welcome sight a leper must have been. At the next corner a man was beating a small boy brutally in the midst of an immobile crowd of adult spectators who made no effort to intervene ...\"\n[\n7\n]\nMilitary-industrial complex\n[\nedit\n]\nWhile the military's enemies are Germans, none appear in the story as enemy combatants. This ironic situation is epitomized on of the few appearances of German personnel in the novel, who act as pilots employed by the squadron's mess officer,\nMilo Minderbinder\n, to bomb the American encampment on Pianosa. This predicament indicates a tension between traditional motives for violence and the modern economic machine, which seems to generate violence simply as another means to profit, quite independent of geographical or ideological constraints which creates a\nmilitary–industrial complex\n.\n[\n8\n]\nHeller emphasizes the danger of profit-seeking by portraying Milo without \"evil intent\". Milo's actions are portrayed as the result of greed, not malice.\n[\n9\n]\nThe novel has over 50 named characters, many of whom have titular chapters dedicated to expanding on their personalities or motivations.\nHeller wanted to be a writer from an early age. His experiences as a\nbombardier\nduring World War II inspired\nCatch-22\n;\n[\n10\n]\nHeller later said that he \"never had a bad officer\". In a 1977 essay on\nCatch-22\n, Heller stated that the \"antiwar and antigovernment feelings in the book\" were a product of the Korean War and the 1950s rather than World War II itself. Heller's criticisms are not intended for World War II but for the Cold War and\nMcCarthyism\n.\n[\n11\n]\nThe influence of the 1950s on\nCatch-22\nis evident through Heller's extensive use of\nanachronism\n. Though the novel is ostensibly set in World War II, Heller intentionally included anachronisms like\nloyalty oaths\nand\ncomputers\n(\nIBM\nmachines) to situate the novel in the context of the 1950s.\n[\n9\n]\nMany of the characters are based on or connected to individuals from the 1950s:\nMilo Minderbinder's maxim \"What's good for M&M Enterprises is good for the country\" alludes to the former president of\nGeneral Motors\nCharles Erwin Wilson\n's 1953 statement before the Senate: \"What's good for General Motors is good for the country.\"\n[\n9\n]\nThe question of \"Who promoted\nMajor Major\n?\" alludes to\nJoseph McCarthy\n's questioning of the promotion of\nMajor Peress\n, an army dentist who refused to sign loyalty oaths.\n[\n9\n]\nCzech writer\nArnošt Lustig\nrecounts in his book\n3x18\nthat Joseph Heller told him that he would never have written\nCatch-22\nhad he not first read\nThe Good Soldier Švejk\nby\nJaroslav Hašek\n.\n[\n12\n]\nIn 1998, some critics raised the possibility that Heller's book had questionable similarities to\nLouis Falstein\n's 1950 novel,\nFace of a Hero\n. Falstein never raised the issue between\nCatch-22\n's\npublication and his death in 1995 and Heller claimed never to have been aware of the obscure novel. Heller said that the novel had been influenced by\nCéline\n,\nWaugh\nand\nNabokov\n. Many of the similarities have been stated to be attributable to the authors' experiences, both having served as U.S. Army Air Forces aircrew in Italy in World War II. However, their themes and styles are different.\n[\n13\n]\nA \"\nCatch-22\n\" is \"a problem for which the only solution is denied by a circumstance inherent in the problem or by a rule\".\n[\n14\n]\nFor example, losing something is typically a conventional problem; to solve it, one looks for the lost item until one finds it. But if the thing lost is one's glasses, one cannot see to look for them – a Catch-22. The term \"Catch-22\" is also used more broadly to mean a tricky problem or a no-win or absurd situation.\nIn the book, Catch-22 is a military rule typifying\nbureaucratic\noperation and reasoning. The rule is not stated in a precise form, but the principal example in the book fits the definition above: If one is crazy, one does not have to fly missions; and one must be crazy to fly. But one has to apply to be excused, and applying demonstrates that one is not crazy. As a result, one must continue flying, either not applying to be excused, or applying and being refused. The narrator explains:\nThere was only one catch and that was Catch-22, which specified that a concern for one's safety in the face of dangers that were real and immediate was the process of a rational mind.\nOrr\nwas crazy and could be grounded. All he had to do was ask; and as soon as he did, he would no longer be crazy and would have to fly more missions. Orr would be crazy to fly more missions and sane if he didn't, but if he were sane he had to fly them. If he flew them he was crazy and didn't have to, but if he didn't want to he was sane and had to. Yossarian was moved very deeply by the absolute simplicity of this clause of Catch-22 and let out a respectful whistle. (p. 56, ch. 5)\nOther forms of Catch-22 are invoked throughout the novel to justify various bureaucratic actions. At one point, victims of harassment by military police quote the MPs' explanation of one of Catch-22's provisions: \"Catch-22 states that agents enforcing Catch-22 need not prove that Catch-22 actually contains whatever provision the accused violator is accused of violating.\" Another character explains: \"Catch-22 says\nthey have a right to do anything we can't stop them from doing\n.\"\nYossarian comes to realize that Catch-22 does not actually exist, but because the powers that be claim it does, and the world believes it does, it nevertheless has potent effects. Indeed, because it does not exist, there is no way it can be repealed, undone, overthrown, or denounced. The combination of force with specious and spurious legalistic justification is one of the book's primary motifs.\nThe motif of bureaucratic absurdity is further explored in 1994's\nClosing Time\n, Heller's sequel to\nCatch-22\n. This darker, slower-paced, apocalyptic novel explores the pre- and post-war lives of some of the major characters in\nCatch-22\n, with particular emphasis on the relationship between Yossarian and tail gunner Sammy Singer.\nCatch-22\ncontains allusions to many works of literature.\nHoward Jacobson\n, in his 2004 introduction to the Vintage Classics publication, wrote that the novel was \"positioned teasingly ... between literature and literature's opposites – between\nShakespeare\nand\nRabelais\nand\nDickens\nand\nDostoevsky\nand\nGogol\nand\nCéline\nand the\nAbsurdists\nand of course\nKafka\non the one hand, and on the other\nvaudeville\nand\nslapstick\nand\nBilko\nand\nAbbott and Costello\nand\nTom and Jerry\nand\nthe Goons\n(if Heller had ever heard of the Goons).\"\n[\n15\n]\nOne critic argues that it is Kafka's influence that can be seen most strongly in the novel: \"Like Kafka's heroes, Yossarian is riddled with anxiety and caught in an inexorable nightmare – in his case created by Colonel Cathcart and the inevitability of his raising the number of missions he has to fly.\"\n[\n16\n]\nThe idea for\nCatch-22\nwas based on Joseph Heller's personal experience in World War II. The feelings that Yossarian and the other bomber crew felt were taken directly from problems he suffered while on duty. Heller flew 60 bombing missions from May to October in 1944. Heller was able to make it out of the war, but it took until 1953 before he could start writing about it. For this reason, the book contains references to post-World War II phenomena like IBM computers and\nloyalty oaths\n. The war experience turned Heller into a \"tortured, funny, deeply peculiar human being\".\n[\n17\n]\nAfter publication in 1961,\nCatch-22\nbecame very popular among teenagers at the time.\nCatch-22\nseemed to embody the feelings that young people had toward the Vietnam War. A common joke was that every student who went off to college at the time took along a copy of\nCatch-22\n. The popularity of the book created a cult following, which led to more than eight million copies being sold in the United States. On October 26, 1986, professor and author\nJohn W. Aldridge\nwrote a piece in\nThe New York Times\ncelebrating the 25th anniversary of the publishing of\nCatch-22\n. He commented that Heller's book presaged the chaos in the world that was to come:\nThe comic fable that ends in horror has become more and more clearly a reflection of the altogether uncomic and horrifying realities of the world in which we live and hope to survive.\n[\n18\n]\nThe title refers to a fictional bureaucratic stipulation that embodies illogical and immoral reasoning. The idea being that if one pleads insanity to stop flying missions with a high mortality rate, one is in fact sane; however, one must be insane to keep flying those exact missions.\n[\n8\n]\nThe opening chapter of the novel was first published, in 1955, by\nNew World Writing\nas\nCatch-18\n, but Heller's agent, Candida Donadio, asked him to change the title, to avert its confusion with\nLeon Uris\n's recently published\nMila 18\n.\n[\n19\n]\nThe implications in Judaism of the number\n18\n– which refers to\nchai\n, meaning \"alive\", in\nGematria\n– were relevant to Heller's somewhat greater emphasis on Jewish themes in early drafts of his novel.\n[\n20\n]\nHeller's daughter Erica wrote that the Simon & Schuster editor, Robert Gottlieb, was the person who came up with the number 22, and Gottlieb himself stated that he did in the documentary\nTurn Every Page: The Adventures of Robert Caro and Robert Gottlieb\n.\n[\n21\n]\nParallels among a number of character exchanges in the novel suggested the doubled-one title of\nCatch-11\n, but the 1960 release of\nOcean's Eleven\neliminated that.\n[\n19\n]\nCatch-17\nwas rejected so as not to be confused with the World War II film\nStalag 17\n, as was\nCatch-14\n, apparently because the publisher did not believe that 14 was a \"funny number\". Eventually, the title came to be\nCatch-22\n, which, like 11, has a duplicated digit, with the 2 also referring to a number of\ndéjà vu\n-like events common in the novel.\n[\n20\n]\nPublication and movie rights\n[\nedit\n]\nCatch-22\nwas sold to\nSimon & Schuster\n, where it had been championed by editor\nRobert Gottlieb\n, who, along with\nNina Bourne\n, edited and oversaw the marketing of the book.\n[\n19\n]\nGottlieb was a strong advocate for the book along with\nPeter Schwed\nand\nJustin Kaplan\n. Henry Simon, a vice president at Simon & Schuster, found it repetitive and offensive.\n[\n19\n]\nThe editorial board decided to contract the book when Heller agreed to revisions; he signed for\nUS$1,500\n in 1961 (equivalent to about $16,200 in 2025).\n[\n19\n]\nOfficially published on October 10, 1961, the hardcover sold for $5.95. The book was not a best-seller in hardcover in the United States. Though twelve thousand copies were sold by\nThanksgiving\n, it never entered\nThe New York Times\nBest Seller list\n. It received good notices and was nominated for the\nNational Book Award\nin March 1962, though\nWalker Percy\n's\nThe Moviegoer\nwon.\nCatch-22\nwent through four printings in hardcover but sold well on only the East Coast. The book never established itself nationally until it was published in paperback for 75 cents.\n[\n22\n]\n: 224–230 \nUpon publication in Great Britain, the book became the No. 1 best-seller.\n[\n22\n]\n: 233 \nDon Fine of\nDell Paperbacks\nbought the paperback reprint rights to\nCatch-22\nfor $32,000. Between the paperback's release in September 1962 and April 1963, it sold 1.1 million copies.\n[\n22\n]\n: 238–240 \nIn August 1962, Donadio brokered the sale of movie rights to\nColumbia Pictures\nfor $100,000 plus $25,000 to write a treatment or a first draft of a screenplay.\n[\n22\n]\n: 234 \nThe initial reviews of the book ranged from very positive to very negative. There were positive reviews from\nThe Nation\n(\"the best novel to come out in years\"), the\nNew York Herald Tribune\n(\"A wild, moving, shocking, hilarious, raging, exhilarating, giant roller-coaster of a book\") and\nThe New York Times\n(\"A dazzling performance that will outrage nearly as many readers as it delights\"). On the other hand,\nThe New Yorker\ndisliked it (\"doesn't even seem to be written; instead, it gives the impression of having been shouted onto paper\", \"what remains is a debris of sour jokes\"), and a second review from the\nNew York Times\nalso disliked it (\"repetitive and monotonous. Or one can say that it is too short because none of its many interesting characters and actions is given enough play to become a controlling interest\").\n[\n23\n]\nOne commentator of\nCatch-22\nrecognized that \"many early audiences liked the book for just the same reasons that caused others to hate it\".\n[\n24\n]\n: 11 \nThe book eventually gained a cult following, especially among teenagers and college students. Heller later remarked that in 1962, after appearing on the\nToday\nshow he went out drinking with the host at the time,\nJohn Chancellor\n, who handed him stickers that Chancellor had got privately printed reading \"YOSSARIAN LIVES\". Heller also said that Chancellor had been secretly putting them on the walls of the corridors and executive bathrooms in the NBC building.\n[\n24\n]\n: 11 \nAlthough the novel won no awards upon release, it has remained in print and is seen as one of the most significant American novels of the 20th century.\n[\n3\n]\nScholar and fellow World War II veteran\nHugh Nibley\nsaid it was the most accurate book he ever read about the military.\n[\n25\n]\nAs of 2016\nover ten million copies have been sold.\n[\n26\n]\nAlthough he continued writing, including a sequel novel\nClosing Time\n, Heller's later works were inevitably overshadowed by the success of\nCatch-22\n. When asked by critics why he had never managed to write another novel as good as his first, Heller would retort with a smile, \"Who has?\"\n[\n27\n]\nCatch-22\nhas landed on the list of the\nAmerican Library Association\n's banned and challenged classics.\nIn 1972, the\nStrongsville City School District\nschool board removed\nCatch-22\n, as well as two books by\nKurt Vonnegut\n, from school libraries and the curriculum.\n[\n28\n]\nFive families sued the school board. The\nSixth Circuit Court of Appeals\nrejected the claim, stating that school boards had the right to control the curriculum.\n[\n29\n]\nThe decision was overturned on appeal in 1976 in\nMinarcini v. Strongsville City School District\n.\n[\n28\n]\n[\n30\n]\nThe court wrote, \"A library is a storehouse of knowledge. Here we are concerned with the right of students to receive information which they and their teachers desire them to have.\"\n[\n29\n]\n[\n31\n]\nIn 1982, the U.S. Supreme Court employed a similar rationale in its decision in\nIsland Trees School District v. Pico\non the removal of library books.\n[\n29\n]\nBecause the book refers to some women as \"whores\", it was challenged at the\nDallas, Texas, Independent School District\n(1974) and\nSnoqualmie, Washington\n(1979).\n[\n28\n]\n[\n30\n]\nExternal videos\n\"50th Anniversary of Joseph Heller's\nCatch-22\n\"\n–\nLesley Stahl\nmoderating a panel made up of\nChristopher Buckley\n,\nRobert Gottlieb\n,\nMike Nichols\n, and\nScott Shepherd\n, October 18, 2011,\nC-SPAN\n[\n32\n]\nThe\nModern Library\nranked\nCatch-22\nas the 7th (by review panel) and 12th (by public) greatest English-language novel of the 20th century.\n[\n33\n]\nThe\nRadcliffe Publishing Course\nranked\nCatch-22\nas number 15 of the 20th century's top 100 novels.\n[\n34\n]\nThe Observer\nlisted\nCatch-22\nas one of the 100 greatest novels of all time.\n[\n35\n]\nTime\nputs\nCatch-22\nin the top 100 English-language modern novels (1923 onwards, unranked).\n[\n36\n]\nThe\nBig Read\nby the\nBBC\nranked\nCatch-22\nas number 11 on a web poll of the UK's best-loved book.\n[\n37\n]\nOpening title of the film adaptation\nCatch-22\nwas adapted into a\nfeature film of the same name\nin 1970, directed by\nMike Nichols\n.\nAlan Arkin\nportrayed Capt.\nYossarian\n, with an ensemble cast including\nArt Garfunkel\nas Nately,\nJon Voight\nas\nMilo Minderbinder\n,\nOrson Welles\nas General Dreedle, and\nMartin Balsam\nas\nColonel Cathcart\n, amongst many others.\nA\npilot\nfor a comedy series based upon\nCatch-22\nwas made and televised in 1973, with\nRichard Dreyfuss\nin the starring role of Yossarian.\n[\n38\n]\nCatch-22\nplay\n:\nAquila Theatre\nproduced a stage adaptation of\nCatch-22\n, based on Heller's 1971 stage adaptation. It was directed by\nPeter Meineck\n. This production toured the United States in 2007\/8 with a Bexhill on Sea production in the fall of 2008.\n[\n39\n]\nA\nsix-episode miniseries\nproduced by, and co-starring,\nGeorge Clooney\nwas picked up by\nHulu\nfor a straight-to-series order. It streamed on May 17, 2019. It was also broadcast by\nChannel 4\nin the\nUnited Kingdom\n.\nChristopher Abbott\nportrayed Yossarian, with\nKyle Chandler\nas Cathcart,\n[\n40\n]\nHugh Laurie\nas Major —— de Coverley, and Clooney as Lt. Scheisskopf.\nThis list covers the first and most recent printed publications by the original publisher\nSimon & Schuster\nas well as all other formats. Other print publishers include\nDell\n,\n[\n41\n]\nCorgi\n,\n[\n42\n]\nVintage\n,\n[\n43\n]\nBlack Swan\n,\n[\n44\n]\nÉditions Grasset\n,\n[\n45\n]\nand\nWahlström & Widstrand\n.\nThe original manuscript is held by\nBrandeis University\n.\n[\n46\n]\nHeller, Joseph (June 1961) [1961].\nCatch-22\n(hardback). New York: Simon & Schuster.\nISBN\n \n0-684-83339-5\n.\nOCLC\n \n35231812\n.\nHeller, Joseph (1961).\nCatch-22\n(advance paperback with signed bookplate). Simon & Schuster.\nISBN\n \n0-440-51120-8\n.\nHeller, Joseph (1978).\nCatch-22\n(signed limited edition leatherbound). Franklin Library.\nISBN\n \n0-8124-1717-8\n.\nHeller, Joseph (September 1996).\nCatch-22\n(paperback). Simon & Schuster.\nISBN\n \n0-684-83339-5\n.\nHeller, Joseph (October 1999).\nCatch-22\n(hardback). Simon & Schuster.\nISBN\n \n0-684-86513-0\n.\nHeller, Joseph (1980).\nCatch-22\n(unabridged audio cassette). reader Wolfram Kandinsky. Books On Tape.\nISBN\n \n0-7366-8962-1\n.\nHeller, Joseph (1984).\nCatch-22\n(audio cassette).\nCaedmon Audio\n.\nISBN\n \n0-694-50253-7\n.\nHeller, Joseph (1990).\nCatch-22\n(unabridged audio CD). reader\nJim Weiss\n. Books On Tape.\nISBN\n \n0-7366-9085-9\n.\nHeller, Joseph (1994).\nCatch-22\n(\nabridged\nedition audio cassette). reader\nAlan Arkin\n. DH Audio.\nISBN\n \n0-88646-125-1\n.\nHeller, Joseph (2007).\nCatch-22\n(unabridged audio CD). reader\nJay O. Sanders\n. Caedmon.\nISBN\n \n978-0-06-126246-3\n.\nHeller, Joseph (2008).\nCatch-22\n(unabridged audio CD). reader\nTrevor White\n. Hachette Audio.\nISBN\n \n978-1-4055-0387-7\n.\nAntinomy\nMorton's fork\n^\n\"Paul Bacon cover artist\"\n. Solothurnli. Archived from\nthe original\non January 19, 2008\n. Retrieved\nMarch 11,\n2011\n.\n^\nEller, Jonathan R. (2011).\nThe Story of Catch-22\n(50th anniversary ed.). Catch-22: Simon & Schuster. p. 469.\nISBN\n \n978-1451626650\n.\n{{\ncite book\n}}\n:  CS1 maint: location (\nlink\n)\n^\na\nb\n\"What is Catch-22? And why does the book matter?\"\n.\nBBC News\n. March 12, 2002\n. Retrieved\nMarch 11,\n2011\n.\n^\na\nb\nClinton S. Burhans, Jr. \"Spindrift and the Sea: Structural Patterns and Unifying Elements in Catch 22\".\nTwentieth Century Literature\n, Vol. 19, No. 4, pp. 239–250, 1973.\nJSTOR online access\n^\na\nb\nc\nd\nHeller, Joseph (June 1961) [1961].\nCatch-22\n(hardback). New York: Simon & Schuster.\nISBN\n \n0-684-83339-5\n.\nOCLC\n \n35231812\n.\n^\na\nb\nRosenbaum, Ron (August 2, 2011).\n\"Catch-22: The awful truth people miss about Heller's great novel\"\n.\nSlate\n. Retrieved\nJuly 3,\n2019\n.\n^\nHeller, Joseph (1995).\nCatch-22\n. Random House. p. 514.\nISBN\n \n978-0-679-43722-2\n.\n^\na\nb\nPodgorski, Daniel (October 27, 2015).\n\"Rocks and Hard Places Galore: The Bureaucratic Appropriation of War in Joseph Heller's Catch-22\"\n.\nThe Gemsbok\n. Your Tuesday Tome\n. Retrieved\nFebruary 21,\n2016\n.\n^\na\nb\nc\nd\nSorkin, Adam J. (1993).\nConversations with Joseph Heller\n. Jackson, MO: University Press of Mississippi. p. 150.\nISBN\n \n0-87805-635-1\n.\n^\nCraig, DM (1994). \"From Avignon to Catch-22\".\nWar, Literature & the Arts\n. Vol. 6, no. 2. pp. \n27–\n54.\n^\nHeller, Joseph (1977). \"Reeling in Catch-22\". In Lynda Rosen Obst (ed.).\nThe Sixties\n. New York: Random House\/Rolling Stone Press. pp. \n50–\n52.\n^\nSadlon, Zenny.\n\"Personal testimony by Arnošt Lustig\"\n. Zenny.com\n. Retrieved\nMarch 11,\n2011\n.\n^\nGussow, Mel\n(April 29, 1998).\n\"Critic's Notebook; Questioning the Provenance of the Iconic\nCatch-22\n\"\n.\nThe New York Times\n. Retrieved\nApril 1,\n2010\n.\n^\ncatch-22\n, Merriam-Webster. Retrieved March 8, 2012\n^\nRandom House\nISBN\n \n978-0-09-947046-5\nVintage Classics\n^\nMcDonald, Paul.\nReading Catch-22\n. Humanities E-Books\n^\nBailey, Blake (August 26, 2011).\n\"The Enigma of Joseph Heller\"\n.\nThe New York Times\n. Retrieved\nMay 7,\n2012\n.\n^\nAldridge, John W. (October 26, 1986).\n\"The Loony Horror of it all –\nCatch-22\nTurns 25\"\n.\nThe New York Times\n. Retrieved\nMarch 1,\n2018\n.\n^\na\nb\nc\nd\ne\nEller, Jonathan R. (October 1992). \"Catching a Market: The Publishing History of Catch-22\".\nProspects\n.\n17\n:\n475–\n525.\ndoi\n:\n10.1017\/S0361233300004804\n.\n^\na\nb\nN James. \"The Early Composition History of Catch-22\". In\nBiographies of Books: The Compositional Histories of Notable American Writings\n, J Barbour, T Quirk (edi.) pp. 262–290. Columbia: University of Missouri Press,\n1996\n.\n^\nHeller, Erica (August 4, 2011).\n\"Catch-18\"\n.\nThe Paris Review\n. Retrieved\nMarch 12,\n2023\n.\n^\na\nb\nc\nd\nDaugherty, Tracy (2011).\nJust One Catch: A Biography of Joseph Heller\n. New York: St. Martin's Press.\nISBN\n \n978-0312596859\n.\n^\n\"The Internet Public Library: Online Literary Criticism Collection\"\n. Ipl.org. Archived from\nthe original\non January 6, 2011\n. Retrieved\nMarch 11,\n2011\n.\n^\na\nb\nHeller, Joseph (1994) [1961].\nCatch-22\n. New York: Simon & Schuster.\nISBN\n \n0-671-50233-6\n.\n^\nHugh Nibley and Alex Nibley,\nSergeant Nibley PhD.: Memories of an Unlikely Screaming Eagle\n, Salt Lake City: Shadow Mountain,\n2006\n, p. 255\n^\nJordison, Sam (August 23, 2016).\n\"Catch-22's 10m copies: how a bitter satire became a bestseller\"\n.\nThe Guardian\n.\nISSN\n \n0261-3077\n. Retrieved\nJune 13,\n2024\n.\n^\n\"Joseph Heller and his fiction. The first cut is the deepest\"\n.\nThe Economist\n. October 8, 2011\n. Retrieved\nMarch 3,\n2017\n.\n^\na\nb\nc\nOffice of Intellectual Freedom (March 26, 2013).\n\"Banned & Challenged Classics\"\n.\nAmerican Library Association\n. Retrieved\nJune 18,\n2021\n.\n^\na\nb\nc\nHudson, David L.\n\"Minarcini v. Strongsville City School District (6th Circuit)\"\n.\nMiddle Tennessee State University\n. Retrieved\nJune 18,\n2021\n.\n^\na\nb\nPal, Anupama (February 24, 2016). \"Banning Joseph Heller's Catch-22: The Case of Minarcini v. Strongsville City School District and Issues of First Amendment Rights, Intellectual Freedom, and Censorship\".\nElon Law Review\n.\n8\n(41):\n41–\n60.\n^\n\"U.S. Court Says School Boards Cannot Remove Library Books\"\n.\nThe New York Times\n. August 31, 1976.\nISSN\n \n0362-4331\n. Retrieved\nJune 18,\n2021\n.\n^\n\"50th Anniversary of Joseph Heller's Catch-22\"\n.\nC-SPAN\n. October 18, 2011\n. Retrieved\nJanuary 8,\n2017\n.\n^\nRandomhouse.com\nModern Library\n's 100 best novels of the 20th century\n^\nHuber, Herbert.\n\"Radcliffe Publishing Course: the twentieth century's top 100 novels\"\n. Lesekost.de. Archived from\nthe original\non March 17, 2011\n. Retrieved\nMarch 11,\n2011\n.\n^\nMcCrum, Robert (August 8, 2006).\n\"The Observer's greatest novels of all time\"\n.\nThe Observer\n. UK\n. Retrieved\nMarch 11,\n2011\n.\n^\n\"Time's top 100 English language modern novels\"\n.\nTime\n. October 16, 2005. Archived from\nthe original\non October 19, 2005\n. Retrieved\nMarch 11,\n2011\n.\n^\nThe BBC's Big Read\n^\nHolloway, Daniel (April 23, 2019).\n\"How George Clooney and Christopher Abbott Battled to Bring 'Catch-22' Into the 21st Century\"\n.\nVariety\n. Retrieved\nJune 13,\n2024\n.\n^\nPhythyon, John. R. Jr.\n(March 2, 2008).\n\"\nCatch-22\na nearly perfect adaptation\"\n.\nThe Lawrence Journal-World & News\n.\n^\nOtterson, Joe (April 13, 2018).\n\"\n'Catch-22' Casting Shuffle: Kyle Chandler Takes Over as Cathcart, George Clooney Switches Roles\"\n.\nVariety\n. Retrieved\nApril 13,\n2018\n.\n^\n\"Catch-22(Dell 1120) Paperback – January 1, 1964 by Joseph Heller (Author)\"\n.\nAmazon\n.\n^\n\"Catch 22 By Joseph Heller Vintage 1973 Paperback Corgi Books Early Edition\"\n.\neBay\n.\n^\n\"Catch-22 by Joseph Heller (Paperback, 1994) Vintage\"\n.\neBay\n.\n^\nHeller, Joseph (1985).\nCatch-22 Paperback – Import, January 1, 1985 by joseph-heller (Author)\n. Black Swan.\nISBN\n \n0552991953\n.\n^\nHeller, Joseph (2000).\nCatch 22 Paperback – January 1, 1985 French Edition by Joseph Heller (Author)\n. B. Grasset.\nISBN\n \n2246269318\n.\n^\nHeller archive\nArchived\nJune 8, 2010, at the\nWayback Machine\n, Brandeis University.\nWikimedia Commons has media related to\nCatch-22\n.\nWikiquote has quotations related to\nCatch-22\n.\nLibrarything.com with many photos of other\nCatch-22\ncovers\nPhotos of the first edition of\nCatch-22\nCatch-22 as a figure of speech\nCatch-22\nstudy guide\n – analysis, themes, quotes, and teaching guide\nWhy a novel so acclaimed took 46 years to make it to the stage: How the cult classic was adapted for the stage\nHistory of combat crew rotation - World War II and Korean War\nHistorical Sources for the Events in Joseph Heller's Novel, Catch-22 By Daniel Setzer","attrs_markdown":"[Jump to content](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#bodyContent)\n\nMain menu\n\nMain menu\n\nmove to sidebar\n\nhide\n\nNavigation\n\n- [Main page](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Main_Page \"Visit the main page [z]\")\n- [Contents](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Wikipedia:Contents \"Guides to browsing Wikipedia\")\n- [Current events](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Portal:Current_events \"Articles related to current events\")\n- [Random article](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Special:Random \"Visit a randomly selected article [x]\")\n- [About Wikipedia](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Wikipedia:About \"Learn about Wikipedia and how it works\")\n- [Contact us](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Wikipedia:Contact_us \"How to contact Wikipedia\")\n\nContribute\n\n- [Help](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Help:Contents \"Guidance on how to use and edit Wikipedia\")\n- [Learn to edit](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Help:Introduction \"Learn how to edit Wikipedia\")\n- [Community portal](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Wikipedia:Community_portal \"The hub for editors\")\n- [Recent changes](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Special:RecentChanges \"A list of recent changes to Wikipedia [r]\")\n- [Upload file](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Wikipedia:File_upload_wizard \"Add images or other media for use on Wikipedia\")\n- [Special pages](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Special:SpecialPages \"A list of all special pages [q]\")\n\n[![](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/static\/images\/icons\/enwiki-25.svg) ![Wikipedia](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/static\/images\/mobile\/copyright\/wikipedia-wordmark-en-25.svg) ![The Free Encyclopedia](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/static\/images\/mobile\/copyright\/wikipedia-tagline-en-25.svg)](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Main_Page)\n\n[Search](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Special:Search \"Search Wikipedia [f]\")\n\nAppearance\n\n- [Donate](https:\/\/donate.wikimedia.org\/?wmf_source=donate&wmf_medium=sidebar&wmf_campaign=en.wikipedia.org&uselang=en)\n- [Create account](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/w\/index.php?title=Special:CreateAccount&returnto=Catch-22 \"You are encouraged to create an account and log in; however, it is not mandatory\")\n- [Log in](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/w\/index.php?title=Special:UserLogin&returnto=Catch-22 \"You're encouraged to log in; however, it's not mandatory. [o]\")\n\nPersonal tools\n\n- [Donate](https:\/\/donate.wikimedia.org\/?wmf_source=donate&wmf_medium=sidebar&wmf_campaign=en.wikipedia.org&uselang=en)\n- [Create account](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/w\/index.php?title=Special:CreateAccount&returnto=Catch-22 \"You are encouraged to create an account and log in; however, it is not mandatory\")\n- [Log in](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/w\/index.php?title=Special:UserLogin&returnto=Catch-22 \"You're encouraged to log in; however, it's not mandatory. [o]\")\n\n## Contents\nmove to sidebar\n\nhide\n\n- [(Top)](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22)\n- [1 Synopsis](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#Synopsis)\n- [2 Style](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#Style)\n- [3 Themes](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#Themes)\n  Toggle Themes subsection\n  - [3\\.1 Paradox](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#Paradox)\n  - [3\\.2 Tragedy and farce](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#Tragedy_and_farce)\n  - [3\\.3 Theodicy](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#Theodicy)\n  - [3\\.4 Military-industrial complex](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#Military-industrial_complex)\n- [4 Characters](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#Characters)\n- [5 Influences](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#Influences)\n- [6 Concept](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#Concept)\n- [7 Literary allusions](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#Literary_allusions)\n- [8 Historical context](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#Historical_context)\n- [9 Title](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#Title)\n- [10 Publication and movie rights](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#Publication_and_movie_rights)\n- [11 Reception](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#Reception)\n  Toggle Reception subsection\n  - [11\\.1 Challenges](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#Challenges)\n- [12 Rankings](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#Rankings)\n- [13 Adaptations](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#Adaptations)\n- [14 Selected releases](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#Selected_releases)\n- [15 See also](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#See_also)\n- [16 References](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#References)\n- [17 External links](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#External_links)\n\nToggle the table of contents\n\n# *Catch-22*\n41 languages\n\n- [العربية](https:\/\/ar.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/%D9%83%D8%A7%D8%AA%D8%B4-22 \"كاتش-22 – Arabic\")\n- [Azərbaycanca](https:\/\/az.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Madd%C9%99_22 \"Maddə 22 – Azerbaijani\")\n- [Беларуская (тарашкевіца)](https:\/\/be-tarask.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/%D0%92%D1%8B%D0%BA%D1%80%D1%83%D1%82-22 \"Выкрут-22 – Belarusian (Taraškievica orthography)\")\n- [Български](https:\/\/bg.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/%D0%9F%D0%B0%D1%80%D0%B0%D0%B3%D1%80%D0%B0%D1%84_22 \"Параграф 22 – Bulgarian\")\n- [বাংলা](https:\/\/bn.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/%E0%A6%95%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%AF%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%9A-%E0%A7%A8%E0%A7%A8 \"ক্যাচ-২২ – Bangla\")\n- [Català](https:\/\/ca.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22_\$novel%C2%B7la\$ \"Catch-22 (novel·la) – Catalan\")\n- [Čeština](https:\/\/cs.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Hlava_XXII \"Hlava XXII – Czech\")\n- [Dansk](https:\/\/da.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Punkt_22 \"Punkt 22 – Danish\")\n- [Deutsch](https:\/\/de.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22 \"Catch-22 – German\")\n- [Esperanto](https:\/\/eo.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22 \"Catch-22 – Esperanto\")\n- [Español](https:\/\/es.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Trampa_22_\$libro\$ \"Trampa 22 (libro) – Spanish\")\n- [فارسی](https:\/\/fa.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/%D8%AA%D8%A8%D8%B5%D8%B1%D9%87_%DB%B2%DB%B2 \"تبصره ۲۲ – Persian\")\n- [Suomi](https:\/\/fi.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Me_sotasankarit \"Me sotasankarit – Finnish\")\n- [Français](https:\/\/fr.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch_22_\$roman\$ \"Catch 22 (roman) – French\")\n- [Gaeilge](https:\/\/ga.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22 \"Catch-22 – Irish\")\n- [עברית](https:\/\/he.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/%D7%9E%D7%9C%D7%9B%D7%95%D7%93_22 \"מלכוד 22 – Hebrew\")\n- [Hrvatski](https:\/\/hr.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Kvaka_22 \"Kvaka 22 – Croatian\")\n- [Magyar](https:\/\/hu.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/A_22-es_csapd%C3%A1ja_\$reg%C3%A9ny\$ \"A 22-es csapdája (regény) – Hungarian\")\n- [Հայերեն](https:\/\/hy.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/%D4%BE%D5%B8%D6%82%D5%B2%D5%A1%D5%AF_22 \"Ծուղակ 22 – Armenian\")\n- [Bahasa Indonesia](https:\/\/id.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22 \"Catch-22 – Indonesian\")\n- [Italiano](https:\/\/it.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Comma_22_\$romanzo\$ \"Comma 22 (romanzo) – Italian\")\n- [日本語](https:\/\/ja.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/%E3%82%AD%E3%83%A3%E3%83%83%E3%83%81%3D22 \"キャッチ=22 – Japanese\")\n- [ქართული](https:\/\/ka.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/%E1%83%AE%E1%83%90%E1%83%A4%E1%83%90%E1%83%9C%E1%83%92%E1%83%98-22 \"ხაფანგი-22 – Georgian\")\n- [한국어](https:\/\/ko.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/%EC%BA%90%EC%B9%98-22 \"캐치-22 – Korean\")\n- [Кыргызча](https:\/\/ky.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/%D0%90%D0%B9%D0%BB%D0%B0-22 \"Айла-22 – Kyrgyz\")\n- [Македонски](https:\/\/mk.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/%D0%97%D0%B0%D0%BC%D0%BA%D0%B0_22 \"Замка 22 – Macedonian\")\n- [മലയാളം](https:\/\/ml.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/%E0%B4%95%E0%B5%8D%E0%B4%AF%E0%B4%BE%E0%B4%9A%E0%B5%8D%E0%B4%9A%E0%B5%8D-22 \"ക്യാച്ച്-22 – Malayalam\")\n- [Nederlands](https:\/\/nl.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22_\$roman\$ \"Catch-22 (roman) – Dutch\")\n- [Norsk bokmål](https:\/\/no.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22 \"Catch-22 – Norwegian Bokmål\")\n- [Polski](https:\/\/pl.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Paragraf_22 \"Paragraf 22 – Polish\")\n- [Português](https:\/\/pt.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22 \"Catch-22 – Portuguese\")\n- [Română](https:\/\/ro.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22 \"Catch-22 – Romanian\")\n- [Русский](https:\/\/ru.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/%D0%A3%D0%BB%D0%BE%D0%B2%D0%BA%D0%B0-22 \"Уловка-22 – Russian\")\n- [Srpskohrvatski \/ српскохрватски](https:\/\/sh.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22 \"Catch-22 – Serbo-Croatian\")\n- [Slovenčina](https:\/\/sk.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Hlava_XXII_\$rom%C3%A1n\$ \"Hlava XXII (román) – Slovak\")\n- [Српски \/ srpski](https:\/\/sr.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/%D0%9A%D0%B2%D0%B0%D0%BA%D0%B0_22 \"Квака 22 – Serbian\")\n- [Svenska](https:\/\/sv.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Moment_22 \"Moment 22 – Swedish\")\n- [Türkçe](https:\/\/tr.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Madde_22 \"Madde 22 – Turkish\")\n- 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the free encyclopedia\n\n1961 novel by Joseph Heller\n\nFor other uses, see [Catch-22 (disambiguation)](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22_\$disambiguation\$ \"Catch-22 (disambiguation)\").\n\n|   |   |\n|---|---|\n| [![](https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/thumb\/8\/80\/Catch-22_%281961%29_front_cover%2C_first_edition.jpg\/250px-Catch-22_%281961%29_front_cover%2C_first_edition.jpg)](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/File:Catch-22_\$1961\$_front_cover,_first_edition.jpg)First edition cover |   |\n| Author | [Joseph Heller](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Joseph_Heller \"Joseph Heller\") |\n| Cover artist | [Paul Bacon](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Paul_Bacon_\$designer\$ \"Paul Bacon (designer)\")[\\[1\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_note-1) |\n| Language | English |\n| Genre | [Dark comedy](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Dark_comedy \"Dark comedy\"), [absurdist fiction](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Absurdist_fiction \"Absurdist fiction\"), [satire](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Satire \"Satire\"), [war fiction](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/War_novel \"War novel\"), [historical fiction](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Historical_fiction \"Historical fiction\") |\n| Publisher | [Simon & Schuster](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Simon_%26_Schuster \"Simon & Schuster\") |\n| Publication date | October 10, 1961[\\[2\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_note-2) |\n| Publication place | United States |\n| Media type | Print (hardback) |\n| Pages | 453 (1st edition hardback) |\n| [ISBN](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/ISBN_\$identifier\$ \"ISBN (identifier)\") | [0-671-12805-1](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Special:BookSources\/0-671-12805-1 \"Special:BookSources\/0-671-12805-1\") |\n| [OCLC](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/OCLC_\$identifier\$ \"OCLC (identifier)\") | [35231812](https:\/\/www.worldcat.org\/oclc\/35231812) |\n| [Dewey Decimal](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Dewey_Decimal_Classification \"Dewey Decimal Classification\") | 813\/.54 22 |\n| [LC Class](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/LCC_\$identifier\$ \"LCC (identifier)\") | PS3558.E476 C3 2004 |\n| Followed by | *[Closing Time](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Closing_Time_\$novel\$ \"Closing Time (novel)\")* (1994) |\n\n***Catch-22*** is a [satirical](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Satirical \"Satirical\") [war novel](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/War_novel \"War novel\") by American author [Joseph Heller](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Joseph_Heller \"Joseph Heller\"). It was his [debut novel](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Debut_novel \"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,[\\[3\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_note-BBC-3) it uses a distinctive non-chronological [third-person omniscient](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Narrative_mode#Third-person,_omniscient \"Narrative mode\") 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 satirizes military bureaucracy and greed.\n\nThe novel is set during [World War II](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/World_War_II \"World War II\"), from 1942 to 1944. It mainly follows the life of [antihero](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Antihero \"Antihero\") [Captain](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Captain_\$United_States_O-3\$ \"Captain (United States O-3)\") [John Yossarian](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Yossarian \"Yossarian\"), a [U.S. Army Air Forces](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/United_States_Army_Air_Forces \"United States Army Air Forces\") [B-25](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/B-25 \"B-25\") [bombardier](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Bombardier_\$aircrew\$ \"Bombardier (aircrew)\"). Most of the events in the book occur while the fictional 256th US Army Air Squadron is based on the island of [Pianosa](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Pianosa \"Pianosa\"), in the [Mediterranean Sea](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Mediterranean_Sea \"Mediterranean Sea\") west of the Italian mainland, although it also includes episodes from basic training at [Lowry Field](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Lowry_Air_Force_Base \"Lowry Air Force Base\") in Colorado and Air Corps training at [Santa Ana Army Air Base](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Santa_Ana_Army_Air_Base \"Santa Ana Army Air Base\") in California. The novel examines the [absurdity](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Absurdity \"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.\n\nThe book was made into a [film adaptation](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22_\$film\$ \"Catch-22 (film)\") in 1970, directed by [Mike Nichols](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Mike_Nichols \"Mike Nichols\"), and a [miniseries](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22_\$miniseries\$ \"Catch-22 (miniseries)\") in 2019, produced by [George Clooney](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/George_Clooney \"George Clooney\"). In 1994, Heller published a sequel to the novel titled *[Closing Time](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Closing_Time_\$novel\$ \"Closing Time (novel)\")*.\n\n## Synopsis\n\\[[edit](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/w\/index.php?title=Catch-22&action=edit&section=1 \"Edit section: Synopsis\")\\]\n\nThe main character, Yossarian, is introduced in the setting of a military hospital where he has retreated under the guise of a chronic liver condition to avoid flying further combat missions since he has grown disillusioned with the war effort and distrustful of his commanding officers. Throughout the novel, the [commanding officers](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Commanding_officer \"Commanding officer\") show extreme disregard for the lives of their troops and are all too willing to sacrifice their men to further their own ends. In particular, [Colonel Cathcart](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Colonel_Cathcart \"Colonel Cathcart\") volunteers his unit to fly dangerous missions and forces his men to fly more combat missions than any other unit, constantly raising the number of missions necessary to complete a tour of duty so that the men can never return home, because he wishes to be seen as brave by his superiors even though he has only ever flown one combat mission. After flying forty-four combat missions, Yossarian has become [traumatized](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Traumatized \"Traumatized\") by aerial combat and witnessing the deaths of his friends; he is terrified of being killed in action during each combat mission, but still succeeds in flying twenty-seven more missions over the course of the novel, totaling seventy-one by the end. As the novel progresses, Yossarian's moral character and courage emerge more clearly, in contrast to his seeming selfishness and cowardice when first introduced. He is shown to be an honest, loyal, and able flyer who has been pushed to desperation by the selfishness and cowardice of the authorities responsible for him, especially doctors and military leaders.\n\nThe development of the novel can be split into sections:\n\n- The first (chapters 1–11) broadly follows the story fragmented between characters, but in a single chronological time in 1944.\n- The second (chapters 12–20) flashes back to focus primarily on the \"Great Big Siege of [Bologna](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Bologna \"Bologna\")\" before once again jumping to the third part.\n- The third (chapter 21–25) is the chronological present of 1944.\n- The fourth (chapters 26–28) flashes back to the origins and growth of [Milo's](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Milo_Minderbinder \"Milo Minderbinder\") syndicate.\n- The fifth part (chapters 28–32) returns again to the narrative present and maintains the tone of the previous four.\n- The sixth and final part (chapter 32 and on) remains in the story's present, but takes a much darker turn and emphasizes the darkness and brutality of war and life in general.[\\[4\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_note-Burhans-4)\n\nFor most of the book, the reader is cushioned from directly experiencing the full horror of war, but the existence of these horrors is implied by the extreme trauma and fear that afflicts the airmen. In the final section, these events are laid bare. The horror begins with a pointless attack on an undefended Italian mountain village, with the succeeding chapters incorporating depictions of despair ([Doc Daneeka](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Doc_Daneeka \"Doc Daneeka\") and the [chaplain](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Chaplain_Tappman \"Chaplain Tappman\")), disappearance in combat ([Orr](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Orr_\$Catch-22\$ \"Orr (Catch-22)\") and Clevinger), disappearance caused by the army (Dunbar) and death of most of Yossarian's friends ([Nately](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Nately \"Nately\"), McWatt, Kid Sampson, Dobbs, Chief White Halfoat and Hungry Joe), culminating in the horrors of Chapter 39, in particular [Aarfy's](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Captain_Aardvark \"Captain Aardvark\") rape and murder of the innocent young woman Michaela.[\\[4\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_note-Burhans-4) In Chapter 41 the full details of the death of Snowden are finally revealed.\n\nNevertheless, the novel ends on an upbeat note with Yossarian learning of [Orr's](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Orr_\$Catch-22\$ \"Orr (Catch-22)\") miraculous escape to Sweden and Yossarian's pledge to follow him there.\n\n## Style\n\\[[edit](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/w\/index.php?title=Catch-22&action=edit&section=2 \"Edit section: Style\")\\]\n\n[![](https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/thumb\/6\/66\/Catch-22_%281961%29_dust_jacket%2C_first_edition.jpg\/500px-Catch-22_%281961%29_dust_jacket%2C_first_edition.jpg)](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/File:Catch-22_\$1961\$_dust_jacket,_first_edition.jpg)\n\n*Catch-22* dust jacket, first edition (1961)\n\nMany events in the book are repeatedly described from differing points of view, so the reader learns more about each event from each iteration, with the new information often completing a joke, the setup of which was told several chapters previously. The narrative's events are out of sequence, but events are referred to as if the reader is already familiar with them so that the reader must ultimately piece together a timeline of events. Specific words, phrases, and questions are also repeated frequently, generally to comic effect.\\[*[citation needed](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Wikipedia:Citation_needed \"Wikipedia:Citation needed\")*\\]\n\nMuch of Heller's prose in *Catch-22* is circular and repetitive, exemplifying in its form the structure of a [Catch-22](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22_\$logic\$ \"Catch-22 (logic)\"). [Circular reasoning](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Circular_reasoning \"Circular reasoning\") is widely used by some characters to justify their actions and opinions. Heller revels in [paradox](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Paradox \"Paradox\"). For example: \"[The Texan](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/The_Texan_\$fictional_character\$ \"The Texan (fictional character)\") turned out to be good-natured, generous and likable. In three days no one could stand him,\" and \"The case against Clevinger was open and shut. The only thing missing was something to charge him with.\" This atmosphere of apparently logical irrationality pervades the book.\\[*[citation needed](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Wikipedia:Citation_needed \"Wikipedia:Citation needed\")*\\] This style is also recognizable regarding how exactly Clevinger's trial would be executed by Lieutenant Scheisskopf: \"As a member of the Action Board, Lieutenant Scheisskopf was one of the judges who would weigh the merits of the case against Clevinger as presented by the prosecutor. Lieutenant Scheisskopf was also the prosecutor. Clevinger had an officer defending him. The officer defending him was Lieutenant Scheisskopf.\"[\\[5\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_note-Catch-22-5): 76\n\nWhile a few characters are most prominent, especially Yossarian and the Chaplain, the majority of named characters are described in detail with fleshed out or multidimensional personas to the extent that there are few if any \"minor characters\". There are no traditional heroes in the novel, reflecting the underlying commentary that war has no heroes, only victims.[\\[6\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_note-Rosenbaum-6)\n\nAlthough its nonchronological structure may at first seem random, *Catch-22* is highly structured. It is founded on a structure of [free association](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Free_association_\$psychology\$ \"Free association (psychology)\"); ideas run into one another through seemingly random connections. For example, Chapter 1, titled \"The Texan\", ends with \"everybody but the [CID man](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/United_States_Army_Criminal_Investigation_Command \"United States Army Criminal Investigation Command\"), who had caught a cold from the fighter captain and come down with pneumonia.\"[\\[5\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_note-Catch-22-5): 24  Chapter 2, titled \"Clevinger\", begins with \"In a way, the CID man was pretty lucky because outside the hospital the war was still going on.\"[\\[5\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_note-Catch-22-5): 25  The CID man connects the two chapters like a free association bridge and eventually Chapter 2 flows from the CID man to Clevinger through more free association links.\n\nAs Heller utilizes an episodic structure for most of the novel, many chapters may appear to be a disjointed series of events with little or no connection with each other. However, individual chapters often deal with thematically unique ideas, such as Chapter 11 (“Captain Black”) which parodies [Red Scare](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Red_Scare \"Red Scare\")\\-era [McCarthyism](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/McCarthyism \"McCarthyism\"), and Chapter 18 (“The Soldier Who Saw Everything Twice”) which explores theological concepts of mortality.\n\n## Themes\n\\[[edit](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/w\/index.php?title=Catch-22&action=edit&section=3 \"Edit section: Themes\")\\]\n\n### Paradox\n\\[[edit](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/w\/index.php?title=Catch-22&action=edit&section=4 \"Edit section: Paradox\")\\]\n\n[Yossarian](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Yossarian \"Yossarian\") comes to fear his commanding officers more than he fears the Germans attempting to shoot him down and he feels that \"they\" are \"out to get him.\" The reason Yossarian fears his commanders more than the enemy is that as he flies more missions, [Colonel Cathcart](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Colonel_Cathcart \"Colonel Cathcart\") increases the number of required combat missions before a soldier may return home; he reaches the magic number only to have it retroactively raised. He comes to despair of ever getting home and is greatly relieved when he is sent to the hospital for a condition that is almost [jaundice](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Jaundice \"Jaundice\"). In Yossarian's words:\n\n> The enemy is anybody who's going to get you killed, no matter which *side* he's on, and that includes Colonel Cathcart. And don't you forget that, because the longer you remember it, the longer you might live.[\\[5\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_note-Catch-22-5): 124\n\n### Tragedy and farce\n\\[[edit](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/w\/index.php?title=Catch-22&action=edit&section=5 \"Edit section: Tragedy and farce\")\\]\n\nMuch of the farce in the novel is fueled by intentional and unintentional miscommunication, occasionally leading to tragic consequences. For example, Cathcart's desire to become a general is thwarted by ex-P.F.C. Wintergreen sabotaging his correspondence. Major Major's and Yossarian's mis-censoring of correspondence is blamed on the Chaplain, who is threatened with imprisonment as a result.\n\n### Theodicy\n\\[[edit](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/w\/index.php?title=Catch-22&action=edit&section=6 \"Edit section: Theodicy\")\\]\n\nYossarian [questions the idea that](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Theodicy \"Theodicy\") God is all-powerful, all-good, and all knowing. The narrator seems to believe that God, if not evil, is incompetent. In chapter 18, Yossarian states that he \"believes in the God he doesn't believe in\", this version of God having created Hitler, the war, and all the failures of human life and society, as exemplified in the following passage:\n\n> \"And don't tell me [God works in mysterious ways](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/God_works_in_mysterious_ways \"God works in mysterious ways\")\", Yossarian continued, hurtling over her objections. \"There's nothing so mysterious about it. He's not working at all. He's playing or else He's forgotten all about us. That's the kind of God you people talk about – a country bumpkin, a clumsy, bungling, brainless, conceited, uncouth hayseed. Good God, how much reverence can you have for a Supreme Being who finds it necessary to include such phenomena as phlegm and tooth decay in His divine system of creation? What in the world was running through that warped, evil, scatological mind of His when He robbed old people of the power to control their bowel movements? Why in the world did he ever create pain? ... Oh, He was really being charitable to us when He gave us pain! Why couldn't He have used a doorbell instead to notify us, or one of His celestial choirs? Or a system of blue-and-red neon tubes right in the middle of each person's forehead. Any jukebox manufacturer worth his salt could have done that. Why couldn't He? ... What a colossal, immortal blunderer! When you consider the opportunity and power He had to really do a job, and then look at the stupid, ugly little mess He made of it instead, His sheer incompetence is almost staggering. ...\"[\\[6\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_note-Rosenbaum-6)\n\nLater Heller writes of Yossarian wandering through a war-torn Italian city (Chapter 39):\n\n> \"Yossarian quickened his pace to get away, almost ran. The night was filled with horrors, and he thought he knew how Christ must have felt as he walked through the world, like a psychiatrist through a ward full of nuts, like a victim through a prison full of thieves. What a welcome sight a leper must have been. At the next corner a man was beating a small boy brutally in the midst of an immobile crowd of adult spectators who made no effort to intervene ...\"[\\[7\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_note-7)\n\n### Military-industrial complex\n\\[[edit](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/w\/index.php?title=Catch-22&action=edit&section=7 \"Edit section: Military-industrial complex\")\\]\n\nWhile the military's enemies are Germans, none appear in the story as enemy combatants. This ironic situation is epitomized on of the few appearances of German personnel in the novel, who act as pilots employed by the squadron's mess officer, [Milo Minderbinder](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Milo_Minderbinder \"Milo Minderbinder\"), to bomb the American encampment on Pianosa. This predicament indicates a tension between traditional motives for violence and the modern economic machine, which seems to generate violence simply as another means to profit, quite independent of geographical or ideological constraints which creates a [military–industrial complex](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Military%E2%80%93industrial_complex \"Military–industrial complex\").[\\[8\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_note-:0-8) Heller emphasizes the danger of profit-seeking by portraying Milo without \"evil intent\". Milo's actions are portrayed as the result of greed, not malice.[\\[9\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_note-Sorkin_1993_150-9)\n\n## Characters\n\\[[edit](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/w\/index.php?title=Catch-22&action=edit&section=8 \"Edit section: Characters\")\\]\n\nFurther information: [List of Catch-22 characters](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/List_of_Catch-22_characters \"List of Catch-22 characters\")\n\nThe novel has over 50 named characters, many of whom have titular chapters dedicated to expanding on their personalities or motivations.\n\n## Influences\n\\[[edit](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/w\/index.php?title=Catch-22&action=edit&section=9 \"Edit section: Influences\")\\]\n\nHeller wanted to be a writer from an early age. His experiences as a [bombardier](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Bombardier_\$air_force\$ \"Bombardier (air force)\") during World War II inspired *Catch-22*;[\\[10\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_note-10) Heller later said that he \"never had a bad officer\". In a 1977 essay on *Catch-22*, Heller stated that the \"antiwar and antigovernment feelings in the book\" were a product of the Korean War and the 1950s rather than World War II itself. Heller's criticisms are not intended for World War II but for the Cold War and [McCarthyism](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/McCarthyism \"McCarthyism\").[\\[11\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_note-11)\n\nThe influence of the 1950s on *Catch-22* is evident through Heller's extensive use of [anachronism](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Anachronism \"Anachronism\"). Though the novel is ostensibly set in World War II, Heller intentionally included anachronisms like [loyalty oaths](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Loyalty_oaths \"Loyalty oaths\") and [computers](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Computers \"Computers\") ([IBM](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/IBM \"IBM\") machines) to situate the novel in the context of the 1950s.[\\[9\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_note-Sorkin_1993_150-9) Many of the characters are based on or connected to individuals from the 1950s:\n\n- Milo Minderbinder's maxim \"What's good for M\\&M Enterprises is good for the country\" alludes to the former president of [General Motors](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/General_Motors \"General Motors\") [Charles Erwin Wilson](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Charles_Erwin_Wilson \"Charles Erwin Wilson\")'s 1953 statement before the Senate: \"What's good for General Motors is good for the country.\"[\\[9\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_note-Sorkin_1993_150-9)\n- The question of \"Who promoted [Major Major](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Major_Major_Major_Major \"Major Major Major Major\")?\" alludes to [Joseph McCarthy](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Joseph_McCarthy \"Joseph McCarthy\")'s questioning of the promotion of [Major Peress](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Irving_Peress \"Irving Peress\"), an army dentist who refused to sign loyalty oaths.[\\[9\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_note-Sorkin_1993_150-9)\n\nCzech writer [Arnošt Lustig](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Arno%C5%A1t_Lustig \"Arnošt Lustig\") recounts in his book *3x18* that Joseph Heller told him that he would never have written *Catch-22* had he not first read *[The Good Soldier Švejk](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/The_Good_Soldier_%C5%A0vejk \"The Good Soldier Švejk\")* by [Jaroslav Hašek](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Jaroslav_Ha%C5%A1ek \"Jaroslav Hašek\").[\\[12\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_note-12)\n\nIn 1998, some critics raised the possibility that Heller's book had questionable similarities to [Louis Falstein](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/w\/index.php?title=Louis_Falstein&action=edit&redlink=1 \"Louis Falstein (page does not exist)\")'s 1950 novel, *[Face of a Hero](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Face_of_a_Hero \"Face of a Hero\")*. Falstein never raised the issue between *Catch-22*'s publication and his death in 1995 and Heller claimed never to have been aware of the obscure novel. Heller said that the novel had been influenced by [Céline](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Louis-Ferdinand_C%C3%A9line \"Louis-Ferdinand Céline\"), [Waugh](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Evelyn_Waugh \"Evelyn Waugh\") and [Nabokov](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Vladimir_Nabokov \"Vladimir Nabokov\"). Many of the similarities have been stated to be attributable to the authors' experiences, both having served as U.S. Army Air Forces aircrew in Italy in World War II. However, their themes and styles are different.[\\[13\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_note-13)\n\n## Concept\n\\[[edit](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/w\/index.php?title=Catch-22&action=edit&section=10 \"Edit section: Concept\")\\]\n\nMain article: [Catch-22 (logic)](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22_\$logic\$ \"Catch-22 (logic)\")\n\nA \"[Catch-22](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22_\$logic\$ \"Catch-22 (logic)\")\" is \"a problem for which the only solution is denied by a circumstance inherent in the problem or by a rule\".[\\[14\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_note-14) For example, losing something is typically a conventional problem; to solve it, one looks for the lost item until one finds it. But if the thing lost is one's glasses, one cannot see to look for them – a Catch-22. The term \"Catch-22\" is also used more broadly to mean a tricky problem or a no-win or absurd situation.\n\nIn the book, Catch-22 is a military rule typifying [bureaucratic](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Bureaucratic \"Bureaucratic\") operation and reasoning. The rule is not stated in a precise form, but the principal example in the book fits the definition above: If one is crazy, one does not have to fly missions; and one must be crazy to fly. But one has to apply to be excused, and applying demonstrates that one is not crazy. As a result, one must continue flying, either not applying to be excused, or applying and being refused. The narrator explains:\n\n> There was only one catch and that was Catch-22, which specified that a concern for one's safety in the face of dangers that were real and immediate was the process of a rational mind. [Orr](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Orr_\$Catch-22\$ \"Orr (Catch-22)\") was crazy and could be grounded. All he had to do was ask; and as soon as he did, he would no longer be crazy and would have to fly more missions. Orr would be crazy to fly more missions and sane if he didn't, but if he were sane he had to fly them. If he flew them he was crazy and didn't have to, but if he didn't want to he was sane and had to. Yossarian was moved very deeply by the absolute simplicity of this clause of Catch-22 and let out a respectful whistle. (p. 56, ch. 5)\n\nOther forms of Catch-22 are invoked throughout the novel to justify various bureaucratic actions. At one point, victims of harassment by military police quote the MPs' explanation of one of Catch-22's provisions: \"Catch-22 states that agents enforcing Catch-22 need not prove that Catch-22 actually contains whatever provision the accused violator is accused of violating.\" Another character explains: \"Catch-22 says [they have a right to do anything we can't stop them from doing](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Might_makes_right \"Might makes right\").\"\n\nYossarian comes to realize that Catch-22 does not actually exist, but because the powers that be claim it does, and the world believes it does, it nevertheless has potent effects. Indeed, because it does not exist, there is no way it can be repealed, undone, overthrown, or denounced. The combination of force with specious and spurious legalistic justification is one of the book's primary motifs.\n\nThe motif of bureaucratic absurdity is further explored in 1994's [*Closing Time*](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Closing_Time_\$novel\$ \"Closing Time (novel)\"), Heller's sequel to *Catch-22*. This darker, slower-paced, apocalyptic novel explores the pre- and post-war lives of some of the major characters in *Catch-22*, with particular emphasis on the relationship between Yossarian and tail gunner Sammy Singer.\n\n## Literary allusions\n\\[[edit](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/w\/index.php?title=Catch-22&action=edit&section=11 \"Edit section: Literary allusions\")\\]\n\n*Catch-22* contains allusions to many works of literature. [Howard Jacobson](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Howard_Jacobson \"Howard Jacobson\"), in his 2004 introduction to the Vintage Classics publication, wrote that the novel was \"positioned teasingly ... between literature and literature's opposites – between [Shakespeare](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Shakespeare \"Shakespeare\") and [Rabelais](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Rabelais \"Rabelais\") and [Dickens](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Dickens \"Dickens\") and [Dostoevsky](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Dostoevsky \"Dostoevsky\") and [Gogol](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Gogol \"Gogol\") and [Céline](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Louis-Ferdinand_C%C3%A9line \"Louis-Ferdinand Céline\") and the [Absurdists](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Absurdism \"Absurdism\") and of course [Kafka](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Kafka \"Kafka\") on the one hand, and on the other [vaudeville](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Vaudeville \"Vaudeville\") and [slapstick](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Slapstick \"Slapstick\") and [Bilko](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/The_Phil_Silvers_Show \"The Phil Silvers Show\") and [Abbott and Costello](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Abbott_and_Costello \"Abbott and Costello\") and [Tom and Jerry](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Tom_and_Jerry \"Tom and Jerry\") and [the Goons](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/The_Goons_\$The_Goon_Show\$ \"The Goons (The Goon Show)\") (if Heller had ever heard of the Goons).\"[\\[15\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_note-15) One critic argues that it is Kafka's influence that can be seen most strongly in the novel: \"Like Kafka's heroes, Yossarian is riddled with anxiety and caught in an inexorable nightmare – in his case created by Colonel Cathcart and the inevitability of his raising the number of missions he has to fly.\"[\\[16\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_note-16)\n\n## Historical context\n\\[[edit](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/w\/index.php?title=Catch-22&action=edit&section=12 \"Edit section: Historical context\")\\]\n\nThe idea for *Catch-22* was based on Joseph Heller's personal experience in World War II. The feelings that Yossarian and the other bomber crew felt were taken directly from problems he suffered while on duty. Heller flew 60 bombing missions from May to October in 1944. Heller was able to make it out of the war, but it took until 1953 before he could start writing about it. For this reason, the book contains references to post-World War II phenomena like IBM computers and [loyalty oaths](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Loyalty_oath \"Loyalty oath\"). The war experience turned Heller into a \"tortured, funny, deeply peculiar human being\".[\\[17\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_note-17)\n\nAfter publication in 1961, *Catch-22* became very popular among teenagers at the time. *Catch-22* seemed to embody the feelings that young people had toward the Vietnam War. A common joke was that every student who went off to college at the time took along a copy of *Catch-22*. The popularity of the book created a cult following, which led to more than eight million copies being sold in the United States. On October 26, 1986, professor and author [John W. Aldridge](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/John_W._Aldridge \"John W. Aldridge\") wrote a piece in *[The New York Times](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/The_New_York_Times \"The New York Times\")* celebrating the 25th anniversary of the publishing of *Catch-22*. He commented that Heller's book presaged the chaos in the world that was to come:\n\n> The comic fable that ends in horror has become more and more clearly a reflection of the altogether uncomic and horrifying realities of the world in which we live and hope to survive.[\\[18\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_note-18)\n\n## Title\n\\[[edit](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/w\/index.php?title=Catch-22&action=edit&section=13 \"Edit section: Title\")\\]\n\nThe title refers to a fictional bureaucratic stipulation that embodies illogical and immoral reasoning. The idea being that if one pleads insanity to stop flying missions with a high mortality rate, one is in fact sane; however, one must be insane to keep flying those exact missions.[\\[8\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_note-:0-8) The opening chapter of the novel was first published, in 1955, by *[New World Writing](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/New_World_Writing \"New World Writing\")* as *Catch-18*, but Heller's agent, Candida Donadio, asked him to change the title, to avert its confusion with [Leon Uris](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Leon_Uris \"Leon Uris\")'s recently published *[Mila 18](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Mila_18 \"Mila 18\")*.[\\[19\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_note-:1-19) The implications in Judaism of the number [18](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/18_\$number\$ \"18 (number)\") – which refers to *[chai](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Chai_\$symbol\$ \"Chai (symbol)\")*, meaning \"alive\", in [Gematria](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Gematria \"Gematria\") – were relevant to Heller's somewhat greater emphasis on Jewish themes in early drafts of his novel.[\\[20\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_note-title-20) Heller's daughter Erica wrote that the Simon & Schuster editor, Robert Gottlieb, was the person who came up with the number 22, and Gottlieb himself stated that he did in the documentary *[Turn Every Page: The Adventures of Robert Caro and Robert Gottlieb](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Turn_Every_Page:_The_Adventures_of_Robert_Caro_and_Robert_Gottlieb \"Turn Every Page: The Adventures of Robert Caro and Robert Gottlieb\").*[\\[21\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_note-21)\n\nParallels among a number of character exchanges in the novel suggested the doubled-one title of *Catch-11*, but the 1960 release of *[Ocean's Eleven](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Ocean%27s_Eleven_\$1960_film\$ \"Ocean's Eleven (1960 film)\")* eliminated that.[\\[19\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_note-:1-19) *Catch-17* was rejected so as not to be confused with the World War II film *[Stalag 17](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Stalag_17 \"Stalag 17\")*, as was *Catch-14*, apparently because the publisher did not believe that 14 was a \"funny number\". Eventually, the title came to be *Catch-22*, which, like 11, has a duplicated digit, with the 2 also referring to a number of *[déjà vu](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/D%C3%A9j%C3%A0_vu \"Déjà vu\")*\\-like events common in the novel.[\\[20\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_note-title-20)\n\n## Publication and movie rights\n\\[[edit](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/w\/index.php?title=Catch-22&action=edit&section=14 \"Edit section: Publication and movie rights\")\\]\n\n*Catch-22* was sold to [Simon & Schuster](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Simon_%26_Schuster \"Simon & Schuster\"), where it had been championed by editor [Robert Gottlieb](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Robert_Gottlieb \"Robert Gottlieb\"), who, along with [Nina Bourne](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Nina_Bourne \"Nina Bourne\"), edited and oversaw the marketing of the book.[\\[19\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_note-:1-19) Gottlieb was a strong advocate for the book along with [Peter Schwed](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Peter_Schwed \"Peter Schwed\") and [Justin Kaplan](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Justin_Kaplan \"Justin Kaplan\"). Henry Simon, a vice president at Simon & Schuster, found it repetitive and offensive.[\\[19\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_note-:1-19) The editorial board decided to contract the book when Heller agreed to revisions; he signed for US\\$1,500 in 1961 (equivalent to about \\$16,200 in 2025).[\\[19\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_note-:1-19)\n\nOfficially published on October 10, 1961, the hardcover sold for \\$5.95. The book was not a best-seller in hardcover in the United States. Though twelve thousand copies were sold by [Thanksgiving](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Thanksgiving_\$United_States\$ \"Thanksgiving (United States)\"), it never entered [*The New York Times* Best Seller list](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/The_New_York_Times_Best_Seller_list \"The New York Times Best Seller list\"). It received good notices and was nominated for the [National Book Award](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/National_Book_Award \"National Book Award\") in March 1962, though [Walker Percy](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Walker_Percy \"Walker Percy\")'s *[The Moviegoer](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/The_Moviegoer \"The Moviegoer\")* won. *Catch-22* went through four printings in hardcover but sold well on only the East Coast. The book never established itself nationally until it was published in paperback for 75 cents.[\\[22\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_note-Just_One_Catch-22): 224–230\n\nUpon publication in Great Britain, the book became the No. 1 best-seller.[\\[22\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_note-Just_One_Catch-22): 233  Don Fine of [Dell Paperbacks](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Dell_Publishing \"Dell Publishing\") bought the paperback reprint rights to *Catch-22* for \\$32,000. Between the paperback's release in September 1962 and April 1963, it sold 1.1 million copies.[\\[22\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_note-Just_One_Catch-22): 238–240\n\nIn August 1962, Donadio brokered the sale of movie rights to [Columbia Pictures](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Columbia_Pictures \"Columbia Pictures\") for \\$100,000 plus \\$25,000 to write a treatment or a first draft of a screenplay.[\\[22\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_note-Just_One_Catch-22): 234\n\n## Reception\n\\[[edit](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/w\/index.php?title=Catch-22&action=edit&section=15 \"Edit section: Reception\")\\]\n\nThe initial reviews of the book ranged from very positive to very negative. There were positive reviews from *[The Nation](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/The_Nation \"The Nation\")* (\"the best novel to come out in years\"), the *[New York Herald Tribune](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/New_York_Herald_Tribune \"New York Herald Tribune\")* (\"A wild, moving, shocking, hilarious, raging, exhilarating, giant roller-coaster of a book\") and *[The New York Times](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/The_New_York_Times \"The New York Times\")* (\"A dazzling performance that will outrage nearly as many readers as it delights\"). On the other hand, *[The New Yorker](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/The_New_Yorker \"The New Yorker\")* disliked it (\"doesn't even seem to be written; instead, it gives the impression of having been shouted onto paper\", \"what remains is a debris of sour jokes\"), and a second review from the *New York Times* also disliked it (\"repetitive and monotonous. Or one can say that it is too short because none of its many interesting characters and actions is given enough play to become a controlling interest\").[\\[23\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_note-23) One commentator of *Catch-22* recognized that \"many early audiences liked the book for just the same reasons that caused others to hate it\".[\\[24\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_note-Catch-22_1994-24): 11  The book eventually gained a cult following, especially among teenagers and college students. Heller later remarked that in 1962, after appearing on the *Today* show he went out drinking with the host at the time, [John Chancellor](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/John_Chancellor \"John Chancellor\"), who handed him stickers that Chancellor had got privately printed reading \"YOSSARIAN LIVES\". Heller also said that Chancellor had been secretly putting them on the walls of the corridors and executive bathrooms in the NBC building.[\\[24\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_note-Catch-22_1994-24): 11\n\nAlthough the novel won no awards upon release, it has remained in print and is seen as one of the most significant American novels of the 20th century.[\\[3\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_note-BBC-3) Scholar and fellow World War II veteran [Hugh Nibley](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Hugh_Nibley \"Hugh Nibley\") said it was the most accurate book he ever read about the military.[\\[25\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_note-25) As of 2016[\\[update\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/w\/index.php?title=Catch-22&action=edit) over ten million copies have been sold.[\\[26\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_note-26)\n\nAlthough he continued writing, including a sequel novel *[Closing Time](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Closing_Time_\$novel\$ \"Closing Time (novel)\")*, Heller's later works were inevitably overshadowed by the success of *Catch-22*. When asked by critics why he had never managed to write another novel as good as his first, Heller would retort with a smile, \"Who has?\"[\\[27\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_note-27)\n\n### Challenges\n\\[[edit](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/w\/index.php?title=Catch-22&action=edit&section=16 \"Edit section: Challenges\")\\]\n\n*Catch-22* has landed on the list of the [American Library Association](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/American_Library_Association \"American Library Association\")'s banned and challenged classics.\n\nIn 1972, the [Strongsville City School District](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Strongsville_City_School_District \"Strongsville City School District\") school board removed *Catch-22*, as well as two books by [Kurt Vonnegut](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Kurt_Vonnegut \"Kurt Vonnegut\"), from school libraries and the curriculum.[\\[28\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_note-:2-28) Five families sued the school board. The [Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/United_States_Court_of_Appeals_for_the_Sixth_Circuit \"United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit\") rejected the claim, stating that school boards had the right to control the curriculum.[\\[29\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_note-:3-29) The decision was overturned on appeal in 1976 in *[Minarcini v. Strongsville City School District](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Minarcini_v._Strongsville_City_School_District \"Minarcini v. Strongsville City School District\")*.[\\[28\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_note-:2-28)[\\[30\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_note-:4-30) The court wrote, \"A library is a storehouse of knowledge. Here we are concerned with the right of students to receive information which they and their teachers desire them to have.\"[\\[29\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_note-:3-29)[\\[31\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_note-31) In 1982, the U.S. Supreme Court employed a similar rationale in its decision in *[Island Trees School District v. Pico](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Island_Trees_School_District_v._Pico \"Island Trees School District v. Pico\")* on the removal of library books.[\\[29\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_note-:3-29)\n\nBecause the book refers to some women as \"whores\", it was challenged at the [Dallas, Texas, Independent School District](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Dallas_Independent_School_District \"Dallas Independent School District\") (1974) and [Snoqualmie, Washington](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Snoqualmie,_Washington \"Snoqualmie, Washington\") (1979).[\\[28\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_note-:2-28)[\\[30\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_note-:4-30)\n\n## Rankings\n\\[[edit](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/w\/index.php?title=Catch-22&action=edit&section=17 \"Edit section: Rankings\")\\]\n\n| External videos |\n|---|\n| [![video icon](https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/thumb\/1\/1b\/Nuvola_apps_kaboodle.svg\/20px-Nuvola_apps_kaboodle.svg.png)](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/File:Nuvola_apps_kaboodle.svg) [\"50th Anniversary of Joseph Heller's *Catch-22*\"](https:\/\/www.c-span.org\/video\/?302675-1\/50th-anniversary-joseph-hellers-catch22) – [Lesley Stahl](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Lesley_Stahl \"Lesley Stahl\") moderating a panel made up of [Christopher Buckley](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Christopher_Buckley_\$novelist\$ \"Christopher Buckley (novelist)\"), [Robert Gottlieb](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Robert_Gottlieb \"Robert Gottlieb\"), [Mike Nichols](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Mike_Nichols \"Mike Nichols\"), and [Scott Shepherd](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Scott_Shepherd_\$actor\$ \"Scott Shepherd (actor)\"), October 18, 2011, [C-SPAN](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/C-SPAN \"C-SPAN\")[\\[32\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_note-cspan-32) |\n\n- The [Modern Library](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Modern_Library \"Modern Library\") ranked *Catch-22* as the 7th (by review panel) and 12th (by public) greatest English-language novel of the 20th century.[\\[33\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_note-33)\n- The [Radcliffe Publishing Course](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Radcliffe_Publishing_Course \"Radcliffe Publishing Course\") ranked *Catch-22* as number 15 of the 20th century's top 100 novels.[\\[34\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_note-34)\n- *[The Observer](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/The_Observer \"The Observer\")* listed *Catch-22* as one of the 100 greatest novels of all time.[\\[35\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_note-35)\n- *[Time](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Time_\$magazine\$ \"Time (magazine)\")* puts *Catch-22* in the top 100 English-language modern novels (1923 onwards, unranked).[\\[36\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_note-36)\n- The [Big Read](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Big_Read \"Big Read\") by the [BBC](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/BBC \"BBC\") ranked *Catch-22* as number 11 on a web poll of the UK's best-loved book.[\\[37\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_note-37)\n\n## Adaptations\n\\[[edit](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/w\/index.php?title=Catch-22&action=edit&section=18 \"Edit section: Adaptations\")\\]\n\n[![](https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/thumb\/f\/f7\/Catch22-1970_opening.jpg\/250px-Catch22-1970_opening.jpg)](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/File:Catch22-1970_opening.jpg)\n\nOpening title of the film adaptation\n\n- *Catch-22* was adapted into a [feature film of the same name](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22_\$film\$ \"Catch-22 (film)\") in 1970, directed by [Mike Nichols](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Mike_Nichols \"Mike Nichols\"). [Alan Arkin](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Alan_Arkin \"Alan Arkin\") portrayed Capt. [Yossarian](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Yossarian \"Yossarian\"), with an ensemble cast including [Art Garfunkel](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Art_Garfunkel \"Art Garfunkel\") as Nately, [Jon Voight](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Jon_Voight \"Jon Voight\") as [Milo Minderbinder](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Milo_Minderbinder \"Milo Minderbinder\"), [Orson Welles](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Orson_Welles \"Orson Welles\") as General Dreedle, and [Martin Balsam](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Martin_Balsam \"Martin Balsam\") as [Colonel Cathcart](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Colonel_Cathcart \"Colonel Cathcart\"), amongst many others.\n- A [pilot](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Television_pilot \"Television pilot\") for a comedy series based upon *Catch-22* was made and televised in 1973, with [Richard Dreyfuss](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Richard_Dreyfuss \"Richard Dreyfuss\") in the starring role of Yossarian.[\\[38\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_note-38)\n- [*Catch-22* play](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22_\$play\$ \"Catch-22 (play)\"): [Aquila Theatre](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Aquila_Theatre \"Aquila Theatre\") produced a stage adaptation of *Catch-22*, based on Heller's 1971 stage adaptation. It was directed by [Peter Meineck](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Peter_Meineck \"Peter Meineck\"). This production toured the United States in 2007\/8 with a Bexhill on Sea production in the fall of 2008.[\\[39\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_note-39)\n- A [six-episode miniseries](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22_\$miniseries\$ \"Catch-22 (miniseries)\") produced by, and co-starring, [George Clooney](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/George_Clooney \"George Clooney\") was picked up by [Hulu](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Hulu \"Hulu\") for a straight-to-series order. It streamed on May 17, 2019. It was also broadcast by [Channel 4](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Channel_4 \"Channel 4\") in the [United Kingdom](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/United_Kingdom \"United Kingdom\"). [Christopher Abbott](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Christopher_Abbott \"Christopher Abbott\") portrayed Yossarian, with [Kyle Chandler](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Kyle_Chandler \"Kyle Chandler\") as Cathcart,[\\[40\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_note-40) [Hugh Laurie](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Hugh_Laurie \"Hugh Laurie\") as Major —— de Coverley, and Clooney as Lt. Scheisskopf.\n\n## Selected releases\n\\[[edit](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/w\/index.php?title=Catch-22&action=edit&section=19 \"Edit section: Selected releases\")\\]\n\nThis list covers the first and most recent printed publications by the original publisher [Simon & Schuster](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Simon_%26_Schuster \"Simon & Schuster\") as well as all other formats. Other print publishers include [Dell](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Dell_Publishing \"Dell Publishing\"),[\\[41\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_note-41) [Corgi](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Transworld_\$publisher\$ \"Transworld (publisher)\"),[\\[42\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_note-42) [Vintage](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Vintage_\$publisher\$ \"Vintage (publisher)\"),[\\[43\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_note-43) [Black Swan](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Transworld_\$publisher\$ \"Transworld (publisher)\"),[\\[44\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_note-44) [Éditions Grasset](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/%C3%89ditions_Grasset \"Éditions Grasset\"),[\\[45\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_note-45) and [Wahlström & Widstrand](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Wahlstr%C3%B6m_%26_Widstrand \"Wahlström & Widstrand\").\n\nThe original manuscript is held by [Brandeis University](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Brandeis_University \"Brandeis University\").[\\[46\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_note-46)\n\n- Heller, Joseph (June 1961) \\[1961\\]. [*Catch-22*](https:\/\/archive.org\/details\/catch2200hell_0) (hardback). New York: Simon & Schuster. [ISBN](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/ISBN_\$identifier\$ \"ISBN (identifier)\")\n  \n  [0-684-83339-5](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Special:BookSources\/0-684-83339-5 \"Special:BookSources\/0-684-83339-5\")\n  \n  . [OCLC](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/OCLC_\$identifier\$ \"OCLC (identifier)\") [35231812](https:\/\/search.worldcat.org\/oclc\/35231812).\n  `{{cite book}}`: ISBN \/ Date incompatibility ([help](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Help:CS1_errors#invalid_isbn_date \"Help:CS1 errors\"))\n- Heller, Joseph (1961). [*Catch-22*](https:\/\/archive.org\/details\/catch22novel00hell) (advance paperback with signed bookplate). Simon & Schuster. [ISBN](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/ISBN_\$identifier\$ \"ISBN (identifier)\")\n  \n  [0-440-51120-8](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Special:BookSources\/0-440-51120-8 \"Special:BookSources\/0-440-51120-8\")\n  \n  .\n  `{{cite book}}`: ISBN \/ Date incompatibility ([help](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Help:CS1_errors#invalid_isbn_date \"Help:CS1 errors\"))\n- Heller, Joseph (1978). *Catch-22* (signed limited edition leatherbound). Franklin Library. [ISBN](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/ISBN_\$identifier\$ \"ISBN (identifier)\")\n  \n  [0-8124-1717-8](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Special:BookSources\/0-8124-1717-8 \"Special:BookSources\/0-8124-1717-8\")\n  \n  .\n- Heller, Joseph (September 1996). [*Catch-22*](https:\/\/archive.org\/details\/catch2200hell_0) (paperback). Simon & Schuster. [ISBN](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/ISBN_\$identifier\$ \"ISBN (identifier)\")\n  \n  [0-684-83339-5](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Special:BookSources\/0-684-83339-5 \"Special:BookSources\/0-684-83339-5\")\n  \n  .\n- Heller, Joseph (October 1999). [*Catch-22*](https:\/\/archive.org\/details\/catch22novelhell00hell) (hardback). Simon & Schuster. [ISBN](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/ISBN_\$identifier\$ \"ISBN (identifier)\")\n  \n  [0-684-86513-0](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Special:BookSources\/0-684-86513-0 \"Special:BookSources\/0-684-86513-0\")\n  \n  .\n- Heller, Joseph (1980). *Catch-22* (unabridged audio cassette). reader Wolfram Kandinsky. Books On Tape. [ISBN](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/ISBN_\$identifier\$ \"ISBN (identifier)\")\n  \n  [0-7366-8962-1](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Special:BookSources\/0-7366-8962-1 \"Special:BookSources\/0-7366-8962-1\")\n  \n  .\n- Heller, Joseph (1984). *Catch-22* (audio cassette). [Caedmon Audio](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Caedmon_Audio \"Caedmon Audio\"). [ISBN](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/ISBN_\$identifier\$ \"ISBN (identifier)\")\n  \n  [0-694-50253-7](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Special:BookSources\/0-694-50253-7 \"Special:BookSources\/0-694-50253-7\")\n  \n  .\n- Heller, Joseph (1990). *Catch-22* (unabridged audio CD). reader [Jim Weiss](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Jim_Weiss \"Jim Weiss\"). Books On Tape. [ISBN](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/ISBN_\$identifier\$ \"ISBN (identifier)\")\n  \n  [0-7366-9085-9](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Special:BookSources\/0-7366-9085-9 \"Special:BookSources\/0-7366-9085-9\")\n  \n  .\n- Heller, Joseph (1994). *Catch-22* ([abridged](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Abridgement \"Abridgement\") edition audio cassette). reader [Alan Arkin](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Alan_Arkin \"Alan Arkin\"). DH Audio. [ISBN](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/ISBN_\$identifier\$ \"ISBN (identifier)\")\n  \n  [0-88646-125-1](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Special:BookSources\/0-88646-125-1 \"Special:BookSources\/0-88646-125-1\")\n  \n  .\n- Heller, Joseph (2007). *Catch-22* (unabridged audio CD). reader [Jay O. Sanders](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Jay_O._Sanders \"Jay O. Sanders\"). Caedmon. [ISBN](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/ISBN_\$identifier\$ \"ISBN (identifier)\")\n  \n  [978-0-06-126246-3](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Special:BookSources\/978-0-06-126246-3 \"Special:BookSources\/978-0-06-126246-3\")\n  \n  .\n- Heller, Joseph (2008). *Catch-22* (unabridged audio CD). reader [Trevor White](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Trevor_White_\$actor\$ \"Trevor White (actor)\"). Hachette Audio. [ISBN](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/ISBN_\$identifier\$ \"ISBN (identifier)\")\n  \n  [978-1-4055-0387-7](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Special:BookSources\/978-1-4055-0387-7 \"Special:BookSources\/978-1-4055-0387-7\")\n  \n  .\n\n## See also\n\\[[edit](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/w\/index.php?title=Catch-22&action=edit&section=20 \"Edit section: See also\")\\]\n\n- [![icon](https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/thumb\/3\/3f\/Book_collection.jpg\/40px-Book_collection.jpg)](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/File:Book_collection.jpg)[Novels portal](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Portal:Novels \"Portal:Novels\")\n- ![](https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/thumb\/7\/75\/Flowerpowerportfolio.jpg\/40px-Flowerpowerportfolio.jpg)[1960s portal](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Portal:1960s \"Portal:1960s\")\n\n- [Antinomy](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Antinomy \"Antinomy\")\n- [Morton's fork](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Morton%27s_fork \"Morton's fork\")\n\n## References\n\\[[edit](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/w\/index.php?title=Catch-22&action=edit&section=21 \"Edit section: References\")\\]\n\n1. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_ref-1)**\n   [\"Paul Bacon cover artist\"](https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20080119215305\/http:\/\/www.solothurnli.com\/Pages\/PaulBacon.html). Solothurnli. Archived from [the original](http:\/\/www.solothurnli.com\/Pages\/PaulBacon.html) on January 19, 2008. Retrieved March 11, 2011.\n2. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_ref-2)**\n   Eller, Jonathan R. (2011). *The Story of Catch-22* (50th anniversary ed.). Catch-22: Simon & Schuster. p. 469. [ISBN](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/ISBN_\$identifier\$ \"ISBN (identifier)\")\n   \n   [978-1451626650](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Special:BookSources\/978-1451626650 \"Special:BookSources\/978-1451626650\")\n   \n   .\n   \n   `{{cite book}}`: CS1 maint: location ([link](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Category:CS1_maint:_location \"Category:CS1 maint: location\"))\n3. ^ [***a***](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_ref-BBC_3-0) [***b***](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_ref-BBC_3-1)\n   [\"What is Catch-22? And why does the book matter?\"](https:\/\/news.bbc.co.uk\/2\/hi\/uk_news\/1868619.stm). *BBC News*. March 12, 2002. Retrieved March 11, 2011.\n4. ^ [***a***](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_ref-Burhans_4-0) [***b***](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_ref-Burhans_4-1) Clinton S. Burhans, Jr. \"Spindrift and the Sea: Structural Patterns and Unifying Elements in Catch 22\". *Twentieth Century Literature*, Vol. 19, No. 4, pp. 239–250, 1973. [JSTOR online access](https:\/\/www.jstor.org\/stable\/440541)\n5. ^ [***a***](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_ref-Catch-22_5-0) [***b***](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_ref-Catch-22_5-1) [***c***](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_ref-Catch-22_5-2) [***d***](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_ref-Catch-22_5-3)\n   Heller, Joseph (June 1961) \\[1961\\]. [*Catch-22*](https:\/\/archive.org\/details\/catch2200hell_0) (hardback). New York: Simon & Schuster. [ISBN](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/ISBN_\$identifier\$ \"ISBN (identifier)\")\n   \n   [0-684-83339-5](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Special:BookSources\/0-684-83339-5 \"Special:BookSources\/0-684-83339-5\")\n   \n   . [OCLC](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/OCLC_\$identifier\$ \"OCLC (identifier)\") [35231812](https:\/\/search.worldcat.org\/oclc\/35231812).\n   \n   `{{cite book}}`: ISBN \/ Date incompatibility ([help](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Help:CS1_errors#invalid_isbn_date \"Help:CS1 errors\"))\n6. ^ [***a***](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_ref-Rosenbaum_6-0) [***b***](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_ref-Rosenbaum_6-1)\n   Rosenbaum, Ron (August 2, 2011). [\"Catch-22: The awful truth people miss about Heller's great novel\"](https:\/\/slate.com\/human-interest\/2011\/08\/catch-22-the-awful-truth-people-miss-about-heller-s-great-novel.html). *[Slate](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Slate_\$magazine\$ \"Slate (magazine)\")*. Retrieved July 3, 2019.\n7. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_ref-7)**\n   Heller, Joseph (1995). *Catch-22*. Random House. p. 514. [ISBN](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/ISBN_\$identifier\$ \"ISBN (identifier)\")\n   \n   [978-0-679-43722-2](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Special:BookSources\/978-0-679-43722-2 \"Special:BookSources\/978-0-679-43722-2\")\n   \n   .\n8. ^ [***a***](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_ref-:0_8-0) [***b***](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_ref-:0_8-1)\n   Podgorski, Daniel (October 27, 2015). [\"Rocks and Hard Places Galore: The Bureaucratic Appropriation of War in Joseph Heller's Catch-22\"](http:\/\/thegemsbok.com\/art-reviews-and-articles\/book-reviews-tuesday-tome-catch-22-joseph-heller\/). *The Gemsbok*. Your Tuesday Tome. Retrieved February 21, 2016.\n9. ^ [***a***](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_ref-Sorkin_1993_150_9-0) [***b***](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_ref-Sorkin_1993_150_9-1) [***c***](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_ref-Sorkin_1993_150_9-2) [***d***](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_ref-Sorkin_1993_150_9-3)\n   Sorkin, Adam J. (1993). *Conversations with Joseph Heller*. Jackson, MO: University Press of Mississippi. p. 150. [ISBN](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/ISBN_\$identifier\$ \"ISBN (identifier)\")\n   \n   [0-87805-635-1](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Special:BookSources\/0-87805-635-1 \"Special:BookSources\/0-87805-635-1\")\n   \n   .\n10. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_ref-10)**\n    Craig, DM (1994). \"From Avignon to Catch-22\". *[War, Literature & the Arts](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/War,_Literature_%26_the_Arts \"War, Literature & the Arts\")*. Vol. 6, no. 2. pp. 27–54\\.\n11. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_ref-11)**\n    Heller, Joseph (1977). \"Reeling in Catch-22\". In Lynda Rosen Obst (ed.). *The Sixties*. New York: Random House\/Rolling Stone Press. pp. 50–52\\.\n12. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_ref-12)**\n    Sadlon, Zenny. [\"Personal testimony by Arnošt Lustig\"](http:\/\/www.zenny.com\/Heller.html). Zenny.com. Retrieved March 11, 2011.\n13. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_ref-13)**\n    [Gussow, Mel](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Mel_Gussow \"Mel Gussow\") (April 29, 1998). [\"Critic's Notebook; Questioning the Provenance of the Iconic *Catch-22*\"](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/1998\/04\/29\/books\/critic-s-notebook-questioning-the-provenance-of-the-iconic-catch-22.html?pagewanted=all). *[The New York Times](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/The_New_York_Times \"The New York Times\")*. Retrieved April 1, 2010.\n14. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_ref-14)** [catch-22](http:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/dictionary\/catch%2022), Merriam-Webster. Retrieved March 8, 2012\n15. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_ref-15)**\n    [Random House](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Random_House \"Random House\")\n    \n    [ISBN](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/ISBN_\$identifier\$ \"ISBN (identifier)\")\n    \n    [978-0-09-947046-5](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Special:BookSources\/978-0-09-947046-5 \"Special:BookSources\/978-0-09-947046-5\")\n    \n    [Vintage Classics](http:\/\/www.randomhouse.co.uk\/vintage\/classics\/home.htm)\n16. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_ref-16)** [McDonald, Paul. *Reading Catch-22*. Humanities E-Books](http:\/\/www.humanities-ebooks.co.uk\/book\/Reading_Catch-22)\n17. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_ref-17)**\n    Bailey, Blake (August 26, 2011). [\"The Enigma of Joseph Heller\"](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2011\/08\/28\/books\/review\/the-enigma-of-joseph-heller.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&ref=bookreviews). *The New York Times*. Retrieved May 7, 2012.\n18. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_ref-18)**\n    Aldridge, John W. (October 26, 1986). [\"The Loony Horror of it all – *Catch-22* Turns 25\"](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/books\/98\/02\/15\/home\/heller-loony.html). *The New York Times*. Retrieved March 1, 2018.\n19. ^ [***a***](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_ref-:1_19-0) [***b***](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_ref-:1_19-1) [***c***](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_ref-:1_19-2) [***d***](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_ref-:1_19-3) [***e***](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_ref-:1_19-4)\n    Eller, Jonathan R. (October 1992). \"Catching a Market: The Publishing History of Catch-22\". *Prospects*. **17**: 475–525\\. [doi](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Doi_\$identifier\$ \"Doi (identifier)\"):[10\\.1017\/S0361233300004804](https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1017%2FS0361233300004804).\n20. ^ [***a***](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_ref-title_20-0) [***b***](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_ref-title_20-1) N James. \"The Early Composition History of Catch-22\". In *Biographies of Books: The Compositional Histories of Notable American Writings*, J Barbour, T Quirk (edi.) pp. 262–290. Columbia: University of Missouri Press, **1996**.\n21. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_ref-21)**\n    Heller, Erica (August 4, 2011). [\"Catch-18\"](https:\/\/www.theparisreview.org\/blog\/2011\/08\/04\/catch-18\/). *The Paris Review*. Retrieved March 12, 2023.\n22. ^ [***a***](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_ref-Just_One_Catch_22-0) [***b***](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_ref-Just_One_Catch_22-1) [***c***](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_ref-Just_One_Catch_22-2) [***d***](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_ref-Just_One_Catch_22-3)\n    Daugherty, Tracy (2011). [*Just One Catch: A Biography of Joseph Heller*](https:\/\/archive.org\/details\/justonecatchbiog00daug). New York: St. Martin's Press. [ISBN](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/ISBN_\$identifier\$ \"ISBN (identifier)\")\n    \n    [978-0312596859](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Special:BookSources\/978-0312596859 \"Special:BookSources\/978-0312596859\")\n    \n    .\n23. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_ref-23)**\n    [\"The Internet Public Library: Online Literary Criticism Collection\"](https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20110106035214\/http:\/\/www.ipl.org\/div\/litcrit\/bin\/litcrit.out.pl?ti=cat-860). Ipl.org. Archived from [the original](http:\/\/www.ipl.org\/div\/litcrit\/bin\/litcrit.out.pl?ti=cat-860) on January 6, 2011. Retrieved March 11, 2011.\n24. ^ [***a***](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_ref-Catch-22_1994_24-0) [***b***](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_ref-Catch-22_1994_24-1)\n    Heller, Joseph (1994) \\[1961\\]. *Catch-22*. New York: Simon & Schuster. [ISBN](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/ISBN_\$identifier\$ \"ISBN (identifier)\")\n    \n    [0-671-50233-6](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Special:BookSources\/0-671-50233-6 \"Special:BookSources\/0-671-50233-6\")\n    \n    .\n25. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_ref-25)** Hugh Nibley and Alex Nibley, *Sergeant Nibley PhD.: Memories of an Unlikely Screaming Eagle*, Salt Lake City: Shadow Mountain, **2006**, p. 255\n26. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_ref-26)**\n    Jordison, Sam (August 23, 2016). [\"Catch-22's 10m copies: how a bitter satire became a bestseller\"](https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/books\/booksblog\/2016\/aug\/23\/catch-22s-10m-copies-how-a-bitter-satire-became-a-bestseller). *The Guardian*. [ISSN](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/ISSN_\$identifier\$ \"ISSN (identifier)\") [0261-3077](https:\/\/search.worldcat.org\/issn\/0261-3077). Retrieved June 13, 2024.\n27. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_ref-27)**\n    [\"Joseph Heller and his fiction. The first cut is the deepest\"](https:\/\/www.economist.com\/books-and-arts\/2011\/10\/08\/the-first-cut-is-the-deepest). *The Economist*. October 8, 2011. Retrieved March 3, 2017.\n28. ^ [***a***](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_ref-:2_28-0) [***b***](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_ref-:2_28-1) [***c***](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_ref-:2_28-2)\n    Office of Intellectual Freedom (March 26, 2013). [\"Banned & Challenged Classics\"](https:\/\/www.ala.org\/advocacy\/bbooks\/frequentlychallengedbooks\/classics). *American Library Association*. Retrieved June 18, 2021.\n29. ^ [***a***](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_ref-:3_29-0) [***b***](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_ref-:3_29-1) [***c***](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_ref-:3_29-2)\n    Hudson, David L. [\"Minarcini v. Strongsville City School District (6th Circuit)\"](https:\/\/firstamendment.mtsu.edu\/article\/minarcini-v-strongsville-city-school-district-6th-circuit\/). *Middle Tennessee State University*. Retrieved June 18, 2021.\n30. ^ [***a***](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_ref-:4_30-0) [***b***](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_ref-:4_30-1)\n    Pal, Anupama (February 24, 2016). \"Banning Joseph Heller's Catch-22: The Case of Minarcini v. Strongsville City School District and Issues of First Amendment Rights, Intellectual Freedom, and Censorship\". *Elon Law Review*. **8** (41): 41–60\\.\n31. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_ref-31)**\n    [\"U.S. Court Says School Boards Cannot Remove Library Books\"](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/1976\/08\/31\/archives\/us-court-says-school-boards-cannot-remove-library-books.html). *The New York Times*. August 31, 1976. [ISSN](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/ISSN_\$identifier\$ \"ISSN (identifier)\") [0362-4331](https:\/\/search.worldcat.org\/issn\/0362-4331). Retrieved June 18, 2021.\n32. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_ref-cspan_32-0)**\n    [\"50th Anniversary of Joseph Heller's Catch-22\"](https:\/\/www.c-span.org\/video\/?302675-1\/50th-anniversary-joseph-hellers-catch22). [C-SPAN](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/C-SPAN \"C-SPAN\"). October 18, 2011. Retrieved January 8, 2017.\n33. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_ref-33)** [Randomhouse.com](http:\/\/www.randomhouse.com\/modernlibrary\/100bestnovels.html) [Modern Library](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Modern_Library \"Modern Library\")'s 100 best novels of the 20th century\n34. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_ref-34)**\n    Huber, Herbert. [\"Radcliffe Publishing Course: the twentieth century's top 100 novels\"](https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20110317195013\/http:\/\/www.lesekost.de\/kanon\/HHL102.htm). Lesekost.de. Archived from [the original](http:\/\/www.lesekost.de\/kanon\/HHL102.htm) on March 17, 2011. Retrieved March 11, 2011.\n35. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_ref-35)**\n    McCrum, Robert (August 8, 2006). [\"The Observer's greatest novels of all time\"](https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/books\/2003\/oct\/12\/features.fiction). *The Observer*. UK. Retrieved March 11, 2011.\n36. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_ref-36)**\n    [\"Time's top 100 English language modern novels\"](https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20051019053903\/http:\/\/www.time.com\/time\/2005\/100books\/the_complete_list.html). *[Time](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Time_\$magazine\$ \"Time (magazine)\")*. October 16, 2005. Archived from [the original](http:\/\/www.time.com\/time\/2005\/100books\/the_complete_list.html) on October 19, 2005. Retrieved March 11, 2011.\n37. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_ref-37)** [The BBC's Big Read](https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/arts\/bigread\/top100.shtml)\n38. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_ref-38)**\n    Holloway, Daniel (April 23, 2019). [\"How George Clooney and Christopher Abbott Battled to Bring 'Catch-22' Into the 21st Century\"](https:\/\/variety.com\/2019\/tv\/news\/george-clooney-catch-22-christopher-abbott-1203194665\/). *Variety*. Retrieved June 13, 2024.\n39. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_ref-39)**\n    [Phythyon, John. R. Jr.](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/John_R._Phythyon,_Jr. \"John R. Phythyon, Jr.\") (March 2, 2008). [\"*Catch-22* a nearly perfect adaptation\"](http:\/\/www2.ljworld.com\/news\/2008\/mar\/02\/catch22_nearly_perfect_adaptation). *The Lawrence Journal-World & News*.\n40. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_ref-40)**\n    Otterson, Joe (April 13, 2018). [\"'Catch-22' Casting Shuffle: Kyle Chandler Takes Over as Cathcart, George Clooney Switches Roles\"](https:\/\/variety.com\/2018\/tv\/news\/catch-22-hulu-kyle-chandler-george-clooney-switches-roles-1202752693\/). *Variety*. Retrieved April 13, 2018.\n41. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_ref-41)**\n    [\"Catch-22(Dell 1120) Paperback – January 1, 1964 by Joseph Heller (Author)\"](https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Catch-22-Dell-1120-Joseph-Heller\/dp\/B000G96ELY). *Amazon*.\n42. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_ref-42)**\n    [\"Catch 22 By Joseph Heller Vintage 1973 Paperback Corgi Books Early Edition\"](https:\/\/www.ebay.com.au\/itm\/186123387462). *eBay*.\n43. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_ref-43)**\n    [\"Catch-22 by Joseph Heller (Paperback, 1994) Vintage\"](https:\/\/www.ebay.com.au\/itm\/296199155833?chn=ps&_ul=AU&norover=1&mkevt=1&mkrid=705-166974-041499-5&mkcid=2&mkscid=101&itemid=296199155833&targetid=2274564709393&device=c&mktype=pla&googleloc=9072253&poi=&campaignid=21085115440&mkgroupid=159531975733&rlsatarget=pla-2274564709393&abcId=9390515&merchantid=116297175&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjw0_WyBhDMARIsAL1Vz8s5gZ2mmv2KceW4vtMj2x2VcwTHTZjgw0KYyWpgFVXRFU3RBaOKD54aAoA_EALw_wcB). *eBay*.\n44. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_ref-44)**\n    Heller, Joseph (1985). *Catch-22 Paperback – Import, January 1, 1985 by joseph-heller (Author)*. Black Swan. [ISBN](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/ISBN_\$identifier\$ \"ISBN (identifier)\")\n    \n    [0552991953](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Special:BookSources\/0552991953 \"Special:BookSources\/0552991953\")\n    \n    .\n45. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_ref-45)**\n    Heller, Joseph (2000). *Catch 22 Paperback – January 1, 1985 French Edition by Joseph Heller (Author)*. B. Grasset. [ISBN](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/ISBN_\$identifier\$ \"ISBN (identifier)\")\n    \n    [2246269318](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Special:BookSources\/2246269318 \"Special:BookSources\/2246269318\")\n    \n    .\n46. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_ref-46)** [Heller archive](http:\/\/lts.brandeis.edu\/research\/archives-speccoll\/findingguides\/xml\/heller.html) [Archived](https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20100608094903\/http:\/\/lts.brandeis.edu\/research\/archives-speccoll\/findingguides\/xml\/heller.html) June 8, 2010, at the [Wayback Machine](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Wayback_Machine \"Wayback Machine\"), Brandeis University.\n\n## External links\n\\[[edit](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/w\/index.php?title=Catch-22&action=edit&section=22 \"Edit section: External links\")\\]\n\n[![Wikimedia Commons logo](https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/en\/thumb\/4\/4a\/Commons-logo.svg\/40px-Commons-logo.svg.png)](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/File:Commons-logo.svg)\n\nWikimedia Commons has media related to [Catch-22](https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/wiki\/Category:Catch-22 \"commons:Category:Catch-22\").\n\n![](https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/thumb\/f\/fa\/Wikiquote-logo.svg\/40px-Wikiquote-logo.svg.png)\n\nWikiquote has quotations related to ***[Catch-22](https:\/\/en.wikiquote.org\/wiki\/Special:Search\/Catch-22 \"q:Special:Search\/Catch-22\")***.\n\n- [Librarything.com with many photos of other *Catch-22* covers](http:\/\/www.librarything.com\/work\/1479)\n- [Photos of the first edition of *Catch-22*](http:\/\/www.mansionbooks.com\/BookDetail.php?bk=219)\n- [Catch-22 as a figure of speech](http:\/\/www.figarospeech.com\/it-figures\/2007\/6\/17\/did-the-earth-move-for-you.html)\n- [*Catch-22* study guide](http:\/\/www.shmoop.com\/catch-22) – analysis, themes, quotes, and teaching guide\n- [Why a novel so acclaimed took 46 years to make it to the stage: How the cult classic was adapted for the stage](https:\/\/www.independent.co.uk\/arts-entertainment\/theatre-dance\/features\/catch22-how-the-cult-classic-was-adapted-for-the-stage-9262950.html)\n- [History of combat crew rotation - World War II and Korean War](https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20141212095416\/http:\/\/www.afhra.af.mil\/shared\/media\/document\/AFD-080424-048.pdf)\n- [Historical Sources for the Events in Joseph Heller's Novel, Catch-22 By Daniel Setzer](http:\/\/www.dansetzer.us\/heller\/JHeller.pdf)\n\n| [v](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Template:Joseph_Heller \"Template:Joseph Heller\") [t](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Template_talk:Joseph_Heller \"Template talk:Joseph Heller\") [e](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Special:EditPage\/Template:Joseph_Heller \"Special:EditPage\/Template:Joseph Heller\")Works by [Joseph Heller](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Joseph_Heller \"Joseph Heller\") |   |\n|---|---|\n| Novels | *[Catch-22]()* (1961) *[Something Happened](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Something_Happened \"Something Happened\")* (1974) *[Good as Gold](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Good_as_Gold_\$novel\$ \"Good as Gold (novel)\")* (1979) *[God Knows](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/God_Knows_\$novel\$ \"God Knows (novel)\")* (1984) *[Picture This](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Picture_This_\$novel\$ \"Picture This (novel)\")* (1988) *[Closing Time](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Closing_Time_\$novel\$ \"Closing Time (novel)\")* (1994) *[Portrait of an Artist, as an Old Man](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Portrait_of_an_Artist,_as_an_Old_Man \"Portrait of an Artist, as an Old Man\")* (2000) |\n| Short story collections | *[Catch as Catch Can: The Collected Stories and Other Writings](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch_as_Catch_Can:_The_Collected_Stories_and_Other_Writings \"Catch as Catch Can: The Collected Stories and Other Writings\")* (2003) |\n| Plays | *[We Bombed in New Haven](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/We_Bombed_in_New_Haven \"We Bombed in New Haven\")* (1967) *[Catch-22](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22_\$play\$ \"Catch-22 (play)\")* (1971) *[Clevinger's Trial](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Clevinger%27s_Trial \"Clevinger's Trial\")* (1973) |\n| Autobiographies | *[No Laughing Matter](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/No_Laughing_Matter_\$book\$ \"No Laughing Matter (book)\")* (1986) *[Now and Then: From Coney Island to Here](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Now_and_Then:_From_Coney_Island_to_Here \"Now and Then: From Coney Island to Here\")* (1998) |\n\n| [v](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Template:Catch-22 \"Template:Catch-22\") [t](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Template_talk:Catch-22 \"Template talk:Catch-22\") [e](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Special:EditPage\/Template:Catch-22 \"Special:EditPage\/Template:Catch-22\")[Joseph Heller's](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Joseph_Heller \"Joseph Heller\") *[Catch-22]()* |   |\n|---|---|\n| Catch-22 | *[Catch-22]()* *[Closing Time](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Closing_Time_\$novel\$ \"Closing Time (novel)\")* [*Catch-22* (film)](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22_\$film\$ \"Catch-22 (film)\") [*Catch-22* (play)](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22_\$play\$ \"Catch-22 (play)\") [*Clevinger's Trial* (play)](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Clevinger%27s_Trial \"Clevinger's Trial\") [*Catch-22* (miniseries)](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22_\$miniseries\$ \"Catch-22 (miniseries)\") [Catch-22 (logic)](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22_\$logic\$ \"Catch-22 (logic)\") |\n| [Characters](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/List_of_Catch-22_characters \"List of Catch-22 characters\") | [John Yossarian](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Yossarian \"Yossarian\") [Capt. Aardvark](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Captain_Aardvark \"Captain Aardvark\") [Chaplain Tappman](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Chaplain_Tappman \"Chaplain Tappman\") [Col. Cathcart](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Colonel_Cathcart \"Colonel Cathcart\") [Doc Daneeka](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Doc_Daneeka \"Doc Daneeka\") [Major Major Major Major](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Major_Major_Major_Major \"Major Major Major Major\") [Milo Minderbinder](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Milo_Minderbinder \"Milo Minderbinder\") [Nately](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Nately \"Nately\") [Orr](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Orr_\$Catch-22\$ \"Orr (Catch-22)\") [Scheisskopf](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Scheisskopf \"Scheisskopf\") |\n\n| [Authority control databases](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Help:Authority_control \"Help:Authority control\") [![Edit this at Wikidata](https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/en\/thumb\/8\/8a\/OOjs_UI_icon_edit-ltr-progressive.svg\/20px-OOjs_UI_icon_edit-ltr-progressive.svg.png)](https:\/\/www.wikidata.org\/wiki\/Q278208#identifiers \"Edit this at Wikidata\") |   |\n|---|---|\n| International | 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It was his [debut novel](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Debut_novel \"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,[\\[3\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_note-BBC-3) it uses a distinctive non-chronological [third-person omniscient](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Narrative_mode#Third-person,_omniscient \"Narrative mode\") 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 satirizes military bureaucracy and greed.\n\nThe novel is set during [World War II](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/World_War_II \"World War II\"), from 1942 to 1944. It mainly follows the life of [antihero](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Antihero \"Antihero\") [Captain](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Captain_\$United_States_O-3\$ \"Captain (United States O-3)\") [John Yossarian](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Yossarian \"Yossarian\"), a [U.S. Army Air Forces](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/United_States_Army_Air_Forces \"United States Army Air Forces\") [B-25](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/B-25 \"B-25\") [bombardier](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Bombardier_\$aircrew\$ \"Bombardier (aircrew)\"). Most of the events in the book occur while the fictional 256th US Army Air Squadron is based on the island of [Pianosa](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Pianosa \"Pianosa\"), in the [Mediterranean Sea](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Mediterranean_Sea \"Mediterranean Sea\") west of the Italian mainland, although it also includes episodes from basic training at [Lowry Field](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Lowry_Air_Force_Base \"Lowry Air Force Base\") in Colorado and Air Corps training at [Santa Ana Army Air Base](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Santa_Ana_Army_Air_Base \"Santa Ana Army Air Base\") in California. The novel examines the [absurdity](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Absurdity \"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.\n\nThe book was made into a [film adaptation](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22_\$film\$ \"Catch-22 (film)\") in 1970, directed by [Mike Nichols](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Mike_Nichols \"Mike Nichols\"), and a [miniseries](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22_\$miniseries\$ \"Catch-22 (miniseries)\") in 2019, produced by [George Clooney](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/George_Clooney \"George Clooney\"). In 1994, Heller published a sequel to the novel titled *[Closing Time](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Closing_Time_\$novel\$ \"Closing Time (novel)\")*.\n\nThe main character, Yossarian, is introduced in the setting of a military hospital where he has retreated under the guise of a chronic liver condition to avoid flying further combat missions since he has grown disillusioned with the war effort and distrustful of his commanding officers. Throughout the novel, the [commanding officers](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Commanding_officer \"Commanding officer\") show extreme disregard for the lives of their troops and are all too willing to sacrifice their men to further their own ends. In particular, [Colonel Cathcart](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Colonel_Cathcart \"Colonel Cathcart\") volunteers his unit to fly dangerous missions and forces his men to fly more combat missions than any other unit, constantly raising the number of missions necessary to complete a tour of duty so that the men can never return home, because he wishes to be seen as brave by his superiors even though he has only ever flown one combat mission. After flying forty-four combat missions, Yossarian has become [traumatized](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Traumatized \"Traumatized\") by aerial combat and witnessing the deaths of his friends; he is terrified of being killed in action during each combat mission, but still succeeds in flying twenty-seven more missions over the course of the novel, totaling seventy-one by the end. As the novel progresses, Yossarian's moral character and courage emerge more clearly, in contrast to his seeming selfishness and cowardice when first introduced. He is shown to be an honest, loyal, and able flyer who has been pushed to desperation by the selfishness and cowardice of the authorities responsible for him, especially doctors and military leaders.\n\nThe development of the novel can be split into sections:\n\n- The first (chapters 1–11) broadly follows the story fragmented between characters, but in a single chronological time in 1944.\n- The second (chapters 12–20) flashes back to focus primarily on the \"Great Big Siege of [Bologna](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Bologna \"Bologna\")\" before once again jumping to the third part.\n- The third (chapter 21–25) is the chronological present of 1944.\n- The fourth (chapters 26–28) flashes back to the origins and growth of [Milo's](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Milo_Minderbinder \"Milo Minderbinder\") syndicate.\n- The fifth part (chapters 28–32) returns again to the narrative present and maintains the tone of the previous four.\n- The sixth and final part (chapter 32 and on) remains in the story's present, but takes a much darker turn and emphasizes the darkness and brutality of war and life in general.[\\[4\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_note-Burhans-4)\n\nFor most of the book, the reader is cushioned from directly experiencing the full horror of war, but the existence of these horrors is implied by the extreme trauma and fear that afflicts the airmen. In the final section, these events are laid bare. The horror begins with a pointless attack on an undefended Italian mountain village, with the succeeding chapters incorporating depictions of despair ([Doc Daneeka](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Doc_Daneeka \"Doc Daneeka\") and the [chaplain](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Chaplain_Tappman \"Chaplain Tappman\")), disappearance in combat ([Orr](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Orr_\$Catch-22\$ \"Orr (Catch-22)\") and Clevinger), disappearance caused by the army (Dunbar) and death of most of Yossarian's friends ([Nately](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Nately \"Nately\"), McWatt, Kid Sampson, Dobbs, Chief White Halfoat and Hungry Joe), culminating in the horrors of Chapter 39, in particular [Aarfy's](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Captain_Aardvark \"Captain Aardvark\") rape and murder of the innocent young woman Michaela.[\\[4\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_note-Burhans-4) In Chapter 41 the full details of the death of Snowden are finally revealed.\n\nNevertheless, the novel ends on an upbeat note with Yossarian learning of [Orr's](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Orr_\$Catch-22\$ \"Orr (Catch-22)\") miraculous escape to Sweden and Yossarian's pledge to follow him there.\n\n[![](https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/thumb\/6\/66\/Catch-22_%281961%29_dust_jacket%2C_first_edition.jpg\/500px-Catch-22_%281961%29_dust_jacket%2C_first_edition.jpg)](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/File:Catch-22_\$1961\$_dust_jacket,_first_edition.jpg)\n\n*Catch-22* dust jacket, first edition (1961)\n\nMany events in the book are repeatedly described from differing points of view, so the reader learns more about each event from each iteration, with the new information often completing a joke, the setup of which was told several chapters previously. The narrative's events are out of sequence, but events are referred to as if the reader is already familiar with them so that the reader must ultimately piece together a timeline of events. Specific words, phrases, and questions are also repeated frequently, generally to comic effect.\\[*[citation needed](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Wikipedia:Citation_needed \"Wikipedia:Citation needed\")*\\]\n\nMuch of Heller's prose in *Catch-22* is circular and repetitive, exemplifying in its form the structure of a [Catch-22](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22_\$logic\$ \"Catch-22 (logic)\"). [Circular reasoning](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Circular_reasoning \"Circular reasoning\") is widely used by some characters to justify their actions and opinions. Heller revels in [paradox](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Paradox \"Paradox\"). For example: \"[The Texan](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/The_Texan_\$fictional_character\$ \"The Texan (fictional character)\") turned out to be good-natured, generous and likable. In three days no one could stand him,\" and \"The case against Clevinger was open and shut. The only thing missing was something to charge him with.\" This atmosphere of apparently logical irrationality pervades the book.\\[*[citation needed](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Wikipedia:Citation_needed \"Wikipedia:Citation needed\")*\\] This style is also recognizable regarding how exactly Clevinger's trial would be executed by Lieutenant Scheisskopf: \"As a member of the Action Board, Lieutenant Scheisskopf was one of the judges who would weigh the merits of the case against Clevinger as presented by the prosecutor. Lieutenant Scheisskopf was also the prosecutor. Clevinger had an officer defending him. The officer defending him was Lieutenant Scheisskopf.\"[\\[5\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_note-Catch-22-5): 76\n\nWhile a few characters are most prominent, especially Yossarian and the Chaplain, the majority of named characters are described in detail with fleshed out or multidimensional personas to the extent that there are few if any \"minor characters\". There are no traditional heroes in the novel, reflecting the underlying commentary that war has no heroes, only victims.[\\[6\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_note-Rosenbaum-6)\n\nAlthough its nonchronological structure may at first seem random, *Catch-22* is highly structured. It is founded on a structure of [free association](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Free_association_\$psychology\$ \"Free association (psychology)\"); ideas run into one another through seemingly random connections. For example, Chapter 1, titled \"The Texan\", ends with \"everybody but the [CID man](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/United_States_Army_Criminal_Investigation_Command \"United States Army Criminal Investigation Command\"), who had caught a cold from the fighter captain and come down with pneumonia.\"[\\[5\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_note-Catch-22-5): 24  Chapter 2, titled \"Clevinger\", begins with \"In a way, the CID man was pretty lucky because outside the hospital the war was still going on.\"[\\[5\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_note-Catch-22-5): 25  The CID man connects the two chapters like a free association bridge and eventually Chapter 2 flows from the CID man to Clevinger through more free association links.\n\nAs Heller utilizes an episodic structure for most of the novel, many chapters may appear to be a disjointed series of events with little or no connection with each other. However, individual chapters often deal with thematically unique ideas, such as Chapter 11 (“Captain Black”) which parodies [Red Scare](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Red_Scare \"Red Scare\")\\-era [McCarthyism](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/McCarthyism \"McCarthyism\"), and Chapter 18 (“The Soldier Who Saw Everything Twice”) which explores theological concepts of mortality.\n\n[Yossarian](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Yossarian \"Yossarian\") comes to fear his commanding officers more than he fears the Germans attempting to shoot him down and he feels that \"they\" are \"out to get him.\" The reason Yossarian fears his commanders more than the enemy is that as he flies more missions, [Colonel Cathcart](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Colonel_Cathcart \"Colonel Cathcart\") increases the number of required combat missions before a soldier may return home; he reaches the magic number only to have it retroactively raised. He comes to despair of ever getting home and is greatly relieved when he is sent to the hospital for a condition that is almost [jaundice](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Jaundice \"Jaundice\"). In Yossarian's words:\n\n> The enemy is anybody who's going to get you killed, no matter which *side* he's on, and that includes Colonel Cathcart. And don't you forget that, because the longer you remember it, the longer you might live.[\\[5\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_note-Catch-22-5): 124\n\nMuch of the farce in the novel is fueled by intentional and unintentional miscommunication, occasionally leading to tragic consequences. For example, Cathcart's desire to become a general is thwarted by ex-P.F.C. Wintergreen sabotaging his correspondence. Major Major's and Yossarian's mis-censoring of correspondence is blamed on the Chaplain, who is threatened with imprisonment as a result.\n\nYossarian [questions the idea that](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Theodicy \"Theodicy\") God is all-powerful, all-good, and all knowing. The narrator seems to believe that God, if not evil, is incompetent. In chapter 18, Yossarian states that he \"believes in the God he doesn't believe in\", this version of God having created Hitler, the war, and all the failures of human life and society, as exemplified in the following passage:\n\n> \"And don't tell me [God works in mysterious ways](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/God_works_in_mysterious_ways \"God works in mysterious ways\")\", Yossarian continued, hurtling over her objections. \"There's nothing so mysterious about it. He's not working at all. He's playing or else He's forgotten all about us. That's the kind of God you people talk about – a country bumpkin, a clumsy, bungling, brainless, conceited, uncouth hayseed. Good God, how much reverence can you have for a Supreme Being who finds it necessary to include such phenomena as phlegm and tooth decay in His divine system of creation? What in the world was running through that warped, evil, scatological mind of His when He robbed old people of the power to control their bowel movements? Why in the world did he ever create pain? ... Oh, He was really being charitable to us when He gave us pain! Why couldn't He have used a doorbell instead to notify us, or one of His celestial choirs? Or a system of blue-and-red neon tubes right in the middle of each person's forehead. Any jukebox manufacturer worth his salt could have done that. Why couldn't He? ... What a colossal, immortal blunderer! When you consider the opportunity and power He had to really do a job, and then look at the stupid, ugly little mess He made of it instead, His sheer incompetence is almost staggering. ...\"[\\[6\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_note-Rosenbaum-6)\n\nLater Heller writes of Yossarian wandering through a war-torn Italian city (Chapter 39):\n\n> \"Yossarian quickened his pace to get away, almost ran. The night was filled with horrors, and he thought he knew how Christ must have felt as he walked through the world, like a psychiatrist through a ward full of nuts, like a victim through a prison full of thieves. What a welcome sight a leper must have been. At the next corner a man was beating a small boy brutally in the midst of an immobile crowd of adult spectators who made no effort to intervene ...\"[\\[7\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_note-7)\n\n### Military-industrial complex\n\\[[edit](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/w\/index.php?title=Catch-22&action=edit&section=7 \"Edit section: Military-industrial complex\")\\]\n\nWhile the military's enemies are Germans, none appear in the story as enemy combatants. This ironic situation is epitomized on of the few appearances of German personnel in the novel, who act as pilots employed by the squadron's mess officer, [Milo Minderbinder](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Milo_Minderbinder \"Milo Minderbinder\"), to bomb the American encampment on Pianosa. This predicament indicates a tension between traditional motives for violence and the modern economic machine, which seems to generate violence simply as another means to profit, quite independent of geographical or ideological constraints which creates a [military–industrial complex](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Military%E2%80%93industrial_complex \"Military–industrial complex\").[\\[8\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_note-:0-8) Heller emphasizes the danger of profit-seeking by portraying Milo without \"evil intent\". Milo's actions are portrayed as the result of greed, not malice.[\\[9\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_note-Sorkin_1993_150-9)\n\nThe novel has over 50 named characters, many of whom have titular chapters dedicated to expanding on their personalities or motivations.\n\nHeller wanted to be a writer from an early age. His experiences as a [bombardier](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Bombardier_\$air_force\$ \"Bombardier (air force)\") during World War II inspired *Catch-22*;[\\[10\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_note-10) Heller later said that he \"never had a bad officer\". In a 1977 essay on *Catch-22*, Heller stated that the \"antiwar and antigovernment feelings in the book\" were a product of the Korean War and the 1950s rather than World War II itself. Heller's criticisms are not intended for World War II but for the Cold War and [McCarthyism](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/McCarthyism \"McCarthyism\").[\\[11\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_note-11)\n\nThe influence of the 1950s on *Catch-22* is evident through Heller's extensive use of [anachronism](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Anachronism \"Anachronism\"). Though the novel is ostensibly set in World War II, Heller intentionally included anachronisms like [loyalty oaths](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Loyalty_oaths \"Loyalty oaths\") and [computers](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Computers \"Computers\") ([IBM](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/IBM \"IBM\") machines) to situate the novel in the context of the 1950s.[\\[9\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_note-Sorkin_1993_150-9) Many of the characters are based on or connected to individuals from the 1950s:\n\n- Milo Minderbinder's maxim \"What's good for M\\&M Enterprises is good for the country\" alludes to the former president of [General Motors](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/General_Motors \"General Motors\") [Charles Erwin Wilson](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Charles_Erwin_Wilson \"Charles Erwin Wilson\")'s 1953 statement before the Senate: \"What's good for General Motors is good for the country.\"[\\[9\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_note-Sorkin_1993_150-9)\n- The question of \"Who promoted [Major Major](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Major_Major_Major_Major \"Major Major Major Major\")?\" alludes to [Joseph McCarthy](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Joseph_McCarthy \"Joseph McCarthy\")'s questioning of the promotion of [Major Peress](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Irving_Peress \"Irving Peress\"), an army dentist who refused to sign loyalty oaths.[\\[9\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_note-Sorkin_1993_150-9)\n\nCzech writer [Arnošt Lustig](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Arno%C5%A1t_Lustig \"Arnošt Lustig\") recounts in his book *3x18* that Joseph Heller told him that he would never have written *Catch-22* had he not first read *[The Good Soldier Švejk](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/The_Good_Soldier_%C5%A0vejk \"The Good Soldier Švejk\")* by [Jaroslav Hašek](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Jaroslav_Ha%C5%A1ek \"Jaroslav Hašek\").[\\[12\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_note-12)\n\nIn 1998, some critics raised the possibility that Heller's book had questionable similarities to [Louis Falstein](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/w\/index.php?title=Louis_Falstein&action=edit&redlink=1 \"Louis Falstein (page does not exist)\")'s 1950 novel, *[Face of a Hero](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Face_of_a_Hero \"Face of a Hero\")*. Falstein never raised the issue between *Catch-22*'s publication and his death in 1995 and Heller claimed never to have been aware of the obscure novel. Heller said that the novel had been influenced by [Céline](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Louis-Ferdinand_C%C3%A9line \"Louis-Ferdinand Céline\"), [Waugh](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Evelyn_Waugh \"Evelyn Waugh\") and [Nabokov](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Vladimir_Nabokov \"Vladimir Nabokov\"). Many of the similarities have been stated to be attributable to the authors' experiences, both having served as U.S. Army Air Forces aircrew in Italy in World War II. However, their themes and styles are different.[\\[13\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_note-13)\n\nA \"[Catch-22](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22_\$logic\$ \"Catch-22 (logic)\")\" is \"a problem for which the only solution is denied by a circumstance inherent in the problem or by a rule\".[\\[14\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_note-14) For example, losing something is typically a conventional problem; to solve it, one looks for the lost item until one finds it. But if the thing lost is one's glasses, one cannot see to look for them – a Catch-22. The term \"Catch-22\" is also used more broadly to mean a tricky problem or a no-win or absurd situation.\n\nIn the book, Catch-22 is a military rule typifying [bureaucratic](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Bureaucratic \"Bureaucratic\") operation and reasoning. The rule is not stated in a precise form, but the principal example in the book fits the definition above: If one is crazy, one does not have to fly missions; and one must be crazy to fly. But one has to apply to be excused, and applying demonstrates that one is not crazy. As a result, one must continue flying, either not applying to be excused, or applying and being refused. The narrator explains:\n\n> There was only one catch and that was Catch-22, which specified that a concern for one's safety in the face of dangers that were real and immediate was the process of a rational mind. [Orr](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Orr_\$Catch-22\$ \"Orr (Catch-22)\") was crazy and could be grounded. All he had to do was ask; and as soon as he did, he would no longer be crazy and would have to fly more missions. Orr would be crazy to fly more missions and sane if he didn't, but if he were sane he had to fly them. If he flew them he was crazy and didn't have to, but if he didn't want to he was sane and had to. Yossarian was moved very deeply by the absolute simplicity of this clause of Catch-22 and let out a respectful whistle. (p. 56, ch. 5)\n\nOther forms of Catch-22 are invoked throughout the novel to justify various bureaucratic actions. At one point, victims of harassment by military police quote the MPs' explanation of one of Catch-22's provisions: \"Catch-22 states that agents enforcing Catch-22 need not prove that Catch-22 actually contains whatever provision the accused violator is accused of violating.\" Another character explains: \"Catch-22 says [they have a right to do anything we can't stop them from doing](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Might_makes_right \"Might makes right\").\"\n\nYossarian comes to realize that Catch-22 does not actually exist, but because the powers that be claim it does, and the world believes it does, it nevertheless has potent effects. Indeed, because it does not exist, there is no way it can be repealed, undone, overthrown, or denounced. The combination of force with specious and spurious legalistic justification is one of the book's primary motifs.\n\nThe motif of bureaucratic absurdity is further explored in 1994's [*Closing Time*](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Closing_Time_\$novel\$ \"Closing Time (novel)\"), Heller's sequel to *Catch-22*. This darker, slower-paced, apocalyptic novel explores the pre- and post-war lives of some of the major characters in *Catch-22*, with particular emphasis on the relationship between Yossarian and tail gunner Sammy Singer.\n\n*Catch-22* contains allusions to many works of literature. [Howard Jacobson](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Howard_Jacobson \"Howard Jacobson\"), in his 2004 introduction to the Vintage Classics publication, wrote that the novel was \"positioned teasingly ... between literature and literature's opposites – between [Shakespeare](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Shakespeare \"Shakespeare\") and [Rabelais](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Rabelais \"Rabelais\") and [Dickens](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Dickens \"Dickens\") and [Dostoevsky](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Dostoevsky \"Dostoevsky\") and [Gogol](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Gogol \"Gogol\") and [Céline](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Louis-Ferdinand_C%C3%A9line \"Louis-Ferdinand Céline\") and the [Absurdists](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Absurdism \"Absurdism\") and of course [Kafka](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Kafka \"Kafka\") on the one hand, and on the other [vaudeville](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Vaudeville \"Vaudeville\") and [slapstick](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Slapstick \"Slapstick\") and [Bilko](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/The_Phil_Silvers_Show \"The Phil Silvers Show\") and [Abbott and Costello](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Abbott_and_Costello \"Abbott and Costello\") and [Tom and Jerry](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Tom_and_Jerry \"Tom and Jerry\") and [the Goons](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/The_Goons_\$The_Goon_Show\$ \"The Goons (The Goon Show)\") (if Heller had ever heard of the Goons).\"[\\[15\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_note-15) One critic argues that it is Kafka's influence that can be seen most strongly in the novel: \"Like Kafka's heroes, Yossarian is riddled with anxiety and caught in an inexorable nightmare – in his case created by Colonel Cathcart and the inevitability of his raising the number of missions he has to fly.\"[\\[16\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_note-16)\n\nThe idea for *Catch-22* was based on Joseph Heller's personal experience in World War II. The feelings that Yossarian and the other bomber crew felt were taken directly from problems he suffered while on duty. Heller flew 60 bombing missions from May to October in 1944. Heller was able to make it out of the war, but it took until 1953 before he could start writing about it. For this reason, the book contains references to post-World War II phenomena like IBM computers and [loyalty oaths](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Loyalty_oath \"Loyalty oath\"). The war experience turned Heller into a \"tortured, funny, deeply peculiar human being\".[\\[17\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_note-17)\n\nAfter publication in 1961, *Catch-22* became very popular among teenagers at the time. *Catch-22* seemed to embody the feelings that young people had toward the Vietnam War. A common joke was that every student who went off to college at the time took along a copy of *Catch-22*. The popularity of the book created a cult following, which led to more than eight million copies being sold in the United States. On October 26, 1986, professor and author [John W. Aldridge](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/John_W._Aldridge \"John W. Aldridge\") wrote a piece in *[The New York Times](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/The_New_York_Times \"The New York Times\")* celebrating the 25th anniversary of the publishing of *Catch-22*. He commented that Heller's book presaged the chaos in the world that was to come:\n\n> The comic fable that ends in horror has become more and more clearly a reflection of the altogether uncomic and horrifying realities of the world in which we live and hope to survive.[\\[18\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_note-18)\n\nThe title refers to a fictional bureaucratic stipulation that embodies illogical and immoral reasoning. The idea being that if one pleads insanity to stop flying missions with a high mortality rate, one is in fact sane; however, one must be insane to keep flying those exact missions.[\\[8\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_note-:0-8) The opening chapter of the novel was first published, in 1955, by *[New World Writing](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/New_World_Writing \"New World Writing\")* as *Catch-18*, but Heller's agent, Candida Donadio, asked him to change the title, to avert its confusion with [Leon Uris](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Leon_Uris \"Leon Uris\")'s recently published *[Mila 18](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Mila_18 \"Mila 18\")*.[\\[19\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_note-:1-19) The implications in Judaism of the number [18](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/18_\$number\$ \"18 (number)\") – which refers to *[chai](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Chai_\$symbol\$ \"Chai (symbol)\")*, meaning \"alive\", in [Gematria](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Gematria \"Gematria\") – were relevant to Heller's somewhat greater emphasis on Jewish themes in early drafts of his novel.[\\[20\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_note-title-20) Heller's daughter Erica wrote that the Simon & Schuster editor, Robert Gottlieb, was the person who came up with the number 22, and Gottlieb himself stated that he did in the documentary *[Turn Every Page: The Adventures of Robert Caro and Robert Gottlieb](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Turn_Every_Page:_The_Adventures_of_Robert_Caro_and_Robert_Gottlieb \"Turn Every Page: The Adventures of Robert Caro and Robert Gottlieb\").*[\\[21\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_note-21)\n\nParallels among a number of character exchanges in the novel suggested the doubled-one title of *Catch-11*, but the 1960 release of *[Ocean's Eleven](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Ocean%27s_Eleven_\$1960_film\$ \"Ocean's Eleven (1960 film)\")* eliminated that.[\\[19\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_note-:1-19) *Catch-17* was rejected so as not to be confused with the World War II film *[Stalag 17](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Stalag_17 \"Stalag 17\")*, as was *Catch-14*, apparently because the publisher did not believe that 14 was a \"funny number\". Eventually, the title came to be *Catch-22*, which, like 11, has a duplicated digit, with the 2 also referring to a number of *[déjà vu](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/D%C3%A9j%C3%A0_vu \"Déjà vu\")*\\-like events common in the novel.[\\[20\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_note-title-20)\n\n## Publication and movie rights\n\\[[edit](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/w\/index.php?title=Catch-22&action=edit&section=14 \"Edit section: Publication and movie rights\")\\]\n\n*Catch-22* was sold to [Simon & Schuster](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Simon_%26_Schuster \"Simon & Schuster\"), where it had been championed by editor [Robert Gottlieb](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Robert_Gottlieb \"Robert Gottlieb\"), who, along with [Nina Bourne](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Nina_Bourne \"Nina Bourne\"), edited and oversaw the marketing of the book.[\\[19\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_note-:1-19) Gottlieb was a strong advocate for the book along with [Peter Schwed](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Peter_Schwed \"Peter Schwed\") and [Justin Kaplan](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Justin_Kaplan \"Justin Kaplan\"). Henry Simon, a vice president at Simon & Schuster, found it repetitive and offensive.[\\[19\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_note-:1-19) The editorial board decided to contract the book when Heller agreed to revisions; he signed for US\\$1,500 in 1961 (equivalent to about \\$16,200 in 2025).[\\[19\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_note-:1-19)\n\nOfficially published on October 10, 1961, the hardcover sold for \\$5.95. The book was not a best-seller in hardcover in the United States. Though twelve thousand copies were sold by [Thanksgiving](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Thanksgiving_\$United_States\$ \"Thanksgiving (United States)\"), it never entered [*The New York Times* Best Seller list](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/The_New_York_Times_Best_Seller_list \"The New York Times Best Seller list\"). It received good notices and was nominated for the [National Book Award](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/National_Book_Award \"National Book Award\") in March 1962, though [Walker Percy](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Walker_Percy \"Walker Percy\")'s *[The Moviegoer](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/The_Moviegoer \"The Moviegoer\")* won. *Catch-22* went through four printings in hardcover but sold well on only the East Coast. The book never established itself nationally until it was published in paperback for 75 cents.[\\[22\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_note-Just_One_Catch-22): 224–230\n\nUpon publication in Great Britain, the book became the No. 1 best-seller.[\\[22\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_note-Just_One_Catch-22): 233  Don Fine of [Dell Paperbacks](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Dell_Publishing \"Dell Publishing\") bought the paperback reprint rights to *Catch-22* for \\$32,000. Between the paperback's release in September 1962 and April 1963, it sold 1.1 million copies.[\\[22\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_note-Just_One_Catch-22): 238–240\n\nIn August 1962, Donadio brokered the sale of movie rights to [Columbia Pictures](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Columbia_Pictures \"Columbia Pictures\") for \\$100,000 plus \\$25,000 to write a treatment or a first draft of a screenplay.[\\[22\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_note-Just_One_Catch-22): 234\n\nThe initial reviews of the book ranged from very positive to very negative. There were positive reviews from *[The Nation](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/The_Nation \"The Nation\")* (\"the best novel to come out in years\"), the *[New York Herald Tribune](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/New_York_Herald_Tribune \"New York Herald Tribune\")* (\"A wild, moving, shocking, hilarious, raging, exhilarating, giant roller-coaster of a book\") and *[The New York Times](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/The_New_York_Times \"The New York Times\")* (\"A dazzling performance that will outrage nearly as many readers as it delights\"). On the other hand, *[The New Yorker](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/The_New_Yorker \"The New Yorker\")* disliked it (\"doesn't even seem to be written; instead, it gives the impression of having been shouted onto paper\", \"what remains is a debris of sour jokes\"), and a second review from the *New York Times* also disliked it (\"repetitive and monotonous. Or one can say that it is too short because none of its many interesting characters and actions is given enough play to become a controlling interest\").[\\[23\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_note-23) One commentator of *Catch-22* recognized that \"many early audiences liked the book for just the same reasons that caused others to hate it\".[\\[24\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_note-Catch-22_1994-24): 11  The book eventually gained a cult following, especially among teenagers and college students. Heller later remarked that in 1962, after appearing on the *Today* show he went out drinking with the host at the time, [John Chancellor](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/John_Chancellor \"John Chancellor\"), who handed him stickers that Chancellor had got privately printed reading \"YOSSARIAN LIVES\". Heller also said that Chancellor had been secretly putting them on the walls of the corridors and executive bathrooms in the NBC building.[\\[24\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_note-Catch-22_1994-24): 11\n\nAlthough the novel won no awards upon release, it has remained in print and is seen as one of the most significant American novels of the 20th century.[\\[3\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_note-BBC-3) Scholar and fellow World War II veteran [Hugh Nibley](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Hugh_Nibley \"Hugh Nibley\") said it was the most accurate book he ever read about the military.[\\[25\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_note-25) As of 2016 over ten million copies have been sold.[\\[26\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_note-26)\n\nAlthough he continued writing, including a sequel novel *[Closing Time](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Closing_Time_\$novel\$ \"Closing Time (novel)\")*, Heller's later works were inevitably overshadowed by the success of *Catch-22*. When asked by critics why he had never managed to write another novel as good as his first, Heller would retort with a smile, \"Who has?\"[\\[27\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_note-27)\n\n*Catch-22* has landed on the list of the [American Library Association](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/American_Library_Association \"American Library Association\")'s banned and challenged classics.\n\nIn 1972, the [Strongsville City School District](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Strongsville_City_School_District \"Strongsville City School District\") school board removed *Catch-22*, as well as two books by [Kurt Vonnegut](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Kurt_Vonnegut \"Kurt Vonnegut\"), from school libraries and the curriculum.[\\[28\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_note-:2-28) Five families sued the school board. The [Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/United_States_Court_of_Appeals_for_the_Sixth_Circuit \"United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit\") rejected the claim, stating that school boards had the right to control the curriculum.[\\[29\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_note-:3-29) The decision was overturned on appeal in 1976 in *[Minarcini v. Strongsville City School District](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Minarcini_v._Strongsville_City_School_District \"Minarcini v. Strongsville City School District\")*.[\\[28\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_note-:2-28)[\\[30\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_note-:4-30) The court wrote, \"A library is a storehouse of knowledge. Here we are concerned with the right of students to receive information which they and their teachers desire them to have.\"[\\[29\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_note-:3-29)[\\[31\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_note-31) In 1982, the U.S. Supreme Court employed a similar rationale in its decision in *[Island Trees School District v. Pico](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Island_Trees_School_District_v._Pico \"Island Trees School District v. Pico\")* on the removal of library books.[\\[29\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_note-:3-29)\n\nBecause the book refers to some women as \"whores\", it was challenged at the [Dallas, Texas, Independent School District](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Dallas_Independent_School_District \"Dallas Independent School District\") (1974) and [Snoqualmie, Washington](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Snoqualmie,_Washington \"Snoqualmie, Washington\") (1979).[\\[28\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_note-:2-28)[\\[30\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_note-:4-30)\n\n| External videos |\n|---|\n| [![video icon](https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/thumb\/1\/1b\/Nuvola_apps_kaboodle.svg\/20px-Nuvola_apps_kaboodle.svg.png)](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/File:Nuvola_apps_kaboodle.svg) [\"50th Anniversary of Joseph Heller's *Catch-22*\"](https:\/\/www.c-span.org\/video\/?302675-1\/50th-anniversary-joseph-hellers-catch22) – [Lesley Stahl](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Lesley_Stahl \"Lesley Stahl\") moderating a panel made up of [Christopher Buckley](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Christopher_Buckley_\$novelist\$ \"Christopher Buckley (novelist)\"), [Robert Gottlieb](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Robert_Gottlieb \"Robert Gottlieb\"), [Mike Nichols](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Mike_Nichols \"Mike Nichols\"), and [Scott Shepherd](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Scott_Shepherd_\$actor\$ \"Scott Shepherd (actor)\"), October 18, 2011, [C-SPAN](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/C-SPAN \"C-SPAN\")[\\[32\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_note-cspan-32) |\n\n- The [Modern Library](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Modern_Library \"Modern Library\") ranked *Catch-22* as the 7th (by review panel) and 12th (by public) greatest English-language novel of the 20th century.[\\[33\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_note-33)\n- The [Radcliffe Publishing Course](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Radcliffe_Publishing_Course \"Radcliffe Publishing Course\") ranked *Catch-22* as number 15 of the 20th century's top 100 novels.[\\[34\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_note-34)\n- *[The Observer](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/The_Observer \"The Observer\")* listed *Catch-22* as one of the 100 greatest novels of all time.[\\[35\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_note-35)\n- *[Time](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Time_\$magazine\$ \"Time (magazine)\")* puts *Catch-22* in the top 100 English-language modern novels (1923 onwards, unranked).[\\[36\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_note-36)\n- The [Big Read](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Big_Read \"Big Read\") by the [BBC](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/BBC \"BBC\") ranked *Catch-22* as number 11 on a web poll of the UK's best-loved book.[\\[37\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_note-37)\n\n[![](https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/thumb\/f\/f7\/Catch22-1970_opening.jpg\/250px-Catch22-1970_opening.jpg)](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/File:Catch22-1970_opening.jpg)\n\nOpening title of the film adaptation\n\n- *Catch-22* was adapted into a [feature film of the same name](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22_\$film\$ \"Catch-22 (film)\") in 1970, directed by [Mike Nichols](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Mike_Nichols \"Mike Nichols\"). [Alan Arkin](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Alan_Arkin \"Alan Arkin\") portrayed Capt. [Yossarian](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Yossarian \"Yossarian\"), with an ensemble cast including [Art Garfunkel](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Art_Garfunkel \"Art Garfunkel\") as Nately, [Jon Voight](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Jon_Voight \"Jon Voight\") as [Milo Minderbinder](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Milo_Minderbinder \"Milo Minderbinder\"), [Orson Welles](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Orson_Welles \"Orson Welles\") as General Dreedle, and [Martin Balsam](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Martin_Balsam \"Martin Balsam\") as [Colonel Cathcart](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Colonel_Cathcart \"Colonel Cathcart\"), amongst many others.\n- A [pilot](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Television_pilot \"Television pilot\") for a comedy series based upon *Catch-22* was made and televised in 1973, with [Richard Dreyfuss](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Richard_Dreyfuss \"Richard Dreyfuss\") in the starring role of Yossarian.[\\[38\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_note-38)\n- [*Catch-22* play](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22_\$play\$ \"Catch-22 (play)\"): [Aquila Theatre](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Aquila_Theatre \"Aquila Theatre\") produced a stage adaptation of *Catch-22*, based on Heller's 1971 stage adaptation. It was directed by [Peter Meineck](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Peter_Meineck \"Peter Meineck\"). This production toured the United States in 2007\/8 with a Bexhill on Sea production in the fall of 2008.[\\[39\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_note-39)\n- A [six-episode miniseries](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22_\$miniseries\$ \"Catch-22 (miniseries)\") produced by, and co-starring, [George Clooney](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/George_Clooney \"George Clooney\") was picked up by [Hulu](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Hulu \"Hulu\") for a straight-to-series order. It streamed on May 17, 2019. It was also broadcast by [Channel 4](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Channel_4 \"Channel 4\") in the [United Kingdom](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/United_Kingdom \"United Kingdom\"). [Christopher Abbott](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Christopher_Abbott \"Christopher Abbott\") portrayed Yossarian, with [Kyle Chandler](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Kyle_Chandler \"Kyle Chandler\") as Cathcart,[\\[40\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_note-40) [Hugh Laurie](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Hugh_Laurie \"Hugh Laurie\") as Major —— de Coverley, and Clooney as Lt. Scheisskopf.\n\nThis list covers the first and most recent printed publications by the original publisher [Simon & Schuster](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Simon_%26_Schuster \"Simon & Schuster\") as well as all other formats. Other print publishers include [Dell](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Dell_Publishing \"Dell Publishing\"),[\\[41\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_note-41) [Corgi](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Transworld_\$publisher\$ \"Transworld (publisher)\"),[\\[42\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_note-42) [Vintage](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Vintage_\$publisher\$ \"Vintage (publisher)\"),[\\[43\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_note-43) [Black Swan](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Transworld_\$publisher\$ \"Transworld (publisher)\"),[\\[44\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_note-44) [Éditions Grasset](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/%C3%89ditions_Grasset \"Éditions Grasset\"),[\\[45\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_note-45) and [Wahlström & Widstrand](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Wahlstr%C3%B6m_%26_Widstrand \"Wahlström & Widstrand\").\n\nThe original manuscript is held by [Brandeis University](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Brandeis_University \"Brandeis University\").[\\[46\\]](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_note-46)\n\n- Heller, Joseph (June 1961) \\[1961\\]. [*Catch-22*](https:\/\/archive.org\/details\/catch2200hell_0) (hardback). New York: Simon & Schuster. [ISBN](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/ISBN_\$identifier\$ \"ISBN (identifier)\")\n  \n  [0-684-83339-5](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Special:BookSources\/0-684-83339-5 \"Special:BookSources\/0-684-83339-5\")\n  \n  . [OCLC](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/OCLC_\$identifier\$ \"OCLC (identifier)\") [35231812](https:\/\/search.worldcat.org\/oclc\/35231812).\n- Heller, Joseph (1961). [*Catch-22*](https:\/\/archive.org\/details\/catch22novel00hell) (advance paperback with signed bookplate). Simon & Schuster. [ISBN](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/ISBN_\$identifier\$ \"ISBN (identifier)\")\n  \n  [0-440-51120-8](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Special:BookSources\/0-440-51120-8 \"Special:BookSources\/0-440-51120-8\")\n  \n  .\n- Heller, Joseph (1978). *Catch-22* (signed limited edition leatherbound). Franklin Library. [ISBN](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/ISBN_\$identifier\$ \"ISBN (identifier)\")\n  \n  [0-8124-1717-8](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Special:BookSources\/0-8124-1717-8 \"Special:BookSources\/0-8124-1717-8\")\n  \n  .\n- Heller, Joseph (September 1996). [*Catch-22*](https:\/\/archive.org\/details\/catch2200hell_0) (paperback). Simon & Schuster. [ISBN](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/ISBN_\$identifier\$ \"ISBN (identifier)\")\n  \n  [0-684-83339-5](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Special:BookSources\/0-684-83339-5 \"Special:BookSources\/0-684-83339-5\")\n  \n  .\n- Heller, Joseph (October 1999). [*Catch-22*](https:\/\/archive.org\/details\/catch22novelhell00hell) (hardback). Simon & Schuster. [ISBN](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/ISBN_\$identifier\$ \"ISBN (identifier)\")\n  \n  [0-684-86513-0](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Special:BookSources\/0-684-86513-0 \"Special:BookSources\/0-684-86513-0\")\n  \n  .\n- Heller, Joseph (1980). *Catch-22* (unabridged audio cassette). reader Wolfram Kandinsky. Books On Tape. [ISBN](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/ISBN_\$identifier\$ \"ISBN (identifier)\")\n  \n  [0-7366-8962-1](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Special:BookSources\/0-7366-8962-1 \"Special:BookSources\/0-7366-8962-1\")\n  \n  .\n- Heller, Joseph (1984). *Catch-22* (audio cassette). [Caedmon Audio](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Caedmon_Audio \"Caedmon Audio\"). [ISBN](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/ISBN_\$identifier\$ \"ISBN (identifier)\")\n  \n  [0-694-50253-7](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Special:BookSources\/0-694-50253-7 \"Special:BookSources\/0-694-50253-7\")\n  \n  .\n- Heller, Joseph (1990). *Catch-22* (unabridged audio CD). reader [Jim Weiss](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Jim_Weiss \"Jim Weiss\"). Books On Tape. [ISBN](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/ISBN_\$identifier\$ \"ISBN (identifier)\")\n  \n  [0-7366-9085-9](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Special:BookSources\/0-7366-9085-9 \"Special:BookSources\/0-7366-9085-9\")\n  \n  .\n- Heller, Joseph (1994). *Catch-22* ([abridged](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Abridgement \"Abridgement\") edition audio cassette). reader [Alan Arkin](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Alan_Arkin \"Alan Arkin\"). DH Audio. [ISBN](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/ISBN_\$identifier\$ \"ISBN (identifier)\")\n  \n  [0-88646-125-1](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Special:BookSources\/0-88646-125-1 \"Special:BookSources\/0-88646-125-1\")\n  \n  .\n- Heller, Joseph (2007). *Catch-22* (unabridged audio CD). reader [Jay O. Sanders](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Jay_O._Sanders \"Jay O. Sanders\"). Caedmon. [ISBN](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/ISBN_\$identifier\$ \"ISBN (identifier)\")\n  \n  [978-0-06-126246-3](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Special:BookSources\/978-0-06-126246-3 \"Special:BookSources\/978-0-06-126246-3\")\n  \n  .\n- Heller, Joseph (2008). *Catch-22* (unabridged audio CD). reader [Trevor White](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Trevor_White_\$actor\$ \"Trevor White (actor)\"). Hachette Audio. [ISBN](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/ISBN_\$identifier\$ \"ISBN (identifier)\")\n  \n  [978-1-4055-0387-7](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Special:BookSources\/978-1-4055-0387-7 \"Special:BookSources\/978-1-4055-0387-7\")\n  \n  .\n\n- [Antinomy](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Antinomy \"Antinomy\")\n- [Morton's fork](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Morton%27s_fork \"Morton's fork\")\n\n1. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_ref-1)**\n   [\"Paul Bacon cover artist\"](https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20080119215305\/http:\/\/www.solothurnli.com\/Pages\/PaulBacon.html). Solothurnli. Archived from [the original](http:\/\/www.solothurnli.com\/Pages\/PaulBacon.html) on January 19, 2008. Retrieved March 11, 2011.\n2. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_ref-2)**\n   Eller, Jonathan R. (2011). *The Story of Catch-22* (50th anniversary ed.). Catch-22: Simon & Schuster. p. 469. [ISBN](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/ISBN_\$identifier\$ \"ISBN (identifier)\")\n   \n   [978-1451626650](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Special:BookSources\/978-1451626650 \"Special:BookSources\/978-1451626650\")\n   \n   .\n   \n   `{{cite book}}`: CS1 maint: location ([link](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Category:CS1_maint:_location \"Category:CS1 maint: location\"))\n3. ^ [***a***](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_ref-BBC_3-0) [***b***](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_ref-BBC_3-1)\n   [\"What is Catch-22? And why does the book matter?\"](https:\/\/news.bbc.co.uk\/2\/hi\/uk_news\/1868619.stm). *BBC News*. March 12, 2002. Retrieved March 11, 2011.\n4. ^ [***a***](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_ref-Burhans_4-0) [***b***](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_ref-Burhans_4-1) Clinton S. Burhans, Jr. \"Spindrift and the Sea: Structural Patterns and Unifying Elements in Catch 22\". *Twentieth Century Literature*, Vol. 19, No. 4, pp. 239–250, 1973. [JSTOR online access](https:\/\/www.jstor.org\/stable\/440541)\n5. ^ [***a***](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_ref-Catch-22_5-0) [***b***](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_ref-Catch-22_5-1) [***c***](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_ref-Catch-22_5-2) [***d***](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_ref-Catch-22_5-3)\n   Heller, Joseph (June 1961) \\[1961\\]. [*Catch-22*](https:\/\/archive.org\/details\/catch2200hell_0) (hardback). New York: Simon & Schuster. [ISBN](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/ISBN_\$identifier\$ \"ISBN (identifier)\")\n   \n   [0-684-83339-5](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Special:BookSources\/0-684-83339-5 \"Special:BookSources\/0-684-83339-5\")\n   \n   . [OCLC](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/OCLC_\$identifier\$ \"OCLC (identifier)\") [35231812](https:\/\/search.worldcat.org\/oclc\/35231812).\n6. ^ [***a***](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_ref-Rosenbaum_6-0) [***b***](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_ref-Rosenbaum_6-1)\n   Rosenbaum, Ron (August 2, 2011). [\"Catch-22: The awful truth people miss about Heller's great novel\"](https:\/\/slate.com\/human-interest\/2011\/08\/catch-22-the-awful-truth-people-miss-about-heller-s-great-novel.html). *[Slate](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Slate_\$magazine\$ \"Slate (magazine)\")*. Retrieved July 3, 2019.\n7. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_ref-7)**\n   Heller, Joseph (1995). *Catch-22*. Random House. p. 514. [ISBN](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/ISBN_\$identifier\$ \"ISBN (identifier)\")\n   \n   [978-0-679-43722-2](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Special:BookSources\/978-0-679-43722-2 \"Special:BookSources\/978-0-679-43722-2\")\n   \n   .\n8. ^ [***a***](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_ref-:0_8-0) [***b***](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_ref-:0_8-1)\n   Podgorski, Daniel (October 27, 2015). [\"Rocks and Hard Places Galore: The Bureaucratic Appropriation of War in Joseph Heller's Catch-22\"](http:\/\/thegemsbok.com\/art-reviews-and-articles\/book-reviews-tuesday-tome-catch-22-joseph-heller\/). *The Gemsbok*. Your Tuesday Tome. Retrieved February 21, 2016.\n9. ^ [***a***](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_ref-Sorkin_1993_150_9-0) [***b***](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_ref-Sorkin_1993_150_9-1) [***c***](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_ref-Sorkin_1993_150_9-2) [***d***](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_ref-Sorkin_1993_150_9-3)\n   Sorkin, Adam J. (1993). *Conversations with Joseph Heller*. Jackson, MO: University Press of Mississippi. p. 150. [ISBN](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/ISBN_\$identifier\$ \"ISBN (identifier)\")\n   \n   [0-87805-635-1](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Special:BookSources\/0-87805-635-1 \"Special:BookSources\/0-87805-635-1\")\n   \n   .\n10. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_ref-10)**\n    Craig, DM (1994). \"From Avignon to Catch-22\". *[War, Literature & the Arts](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/War,_Literature_%26_the_Arts \"War, Literature & the Arts\")*. Vol. 6, no. 2. pp. 27–54\\.\n11. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_ref-11)**\n    Heller, Joseph (1977). \"Reeling in Catch-22\". In Lynda Rosen Obst (ed.). *The Sixties*. New York: Random House\/Rolling Stone Press. pp. 50–52\\.\n12. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_ref-12)**\n    Sadlon, Zenny. [\"Personal testimony by Arnošt Lustig\"](http:\/\/www.zenny.com\/Heller.html). Zenny.com. Retrieved March 11, 2011.\n13. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_ref-13)**\n    [Gussow, Mel](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Mel_Gussow \"Mel Gussow\") (April 29, 1998). [\"Critic's Notebook; Questioning the Provenance of the Iconic *Catch-22*\"](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/1998\/04\/29\/books\/critic-s-notebook-questioning-the-provenance-of-the-iconic-catch-22.html?pagewanted=all). *[The New York Times](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/The_New_York_Times \"The New York Times\")*. Retrieved April 1, 2010.\n14. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_ref-14)** [catch-22](http:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/dictionary\/catch%2022), Merriam-Webster. Retrieved March 8, 2012\n15. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_ref-15)**\n    [Random House](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Random_House \"Random House\") [ISBN](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/ISBN_\$identifier\$ \"ISBN (identifier)\")\n    \n    [978-0-09-947046-5](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Special:BookSources\/978-0-09-947046-5 \"Special:BookSources\/978-0-09-947046-5\")\n    \n    [Vintage Classics](http:\/\/www.randomhouse.co.uk\/vintage\/classics\/home.htm)\n16. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_ref-16)** [McDonald, Paul. *Reading Catch-22*. Humanities E-Books](http:\/\/www.humanities-ebooks.co.uk\/book\/Reading_Catch-22)\n17. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_ref-17)**\n    Bailey, Blake (August 26, 2011). [\"The Enigma of Joseph Heller\"](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2011\/08\/28\/books\/review\/the-enigma-of-joseph-heller.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&ref=bookreviews). *The New York Times*. Retrieved May 7, 2012.\n18. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_ref-18)**\n    Aldridge, John W. (October 26, 1986). [\"The Loony Horror of it all – *Catch-22* Turns 25\"](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/books\/98\/02\/15\/home\/heller-loony.html). *The New York Times*. Retrieved March 1, 2018.\n19. ^ [***a***](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_ref-:1_19-0) [***b***](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_ref-:1_19-1) [***c***](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_ref-:1_19-2) [***d***](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_ref-:1_19-3) [***e***](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_ref-:1_19-4)\n    Eller, Jonathan R. (October 1992). \"Catching a Market: The Publishing History of Catch-22\". *Prospects*. **17**: 475–525\\. [doi](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Doi_\$identifier\$ \"Doi (identifier)\"):[10\\.1017\/S0361233300004804](https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1017%2FS0361233300004804).\n20. ^ [***a***](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_ref-title_20-0) [***b***](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_ref-title_20-1) N James. \"The Early Composition History of Catch-22\". In *Biographies of Books: The Compositional Histories of Notable American Writings*, J Barbour, T Quirk (edi.) pp. 262–290. Columbia: University of Missouri Press, **1996**.\n21. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_ref-21)**\n    Heller, Erica (August 4, 2011). [\"Catch-18\"](https:\/\/www.theparisreview.org\/blog\/2011\/08\/04\/catch-18\/). *The Paris Review*. Retrieved March 12, 2023.\n22. ^ [***a***](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_ref-Just_One_Catch_22-0) [***b***](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_ref-Just_One_Catch_22-1) [***c***](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_ref-Just_One_Catch_22-2) [***d***](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_ref-Just_One_Catch_22-3)\n    Daugherty, Tracy (2011). [*Just One Catch: A Biography of Joseph Heller*](https:\/\/archive.org\/details\/justonecatchbiog00daug). New York: St. Martin's Press. [ISBN](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/ISBN_\$identifier\$ \"ISBN (identifier)\")\n    \n    [978-0312596859](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Special:BookSources\/978-0312596859 \"Special:BookSources\/978-0312596859\")\n    \n    .\n23. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_ref-23)**\n    [\"The Internet Public Library: Online Literary Criticism Collection\"](https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20110106035214\/http:\/\/www.ipl.org\/div\/litcrit\/bin\/litcrit.out.pl?ti=cat-860). Ipl.org. Archived from [the original](http:\/\/www.ipl.org\/div\/litcrit\/bin\/litcrit.out.pl?ti=cat-860) on January 6, 2011. Retrieved March 11, 2011.\n24. ^ [***a***](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_ref-Catch-22_1994_24-0) [***b***](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_ref-Catch-22_1994_24-1)\n    Heller, Joseph (1994) \\[1961\\]. *Catch-22*. New York: Simon & Schuster. [ISBN](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/ISBN_\$identifier\$ \"ISBN (identifier)\")\n    \n    [0-671-50233-6](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Special:BookSources\/0-671-50233-6 \"Special:BookSources\/0-671-50233-6\")\n    \n    .\n25. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_ref-25)** Hugh Nibley and Alex Nibley, *Sergeant Nibley PhD.: Memories of an Unlikely Screaming Eagle*, Salt Lake City: Shadow Mountain, **2006**, p. 255\n26. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_ref-26)**\n    Jordison, Sam (August 23, 2016). [\"Catch-22's 10m copies: how a bitter satire became a bestseller\"](https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/books\/booksblog\/2016\/aug\/23\/catch-22s-10m-copies-how-a-bitter-satire-became-a-bestseller). *The Guardian*. [ISSN](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/ISSN_\$identifier\$ \"ISSN (identifier)\") [0261-3077](https:\/\/search.worldcat.org\/issn\/0261-3077). Retrieved June 13, 2024.\n27. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_ref-27)**\n    [\"Joseph Heller and his fiction. The first cut is the deepest\"](https:\/\/www.economist.com\/books-and-arts\/2011\/10\/08\/the-first-cut-is-the-deepest). *The Economist*. October 8, 2011. Retrieved March 3, 2017.\n28. ^ [***a***](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_ref-:2_28-0) [***b***](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_ref-:2_28-1) [***c***](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_ref-:2_28-2)\n    Office of Intellectual Freedom (March 26, 2013). [\"Banned & Challenged Classics\"](https:\/\/www.ala.org\/advocacy\/bbooks\/frequentlychallengedbooks\/classics). *American Library Association*. Retrieved June 18, 2021.\n29. ^ [***a***](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_ref-:3_29-0) [***b***](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_ref-:3_29-1) [***c***](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_ref-:3_29-2)\n    Hudson, David L. [\"Minarcini v. Strongsville City School District (6th Circuit)\"](https:\/\/firstamendment.mtsu.edu\/article\/minarcini-v-strongsville-city-school-district-6th-circuit\/). *Middle Tennessee State University*. Retrieved June 18, 2021.\n30. ^ [***a***](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_ref-:4_30-0) [***b***](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_ref-:4_30-1)\n    Pal, Anupama (February 24, 2016). \"Banning Joseph Heller's Catch-22: The Case of Minarcini v. Strongsville City School District and Issues of First Amendment Rights, Intellectual Freedom, and Censorship\". *Elon Law Review*. **8** (41): 41–60\\.\n31. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_ref-31)**\n    [\"U.S. Court Says School Boards Cannot Remove Library Books\"](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/1976\/08\/31\/archives\/us-court-says-school-boards-cannot-remove-library-books.html). *The New York Times*. August 31, 1976. [ISSN](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/ISSN_\$identifier\$ \"ISSN (identifier)\") [0362-4331](https:\/\/search.worldcat.org\/issn\/0362-4331). Retrieved June 18, 2021.\n32. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_ref-cspan_32-0)**\n    [\"50th Anniversary of Joseph Heller's Catch-22\"](https:\/\/www.c-span.org\/video\/?302675-1\/50th-anniversary-joseph-hellers-catch22). [C-SPAN](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/C-SPAN \"C-SPAN\"). October 18, 2011. Retrieved January 8, 2017.\n33. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_ref-33)** [Randomhouse.com](http:\/\/www.randomhouse.com\/modernlibrary\/100bestnovels.html) [Modern Library](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Modern_Library \"Modern Library\")'s 100 best novels of the 20th century\n34. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_ref-34)**\n    Huber, Herbert. [\"Radcliffe Publishing Course: the twentieth century's top 100 novels\"](https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20110317195013\/http:\/\/www.lesekost.de\/kanon\/HHL102.htm). Lesekost.de. Archived from [the original](http:\/\/www.lesekost.de\/kanon\/HHL102.htm) on March 17, 2011. Retrieved March 11, 2011.\n35. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_ref-35)**\n    McCrum, Robert (August 8, 2006). [\"The Observer's greatest novels of all time\"](https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/books\/2003\/oct\/12\/features.fiction). *The Observer*. UK. Retrieved March 11, 2011.\n36. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_ref-36)**\n    [\"Time's top 100 English language modern novels\"](https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20051019053903\/http:\/\/www.time.com\/time\/2005\/100books\/the_complete_list.html). *[Time](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Time_\$magazine\$ \"Time (magazine)\")*. October 16, 2005. Archived from [the original](http:\/\/www.time.com\/time\/2005\/100books\/the_complete_list.html) on October 19, 2005. Retrieved March 11, 2011.\n37. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_ref-37)** [The BBC's Big Read](https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/arts\/bigread\/top100.shtml)\n38. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_ref-38)**\n    Holloway, Daniel (April 23, 2019). [\"How George Clooney and Christopher Abbott Battled to Bring 'Catch-22' Into the 21st Century\"](https:\/\/variety.com\/2019\/tv\/news\/george-clooney-catch-22-christopher-abbott-1203194665\/). *Variety*. Retrieved June 13, 2024.\n39. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_ref-39)**\n    [Phythyon, John. R. Jr.](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/John_R._Phythyon,_Jr. \"John R. Phythyon, Jr.\") (March 2, 2008). [\"*Catch-22* a nearly perfect adaptation\"](http:\/\/www2.ljworld.com\/news\/2008\/mar\/02\/catch22_nearly_perfect_adaptation). *The Lawrence Journal-World & News*.\n40. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_ref-40)**\n    Otterson, Joe (April 13, 2018). [\"'Catch-22' Casting Shuffle: Kyle Chandler Takes Over as Cathcart, George Clooney Switches Roles\"](https:\/\/variety.com\/2018\/tv\/news\/catch-22-hulu-kyle-chandler-george-clooney-switches-roles-1202752693\/). *Variety*. Retrieved April 13, 2018.\n41. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_ref-41)**\n    [\"Catch-22(Dell 1120) Paperback – January 1, 1964 by Joseph Heller (Author)\"](https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Catch-22-Dell-1120-Joseph-Heller\/dp\/B000G96ELY). *Amazon*.\n42. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_ref-42)**\n    [\"Catch 22 By Joseph Heller Vintage 1973 Paperback Corgi Books Early Edition\"](https:\/\/www.ebay.com.au\/itm\/186123387462). *eBay*.\n43. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_ref-43)**\n    [\"Catch-22 by Joseph Heller (Paperback, 1994) Vintage\"](https:\/\/www.ebay.com.au\/itm\/296199155833?chn=ps&_ul=AU&norover=1&mkevt=1&mkrid=705-166974-041499-5&mkcid=2&mkscid=101&itemid=296199155833&targetid=2274564709393&device=c&mktype=pla&googleloc=9072253&poi=&campaignid=21085115440&mkgroupid=159531975733&rlsatarget=pla-2274564709393&abcId=9390515&merchantid=116297175&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjw0_WyBhDMARIsAL1Vz8s5gZ2mmv2KceW4vtMj2x2VcwTHTZjgw0KYyWpgFVXRFU3RBaOKD54aAoA_EALw_wcB). *eBay*.\n44. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_ref-44)**\n    Heller, Joseph (1985). *Catch-22 Paperback – Import, January 1, 1985 by joseph-heller (Author)*. Black Swan. [ISBN](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/ISBN_\$identifier\$ \"ISBN (identifier)\")\n    \n    [0552991953](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Special:BookSources\/0552991953 \"Special:BookSources\/0552991953\")\n    \n    .\n45. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_ref-45)**\n    Heller, Joseph (2000). *Catch 22 Paperback – January 1, 1985 French Edition by Joseph Heller (Author)*. B. Grasset. [ISBN](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/ISBN_\$identifier\$ \"ISBN (identifier)\")\n    \n    [2246269318](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Special:BookSources\/2246269318 \"Special:BookSources\/2246269318\")\n    \n    .\n46. **[^](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catch-22#cite_ref-46)** [Heller archive](http:\/\/lts.brandeis.edu\/research\/archives-speccoll\/findingguides\/xml\/heller.html) [Archived](https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20100608094903\/http:\/\/lts.brandeis.edu\/research\/archives-speccoll\/findingguides\/xml\/heller.html) June 8, 2010, at the [Wayback Machine](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Wayback_Machine \"Wayback Machine\"), Brandeis University.\n\n[![Wikimedia Commons logo](https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/en\/thumb\/4\/4a\/Commons-logo.svg\/40px-Commons-logo.svg.png)](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/File:Commons-logo.svg)\n\nWikimedia Commons has media related to [Catch-22](https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/wiki\/Category:Catch-22 \"commons:Category:Catch-22\").\n\n![](https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/thumb\/f\/fa\/Wikiquote-logo.svg\/40px-Wikiquote-logo.svg.png)\n\nWikiquote has quotations related to ***[Catch-22](https:\/\/en.wikiquote.org\/wiki\/Special:Search\/Catch-22 \"q:Special:Search\/Catch-22\")***.\n\n- [Librarything.com with many photos of other *Catch-22* covers](http:\/\/www.librarything.com\/work\/1479)\n- [Photos of the first edition of *Catch-22*](http:\/\/www.mansionbooks.com\/BookDetail.php?bk=219)\n- [Catch-22 as a figure of speech](http:\/\/www.figarospeech.com\/it-figures\/2007\/6\/17\/did-the-earth-move-for-you.html)\n- [*Catch-22* study guide](http:\/\/www.shmoop.com\/catch-22) – analysis, themes, quotes, and teaching guide\n- [Why a novel so acclaimed took 46 years to make it to the stage: How the cult classic was adapted for the stage](https:\/\/www.independent.co.uk\/arts-entertainment\/theatre-dance\/features\/catch22-how-the-cult-classic-was-adapted-for-the-stage-9262950.html)\n- [History of combat crew rotation - World War II and Korean War](https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20141212095416\/http:\/\/www.afhra.af.mil\/shared\/media\/document\/AFD-080424-048.pdf)\n- [Historical Sources for the Events in Joseph Heller's Novel, Catch-22 By Daniel Setzer](http:\/\/www.dansetzer.us\/heller\/JHeller.pdf)","meta_canonical":null}

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Boilerpipe Text	Catch-22 First edition cover Author Joseph Heller Cover artist Paul Bacon [ 1 ] Language English Genre Dark comedy , absurdist fiction , satire , war fiction , historical fiction Publisher Simon & Schuster Publication date October 10, 1961 [ 2 ] Publication place United States Media type Print (hardback) Pages 453 (1st edition hardback) ISBN 0-671-12805-1 OCLC 35231812 Dewey Decimal 813/.54 22 LC Class PS3558.E476 C3 2004 Followed by Closing Time (1994) 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, [ 3 ] 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 satirizes military bureaucracy and greed. 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. The book was made into a film adaptation in 1970, directed by Mike Nichols , and a miniseries in 2019, produced by George Clooney . In 1994, Heller published a sequel to the novel titled Closing Time . The main character, Yossarian, is introduced in the setting of a military hospital where he has retreated under the guise of a chronic liver condition to avoid flying further combat missions since he has grown disillusioned with the war effort and distrustful of his commanding officers. Throughout the novel, the commanding officers show extreme disregard for the lives of their troops and are all too willing to sacrifice their men to further their own ends. In particular, Colonel Cathcart volunteers his unit to fly dangerous missions and forces his men to fly more combat missions than any other unit, constantly raising the number of missions necessary to complete a tour of duty so that the men can never return home, because he wishes to be seen as brave by his superiors even though he has only ever flown one combat mission. After flying forty-four combat missions, Yossarian has become traumatized by aerial combat and witnessing the deaths of his friends; he is terrified of being killed in action during each combat mission, but still succeeds in flying twenty-seven more missions over the course of the novel, totaling seventy-one by the end. As the novel progresses, Yossarian's moral character and courage emerge more clearly, in contrast to his seeming selfishness and cowardice when first introduced. He is shown to be an honest, loyal, and able flyer who has been pushed to desperation by the selfishness and cowardice of the authorities responsible for him, especially doctors and military leaders. The development of the novel can be split into sections: The first (chapters 1–11) broadly follows the story fragmented between characters, but in a single chronological time in 1944. The second (chapters 12–20) flashes back to focus primarily on the "Great Big Siege of Bologna " before once again jumping to the third part. The third (chapter 21–25) is the chronological present of 1944. The fourth (chapters 26–28) flashes back to the origins and growth of Milo's syndicate. The fifth part (chapters 28–32) returns again to the narrative present and maintains the tone of the previous four. The sixth and final part (chapter 32 and on) remains in the story's present, but takes a much darker turn and emphasizes the darkness and brutality of war and life in general. [ 4 ] For most of the book, the reader is cushioned from directly experiencing the full horror of war, but the existence of these horrors is implied by the extreme trauma and fear that afflicts the airmen. In the final section, these events are laid bare. The horror begins with a pointless attack on an undefended Italian mountain village, with the succeeding chapters incorporating depictions of despair ( Doc Daneeka and the chaplain ), disappearance in combat ( Orr and Clevinger), disappearance caused by the army (Dunbar) and death of most of Yossarian's friends ( Nately , McWatt, Kid Sampson, Dobbs, Chief White Halfoat and Hungry Joe), culminating in the horrors of Chapter 39, in particular Aarfy's rape and murder of the innocent young woman Michaela. [ 4 ] In Chapter 41 the full details of the death of Snowden are finally revealed. Nevertheless, the novel ends on an upbeat note with Yossarian learning of Orr's miraculous escape to Sweden and Yossarian's pledge to follow him there. Catch-22 dust jacket, first edition (1961) Many events in the book are repeatedly described from differing points of view, so the reader learns more about each event from each iteration, with the new information often completing a joke, the setup of which was told several chapters previously. The narrative's events are out of sequence, but events are referred to as if the reader is already familiar with them so that the reader must ultimately piece together a timeline of events. Specific words, phrases, and questions are also repeated frequently, generally to comic effect. [ citation needed ] Much of Heller's prose in Catch-22 is circular and repetitive, exemplifying in its form the structure of a Catch-22 . Circular reasoning is widely used by some characters to justify their actions and opinions. Heller revels in paradox . For example: " The Texan turned out to be good-natured, generous and likable. In three days no one could stand him," and "The case against Clevinger was open and shut. The only thing missing was something to charge him with." This atmosphere of apparently logical irrationality pervades the book. [ citation needed ] This style is also recognizable regarding how exactly Clevinger's trial would be executed by Lieutenant Scheisskopf: "As a member of the Action Board, Lieutenant Scheisskopf was one of the judges who would weigh the merits of the case against Clevinger as presented by the prosecutor. Lieutenant Scheisskopf was also the prosecutor. Clevinger had an officer defending him. The officer defending him was Lieutenant Scheisskopf." [ 5 ] : 76 While a few characters are most prominent, especially Yossarian and the Chaplain, the majority of named characters are described in detail with fleshed out or multidimensional personas to the extent that there are few if any "minor characters". There are no traditional heroes in the novel, reflecting the underlying commentary that war has no heroes, only victims. [ 6 ] Although its nonchronological structure may at first seem random, Catch-22 is highly structured. It is founded on a structure of free association ; ideas run into one another through seemingly random connections. For example, Chapter 1, titled "The Texan", ends with "everybody but the CID man , who had caught a cold from the fighter captain and come down with pneumonia." [ 5 ] : 24 Chapter 2, titled "Clevinger", begins with "In a way, the CID man was pretty lucky because outside the hospital the war was still going on." [ 5 ] : 25 The CID man connects the two chapters like a free association bridge and eventually Chapter 2 flows from the CID man to Clevinger through more free association links. As Heller utilizes an episodic structure for most of the novel, many chapters may appear to be a disjointed series of events with little or no connection with each other. However, individual chapters often deal with thematically unique ideas, such as Chapter 11 (“Captain Black”) which parodies Red Scare -era McCarthyism , and Chapter 18 (“The Soldier Who Saw Everything Twice”) which explores theological concepts of mortality. Yossarian comes to fear his commanding officers more than he fears the Germans attempting to shoot him down and he feels that "they" are "out to get him." The reason Yossarian fears his commanders more than the enemy is that as he flies more missions, Colonel Cathcart increases the number of required combat missions before a soldier may return home; he reaches the magic number only to have it retroactively raised. He comes to despair of ever getting home and is greatly relieved when he is sent to the hospital for a condition that is almost jaundice . In Yossarian's words: The enemy is anybody who's going to get you killed, no matter which side he's on, and that includes Colonel Cathcart. And don't you forget that, because the longer you remember it, the longer you might live. [ 5 ] : 124 Much of the farce in the novel is fueled by intentional and unintentional miscommunication, occasionally leading to tragic consequences. For example, Cathcart's desire to become a general is thwarted by ex-P.F.C. Wintergreen sabotaging his correspondence. Major Major's and Yossarian's mis-censoring of correspondence is blamed on the Chaplain, who is threatened with imprisonment as a result. Yossarian questions the idea that God is all-powerful, all-good, and all knowing. The narrator seems to believe that God, if not evil, is incompetent. In chapter 18, Yossarian states that he "believes in the God he doesn't believe in", this version of God having created Hitler, the war, and all the failures of human life and society, as exemplified in the following passage: "And don't tell me God works in mysterious ways ", Yossarian continued, hurtling over her objections. "There's nothing so mysterious about it. He's not working at all. He's playing or else He's forgotten all about us. That's the kind of God you people talk about – a country bumpkin, a clumsy, bungling, brainless, conceited, uncouth hayseed. Good God, how much reverence can you have for a Supreme Being who finds it necessary to include such phenomena as phlegm and tooth decay in His divine system of creation? What in the world was running through that warped, evil, scatological mind of His when He robbed old people of the power to control their bowel movements? Why in the world did he ever create pain? ... Oh, He was really being charitable to us when He gave us pain! Why couldn't He have used a doorbell instead to notify us, or one of His celestial choirs? Or a system of blue-and-red neon tubes right in the middle of each person's forehead. Any jukebox manufacturer worth his salt could have done that. Why couldn't He? ... What a colossal, immortal blunderer! When you consider the opportunity and power He had to really do a job, and then look at the stupid, ugly little mess He made of it instead, His sheer incompetence is almost staggering. ..." [ 6 ] Later Heller writes of Yossarian wandering through a war-torn Italian city (Chapter 39): "Yossarian quickened his pace to get away, almost ran. The night was filled with horrors, and he thought he knew how Christ must have felt as he walked through the world, like a psychiatrist through a ward full of nuts, like a victim through a prison full of thieves. What a welcome sight a leper must have been. At the next corner a man was beating a small boy brutally in the midst of an immobile crowd of adult spectators who made no effort to intervene ..." [ 7 ] Military-industrial complex [ edit ] While the military's enemies are Germans, none appear in the story as enemy combatants. This ironic situation is epitomized on of the few appearances of German personnel in the novel, who act as pilots employed by the squadron's mess officer, Milo Minderbinder , to bomb the American encampment on Pianosa. This predicament indicates a tension between traditional motives for violence and the modern economic machine, which seems to generate violence simply as another means to profit, quite independent of geographical or ideological constraints which creates a military–industrial complex . [ 8 ] Heller emphasizes the danger of profit-seeking by portraying Milo without "evil intent". Milo's actions are portrayed as the result of greed, not malice. [ 9 ] The novel has over 50 named characters, many of whom have titular chapters dedicated to expanding on their personalities or motivations. Heller wanted to be a writer from an early age. His experiences as a bombardier during World War II inspired Catch-22 ; [ 10 ] Heller later said that he "never had a bad officer". In a 1977 essay on Catch-22 , Heller stated that the "antiwar and antigovernment feelings in the book" were a product of the Korean War and the 1950s rather than World War II itself. Heller's criticisms are not intended for World War II but for the Cold War and McCarthyism . [ 11 ] The influence of the 1950s on Catch-22 is evident through Heller's extensive use of anachronism . Though the novel is ostensibly set in World War II, Heller intentionally included anachronisms like loyalty oaths and computers ( IBM machines) to situate the novel in the context of the 1950s. [ 9 ] Many of the characters are based on or connected to individuals from the 1950s: Milo Minderbinder's maxim "What's good for M&M Enterprises is good for the country" alludes to the former president of General Motors Charles Erwin Wilson 's 1953 statement before the Senate: "What's good for General Motors is good for the country." [ 9 ] The question of "Who promoted Major Major ?" alludes to Joseph McCarthy 's questioning of the promotion of Major Peress , an army dentist who refused to sign loyalty oaths. [ 9 ] Czech writer Arnošt Lustig recounts in his book 3x18 that Joseph Heller told him that he would never have written Catch-22 had he not first read The Good Soldier Švejk by Jaroslav Hašek . [ 12 ] In 1998, some critics raised the possibility that Heller's book had questionable similarities to Louis Falstein 's 1950 novel, Face of a Hero . Falstein never raised the issue between Catch-22 's publication and his death in 1995 and Heller claimed never to have been aware of the obscure novel. Heller said that the novel had been influenced by Céline , Waugh and Nabokov . Many of the similarities have been stated to be attributable to the authors' experiences, both having served as U.S. Army Air Forces aircrew in Italy in World War II. However, their themes and styles are different. [ 13 ] A " Catch-22 " is "a problem for which the only solution is denied by a circumstance inherent in the problem or by a rule". [ 14 ] For example, losing something is typically a conventional problem; to solve it, one looks for the lost item until one finds it. But if the thing lost is one's glasses, one cannot see to look for them – a Catch-22. The term "Catch-22" is also used more broadly to mean a tricky problem or a no-win or absurd situation. In the book, Catch-22 is a military rule typifying bureaucratic operation and reasoning. The rule is not stated in a precise form, but the principal example in the book fits the definition above: If one is crazy, one does not have to fly missions; and one must be crazy to fly. But one has to apply to be excused, and applying demonstrates that one is not crazy. As a result, one must continue flying, either not applying to be excused, or applying and being refused. The narrator explains: There was only one catch and that was Catch-22, which specified that a concern for one's safety in the face of dangers that were real and immediate was the process of a rational mind. Orr was crazy and could be grounded. All he had to do was ask; and as soon as he did, he would no longer be crazy and would have to fly more missions. Orr would be crazy to fly more missions and sane if he didn't, but if he were sane he had to fly them. If he flew them he was crazy and didn't have to, but if he didn't want to he was sane and had to. Yossarian was moved very deeply by the absolute simplicity of this clause of Catch-22 and let out a respectful whistle. (p. 56, ch. 5) Other forms of Catch-22 are invoked throughout the novel to justify various bureaucratic actions. At one point, victims of harassment by military police quote the MPs' explanation of one of Catch-22's provisions: "Catch-22 states that agents enforcing Catch-22 need not prove that Catch-22 actually contains whatever provision the accused violator is accused of violating." Another character explains: "Catch-22 says they have a right to do anything we can't stop them from doing ." Yossarian comes to realize that Catch-22 does not actually exist, but because the powers that be claim it does, and the world believes it does, it nevertheless has potent effects. Indeed, because it does not exist, there is no way it can be repealed, undone, overthrown, or denounced. The combination of force with specious and spurious legalistic justification is one of the book's primary motifs. The motif of bureaucratic absurdity is further explored in 1994's Closing Time , Heller's sequel to Catch-22 . This darker, slower-paced, apocalyptic novel explores the pre- and post-war lives of some of the major characters in Catch-22 , with particular emphasis on the relationship between Yossarian and tail gunner Sammy Singer. Catch-22 contains allusions to many works of literature. Howard Jacobson , in his 2004 introduction to the Vintage Classics publication, wrote that the novel was "positioned teasingly ... between literature and literature's opposites – between Shakespeare and Rabelais and Dickens and Dostoevsky and Gogol and Céline and the Absurdists and of course Kafka on the one hand, and on the other vaudeville and slapstick and Bilko and Abbott and Costello and Tom and Jerry and the Goons (if Heller had ever heard of the Goons)." [ 15 ] One critic argues that it is Kafka's influence that can be seen most strongly in the novel: "Like Kafka's heroes, Yossarian is riddled with anxiety and caught in an inexorable nightmare – in his case created by Colonel Cathcart and the inevitability of his raising the number of missions he has to fly." [ 16 ] The idea for Catch-22 was based on Joseph Heller's personal experience in World War II. The feelings that Yossarian and the other bomber crew felt were taken directly from problems he suffered while on duty. Heller flew 60 bombing missions from May to October in 1944. Heller was able to make it out of the war, but it took until 1953 before he could start writing about it. For this reason, the book contains references to post-World War II phenomena like IBM computers and loyalty oaths . The war experience turned Heller into a "tortured, funny, deeply peculiar human being". [ 17 ] After publication in 1961, Catch-22 became very popular among teenagers at the time. Catch-22 seemed to embody the feelings that young people had toward the Vietnam War. A common joke was that every student who went off to college at the time took along a copy of Catch-22 . The popularity of the book created a cult following, which led to more than eight million copies being sold in the United States. On October 26, 1986, professor and author John W. Aldridge wrote a piece in The New York Times celebrating the 25th anniversary of the publishing of Catch-22 . He commented that Heller's book presaged the chaos in the world that was to come: The comic fable that ends in horror has become more and more clearly a reflection of the altogether uncomic and horrifying realities of the world in which we live and hope to survive. [ 18 ] The title refers to a fictional bureaucratic stipulation that embodies illogical and immoral reasoning. The idea being that if one pleads insanity to stop flying missions with a high mortality rate, one is in fact sane; however, one must be insane to keep flying those exact missions. [ 8 ] The opening chapter of the novel was first published, in 1955, by New World Writing as Catch-18 , but Heller's agent, Candida Donadio, asked him to change the title, to avert its confusion with Leon Uris 's recently published Mila 18 . [ 19 ] The implications in Judaism of the number 18 – which refers to chai , meaning "alive", in Gematria – were relevant to Heller's somewhat greater emphasis on Jewish themes in early drafts of his novel. [ 20 ] Heller's daughter Erica wrote that the Simon & Schuster editor, Robert Gottlieb, was the person who came up with the number 22, and Gottlieb himself stated that he did in the documentary Turn Every Page: The Adventures of Robert Caro and Robert Gottlieb . [ 21 ] Parallels among a number of character exchanges in the novel suggested the doubled-one title of Catch-11 , but the 1960 release of Ocean's Eleven eliminated that. [ 19 ] Catch-17 was rejected so as not to be confused with the World War II film Stalag 17 , as was Catch-14 , apparently because the publisher did not believe that 14 was a "funny number". Eventually, the title came to be Catch-22 , which, like 11, has a duplicated digit, with the 2 also referring to a number of déjà vu -like events common in the novel. [ 20 ] Publication and movie rights [ edit ] Catch-22 was sold to Simon & Schuster , where it had been championed by editor Robert Gottlieb , who, along with Nina Bourne , edited and oversaw the marketing of the book. [ 19 ] Gottlieb was a strong advocate for the book along with Peter Schwed and Justin Kaplan . Henry Simon, a vice president at Simon & Schuster, found it repetitive and offensive. [ 19 ] The editorial board decided to contract the book when Heller agreed to revisions; he signed for US$1,500 in 1961 (equivalent to about $16,200 in 2025). [ 19 ] Officially published on October 10, 1961, the hardcover sold for $5.95. The book was not a best-seller in hardcover in the United States. Though twelve thousand copies were sold by Thanksgiving , it never entered The New York Times Best Seller list . It received good notices and was nominated for the National Book Award in March 1962, though Walker Percy 's The Moviegoer won. Catch-22 went through four printings in hardcover but sold well on only the East Coast. The book never established itself nationally until it was published in paperback for 75 cents. [ 22 ] : 224–230 Upon publication in Great Britain, the book became the No. 1 best-seller. [ 22 ] : 233 Don Fine of Dell Paperbacks bought the paperback reprint rights to Catch-22 for $32,000. Between the paperback's release in September 1962 and April 1963, it sold 1.1 million copies. [ 22 ] : 238–240 In August 1962, Donadio brokered the sale of movie rights to Columbia Pictures for $100,000 plus $25,000 to write a treatment or a first draft of a screenplay. [ 22 ] : 234 The initial reviews of the book ranged from very positive to very negative. There were positive reviews from The Nation ("the best novel to come out in years"), the New York Herald Tribune ("A wild, moving, shocking, hilarious, raging, exhilarating, giant roller-coaster of a book") and The New York Times ("A dazzling performance that will outrage nearly as many readers as it delights"). On the other hand, The New Yorker disliked it ("doesn't even seem to be written; instead, it gives the impression of having been shouted onto paper", "what remains is a debris of sour jokes"), and a second review from the New York Times also disliked it ("repetitive and monotonous. Or one can say that it is too short because none of its many interesting characters and actions is given enough play to become a controlling interest"). [ 23 ] One commentator of Catch-22 recognized that "many early audiences liked the book for just the same reasons that caused others to hate it". [ 24 ] : 11 The book eventually gained a cult following, especially among teenagers and college students. Heller later remarked that in 1962, after appearing on the Today show he went out drinking with the host at the time, John Chancellor , who handed him stickers that Chancellor had got privately printed reading "YOSSARIAN LIVES". Heller also said that Chancellor had been secretly putting them on the walls of the corridors and executive bathrooms in the NBC building. [ 24 ] : 11 Although the novel won no awards upon release, it has remained in print and is seen as one of the most significant American novels of the 20th century. [ 3 ] Scholar and fellow World War II veteran Hugh Nibley said it was the most accurate book he ever read about the military. [ 25 ] As of 2016 over ten million copies have been sold. [ 26 ] Although he continued writing, including a sequel novel Closing Time , Heller's later works were inevitably overshadowed by the success of Catch-22 . When asked by critics why he had never managed to write another novel as good as his first, Heller would retort with a smile, "Who has?" [ 27 ] Catch-22 has landed on the list of the American Library Association 's banned and challenged classics. In 1972, the Strongsville City School District school board removed Catch-22 , as well as two books by Kurt Vonnegut , from school libraries and the curriculum. [ 28 ] Five families sued the school board. The Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals rejected the claim, stating that school boards had the right to control the curriculum. [ 29 ] The decision was overturned on appeal in 1976 in Minarcini v. Strongsville City School District . [ 28 ] [ 30 ] The court wrote, "A library is a storehouse of knowledge. Here we are concerned with the right of students to receive information which they and their teachers desire them to have." [ 29 ] [ 31 ] In 1982, the U.S. Supreme Court employed a similar rationale in its decision in Island Trees School District v. Pico on the removal of library books. [ 29 ] Because the book refers to some women as "whores", it was challenged at the Dallas, Texas, Independent School District (1974) and Snoqualmie, Washington (1979). [ 28 ] [ 30 ] External videos "50th Anniversary of Joseph Heller's Catch-22 " – Lesley Stahl moderating a panel made up of Christopher Buckley , Robert Gottlieb , Mike Nichols , and Scott Shepherd , October 18, 2011, C-SPAN [ 32 ] The Modern Library ranked Catch-22 as the 7th (by review panel) and 12th (by public) greatest English-language novel of the 20th century. [ 33 ] The Radcliffe Publishing Course ranked Catch-22 as number 15 of the 20th century's top 100 novels. [ 34 ] The Observer listed Catch-22 as one of the 100 greatest novels of all time. [ 35 ] Time puts Catch-22 in the top 100 English-language modern novels (1923 onwards, unranked). [ 36 ] The Big Read by the BBC ranked Catch-22 as number 11 on a web poll of the UK's best-loved book. [ 37 ] Opening title of the film adaptation Catch-22 was adapted into a feature film of the same name in 1970, directed by Mike Nichols . Alan Arkin portrayed Capt. Yossarian , with an ensemble cast including Art Garfunkel as Nately, Jon Voight as Milo Minderbinder , Orson Welles as General Dreedle, and Martin Balsam as Colonel Cathcart , amongst many others. A pilot for a comedy series based upon Catch-22 was made and televised in 1973, with Richard Dreyfuss in the starring role of Yossarian. [ 38 ] Catch-22 play : Aquila Theatre produced a stage adaptation of Catch-22 , based on Heller's 1971 stage adaptation. It was directed by Peter Meineck . This production toured the United States in 2007/8 with a Bexhill on Sea production in the fall of 2008. [ 39 ] A six-episode miniseries produced by, and co-starring, George Clooney was picked up by Hulu for a straight-to-series order. It streamed on May 17, 2019. It was also broadcast by Channel 4 in the United Kingdom . Christopher Abbott portrayed Yossarian, with Kyle Chandler as Cathcart, [ 40 ] Hugh Laurie as Major —— de Coverley, and Clooney as Lt. Scheisskopf. This list covers the first and most recent printed publications by the original publisher Simon & Schuster as well as all other formats. Other print publishers include Dell , [ 41 ] Corgi , [ 42 ] Vintage , [ 43 ] Black Swan , [ 44 ] Éditions Grasset , [ 45 ] and Wahlström & Widstrand . The original manuscript is held by Brandeis University . [ 46 ] Heller, Joseph (June 1961) [1961]. Catch-22 (hardback). New York: Simon & Schuster. ISBN 0-684-83339-5 . OCLC 35231812 . Heller, Joseph (1961). Catch-22 (advance paperback with signed bookplate). Simon & Schuster. ISBN 0-440-51120-8 . Heller, Joseph (1978). Catch-22 (signed limited edition leatherbound). Franklin Library. ISBN 0-8124-1717-8 . Heller, Joseph (September 1996). Catch-22 (paperback). Simon & Schuster. ISBN 0-684-83339-5 . Heller, Joseph (October 1999). Catch-22 (hardback). Simon & Schuster. ISBN 0-684-86513-0 . Heller, Joseph (1980). Catch-22 (unabridged audio cassette). reader Wolfram Kandinsky. Books On Tape. ISBN 0-7366-8962-1 . Heller, Joseph (1984). Catch-22 (audio cassette). Caedmon Audio . ISBN 0-694-50253-7 . Heller, Joseph (1990). Catch-22 (unabridged audio CD). reader Jim Weiss . Books On Tape. ISBN 0-7366-9085-9 . Heller, Joseph (1994). Catch-22 ( abridged edition audio cassette). reader Alan Arkin . DH Audio. ISBN 0-88646-125-1 . Heller, Joseph (2007). Catch-22 (unabridged audio CD). reader Jay O. Sanders . Caedmon. ISBN 978-0-06-126246-3 . Heller, Joseph (2008). Catch-22 (unabridged audio CD). reader Trevor White . Hachette Audio. ISBN 978-1-4055-0387-7 . Antinomy Morton's fork ^ "Paul Bacon cover artist" . Solothurnli. Archived from the original on January 19, 2008 . Retrieved March 11, 2011 . ^ Eller, Jonathan R. (2011). The Story of Catch-22 (50th anniversary ed.). Catch-22: Simon & Schuster. p. 469. ISBN 978-1451626650 . {{ cite book }} : CS1 maint: location ( link ) ^ a b "What is Catch-22? And why does the book matter?" . BBC News . March 12, 2002 . Retrieved March 11, 2011 . ^ a b Clinton S. Burhans, Jr. "Spindrift and the Sea: Structural Patterns and Unifying Elements in Catch 22". Twentieth Century Literature , Vol. 19, No. 4, pp. 239–250, 1973. JSTOR online access ^ a b c d Heller, Joseph (June 1961) [1961]. Catch-22 (hardback). New York: Simon & Schuster. ISBN 0-684-83339-5 . OCLC 35231812 . ^ a b Rosenbaum, Ron (August 2, 2011). "Catch-22: The awful truth people miss about Heller's great novel" . Slate . Retrieved July 3, 2019 . ^ Heller, Joseph (1995). Catch-22 . Random House. p. 514. ISBN 978-0-679-43722-2 . ^ a b Podgorski, Daniel (October 27, 2015). "Rocks and Hard Places Galore: The Bureaucratic Appropriation of War in Joseph Heller's Catch-22" . The Gemsbok . Your Tuesday Tome . Retrieved February 21, 2016 . ^ a b c d Sorkin, Adam J. (1993). Conversations with Joseph Heller . Jackson, MO: University Press of Mississippi. p. 150. ISBN 0-87805-635-1 . ^ Craig, DM (1994). "From Avignon to Catch-22". War, Literature & the Arts . Vol. 6, no. 2. pp. 27– 54. ^ Heller, Joseph (1977). "Reeling in Catch-22". In Lynda Rosen Obst (ed.). The Sixties . New York: Random House/Rolling Stone Press. pp. 50– 52. ^ Sadlon, Zenny. "Personal testimony by Arnošt Lustig" . Zenny.com . Retrieved March 11, 2011 . ^ Gussow, Mel (April 29, 1998). "Critic's Notebook; Questioning the Provenance of the Iconic Catch-22 " . The New York Times . Retrieved April 1, 2010 . ^ catch-22 , Merriam-Webster. Retrieved March 8, 2012 ^ Random House ISBN 978-0-09-947046-5 Vintage Classics ^ McDonald, Paul. Reading Catch-22 . Humanities E-Books ^ Bailey, Blake (August 26, 2011). "The Enigma of Joseph Heller" . The New York Times . Retrieved May 7, 2012 . ^ Aldridge, John W. (October 26, 1986). "The Loony Horror of it all – Catch-22 Turns 25" . The New York Times . Retrieved March 1, 2018 . ^ a b c d e Eller, Jonathan R. (October 1992). "Catching a Market: The Publishing History of Catch-22". Prospects . 17 : 475– 525. doi : 10.1017/S0361233300004804 . ^ a b N James. "The Early Composition History of Catch-22". In Biographies of Books: The Compositional Histories of Notable American Writings , J Barbour, T Quirk (edi.) pp. 262–290. Columbia: University of Missouri Press, 1996 . ^ Heller, Erica (August 4, 2011). "Catch-18" . The Paris Review . Retrieved March 12, 2023 . ^ a b c d Daugherty, Tracy (2011). Just One Catch: A Biography of Joseph Heller . New York: St. Martin's Press. ISBN 978-0312596859 . ^ "The Internet Public Library: Online Literary Criticism Collection" . Ipl.org. Archived from the original on January 6, 2011 . Retrieved March 11, 2011 . ^ a b Heller, Joseph (1994) [1961]. Catch-22 . New York: Simon & Schuster. ISBN 0-671-50233-6 . ^ Hugh Nibley and Alex Nibley, Sergeant Nibley PhD.: Memories of an Unlikely Screaming Eagle , Salt Lake City: Shadow Mountain, 2006 , p. 255 ^ Jordison, Sam (August 23, 2016). "Catch-22's 10m copies: how a bitter satire became a bestseller" . The Guardian . ISSN 0261-3077 . Retrieved June 13, 2024 . ^ "Joseph Heller and his fiction. The first cut is the deepest" . The Economist . October 8, 2011 . Retrieved March 3, 2017 . ^ a b c Office of Intellectual Freedom (March 26, 2013). "Banned & Challenged Classics" . American Library Association . Retrieved June 18, 2021 . ^ a b c Hudson, David L. "Minarcini v. Strongsville City School District (6th Circuit)" . Middle Tennessee State University . Retrieved June 18, 2021 . ^ a b Pal, Anupama (February 24, 2016). "Banning Joseph Heller's Catch-22: The Case of Minarcini v. Strongsville City School District and Issues of First Amendment Rights, Intellectual Freedom, and Censorship". Elon Law Review . 8 (41): 41– 60. ^ "U.S. Court Says School Boards Cannot Remove Library Books" . The New York Times . August 31, 1976. ISSN 0362-4331 . Retrieved June 18, 2021 . ^ "50th Anniversary of Joseph Heller's Catch-22" . C-SPAN . October 18, 2011 . Retrieved January 8, 2017 . ^ Randomhouse.com Modern Library 's 100 best novels of the 20th century ^ Huber, Herbert. "Radcliffe Publishing Course: the twentieth century's top 100 novels" . Lesekost.de. Archived from the original on March 17, 2011 . Retrieved March 11, 2011 . ^ McCrum, Robert (August 8, 2006). "The Observer's greatest novels of all time" . The Observer . UK . Retrieved March 11, 2011 . ^ "Time's top 100 English language modern novels" . Time . October 16, 2005. Archived from the original on October 19, 2005 . Retrieved March 11, 2011 . ^ The BBC's Big Read ^ Holloway, Daniel (April 23, 2019). "How George Clooney and Christopher Abbott Battled to Bring 'Catch-22' Into the 21st Century" . Variety . Retrieved June 13, 2024 . ^ Phythyon, John. R. Jr. (March 2, 2008). " Catch-22 a nearly perfect adaptation" . The Lawrence Journal-World & News . ^ Otterson, Joe (April 13, 2018). " 'Catch-22' Casting Shuffle: Kyle Chandler Takes Over as Cathcart, George Clooney Switches Roles" . Variety . Retrieved April 13, 2018 . ^ "Catch-22(Dell 1120) Paperback – January 1, 1964 by Joseph Heller (Author)" . Amazon . ^ "Catch 22 By Joseph Heller Vintage 1973 Paperback Corgi Books Early Edition" . eBay . ^ "Catch-22 by Joseph Heller (Paperback, 1994) Vintage" . eBay . ^ Heller, Joseph (1985). Catch-22 Paperback – Import, January 1, 1985 by joseph-heller (Author) . Black Swan. ISBN 0552991953 . ^ Heller, Joseph (2000). Catch 22 Paperback – January 1, 1985 French Edition by Joseph Heller (Author) . B. Grasset. ISBN 2246269318 . ^ Heller archive Archived June 8, 2010, at the Wayback Machine , Brandeis University. Wikimedia Commons has media related to Catch-22 . Wikiquote has quotations related to Catch-22 . Librarything.com with many photos of other Catch-22 covers Photos of the first edition of Catch-22 Catch-22 as a figure of speech Catch-22 study guide – analysis, themes, quotes, and teaching guide Why a novel so acclaimed took 46 years to make it to the stage: How the cult classic was adapted for the stage History of combat crew rotation - World War II and Korean War Historical Sources for the Events in Joseph Heller's Novel, Catch-22 By Daniel Setzer
Markdown	[Jump to content](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#bodyContent) Main menu Main menu move to sidebar hide Navigation - [Main page](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page "Visit the main page [z]") - [Contents](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Contents "Guides to browsing Wikipedia") - [Current events](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal:Current_events "Articles related to current events") - [Random article](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Random "Visit a randomly selected article [x]") - [About Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:About "Learn about Wikipedia and how it works") - [Contact us](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Contact_us "How to contact Wikipedia") Contribute - [Help](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:Contents "Guidance on how to use and edit Wikipedia") - [Learn to edit](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:Introduction "Learn how to edit Wikipedia") - [Community portal](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Community_portal "The hub for editors") - [Recent changes](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:RecentChanges "A list of recent changes to Wikipedia [r]") - [Upload file](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:File_upload_wizard "Add images or other media for use on Wikipedia") - [Special pages](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:SpecialPages "A list of all special pages [q]") [![](https://en.wikipedia.org/static/images/icons/enwiki-25.svg) ![Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/static/images/mobile/copyright/wikipedia-wordmark-en-25.svg) ![The Free Encyclopedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/static/images/mobile/copyright/wikipedia-tagline-en-25.svg)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page) [Search](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Search "Search Wikipedia [f]") Appearance - [Donate](https://donate.wikimedia.org/?wmf_source=donate&wmf_medium=sidebar&wmf_campaign=en.wikipedia.org&uselang=en) - [Create account](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:CreateAccount&returnto=Catch-22 "You are encouraged to create an account and log in; however, it is not mandatory") - [Log in](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:UserLogin&returnto=Catch-22 "You're encouraged to log in; however, it's not mandatory. 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[o]") ## Contents move to sidebar hide - [(Top)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22) - [1 Synopsis](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#Synopsis) - [2 Style](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#Style) - [3 Themes](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#Themes) Toggle Themes subsection - [3\.1 Paradox](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#Paradox) - [3\.2 Tragedy and farce](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#Tragedy_and_farce) - [3\.3 Theodicy](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#Theodicy) - [3\.4 Military-industrial complex](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#Military-industrial_complex) - [4 Characters](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#Characters) - [5 Influences](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#Influences) - [6 Concept](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#Concept) - [7 Literary allusions](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#Literary_allusions) - [8 Historical context](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#Historical_context) - [9 Title](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#Title) - [10 Publication and movie rights](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#Publication_and_movie_rights) - [11 Reception](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#Reception) Toggle Reception subsection - [11\.1 Challenges](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#Challenges) - [12 Rankings](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#Rankings) - [13 Adaptations](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#Adaptations) - [14 Selected releases](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#Selected_releases) - [15 See also](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#See_also) - [16 References](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#References) - [17 External links](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#External_links) Toggle the table of contents # Catch-22 41 languages - [العربية](https://ar.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D9%83%D8%A7%D8%AA%D8%B4-22 "كاتش-22 – Arabic") - [Azərbaycanca](https://az.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madd%C9%99_22 "Maddə 22 – Azerbaijani") - [Беларуская (тарашкевіца)](https://be-tarask.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%92%D1%8B%D0%BA%D1%80%D1%83%D1%82-22 "Выкрут-22 – Belarusian (Taraškievica orthography)") - [Български](https://bg.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%9F%D0%B0%D1%80%D0%B0%D0%B3%D1%80%D0%B0%D1%84_22 "Параграф 22 – Bulgarian") - [বাংলা](https://bn.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E0%A6%95%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%AF%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%9A-%E0%A7%A8%E0%A7%A8 "ক্যাচ-২২ – Bangla") - [Català](https://ca.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22_$novel%C2%B7la$ "Catch-22 (novel·la) – Catalan") - [Čeština](https://cs.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hlava_XXII "Hlava XXII – Czech") - [Dansk](https://da.wikipedia.org/wiki/Punkt_22 "Punkt 22 – Danish") - [Deutsch](https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22 "Catch-22 – German") - [Esperanto](https://eo.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22 "Catch-22 – Esperanto") - [Español](https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trampa_22_$libro$ "Trampa 22 (libro) – Spanish") - [فارسی](https://fa.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D8%AA%D8%A8%D8%B5%D8%B1%D9%87_%DB%B2%DB%B2 "تبصره ۲۲ – Persian") - [Suomi](https://fi.wikipedia.org/wiki/Me_sotasankarit "Me sotasankarit – Finnish") - [Français](https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch_22_$roman$ "Catch 22 (roman) – French") - [Gaeilge](https://ga.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22 "Catch-22 – Irish") - [עברית](https://he.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D7%9E%D7%9C%D7%9B%D7%95%D7%93_22 "מלכוד 22 – Hebrew") - [Hrvatski](https://hr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kvaka_22 "Kvaka 22 – Croatian") - [Magyar](https://hu.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_22-es_csapd%C3%A1ja_$reg%C3%A9ny$ "A 22-es csapdája (regény) – Hungarian") - [Հայերեն](https://hy.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D4%BE%D5%B8%D6%82%D5%B2%D5%A1%D5%AF_22 "Ծուղակ 22 – Armenian") - [Bahasa Indonesia](https://id.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22 "Catch-22 – Indonesian") - [Italiano](https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comma_22_$romanzo$ "Comma 22 (romanzo) – Italian") - [日本語](https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%82%AD%E3%83%A3%E3%83%83%E3%83%81%3D22 "キャッチ=22 – Japanese") - [ქართული](https://ka.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E1%83%AE%E1%83%90%E1%83%A4%E1%83%90%E1%83%9C%E1%83%92%E1%83%98-22 "ხაფანგი-22 – Georgian") - [한국어](https://ko.wikipedia.org/wiki/%EC%BA%90%EC%B9%98-22 "캐치-22 – Korean") - [Кыргызча](https://ky.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%90%D0%B9%D0%BB%D0%B0-22 "Айла-22 – Kyrgyz") - [Македонски](https://mk.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%97%D0%B0%D0%BC%D0%BA%D0%B0_22 "Замка 22 – Macedonian") - [മലയാളം](https://ml.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E0%B4%95%E0%B5%8D%E0%B4%AF%E0%B4%BE%E0%B4%9A%E0%B5%8D%E0%B4%9A%E0%B5%8D-22 "ക്യാച്ച്-22 – Malayalam") - [Nederlands](https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22_$roman$ "Catch-22 (roman) – Dutch") - [Norsk bokmål](https://no.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22 "Catch-22 – Norwegian Bokmål") - [Polski](https://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paragraf_22 "Paragraf 22 – Polish") - [Português](https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22 "Catch-22 – Portuguese") - [Română](https://ro.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22 "Catch-22 – Romanian") - [Русский](https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%A3%D0%BB%D0%BE%D0%B2%D0%BA%D0%B0-22 "Уловка-22 – Russian") - [Srpskohrvatski / српскохрватски](https://sh.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22 "Catch-22 – Serbo-Croatian") - [Slovenčina](https://sk.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hlava_XXII_$rom%C3%A1n$ "Hlava XXII (román) – Slovak") - [Српски / srpski](https://sr.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%9A%D0%B2%D0%B0%D0%BA%D0%B0_22 "Квака 22 – Serbian") - [Svenska](https://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moment_22 "Moment 22 – Swedish") - [Türkçe](https://tr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madde_22 "Madde 22 – Turkish") - [Українська](https://uk.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%9F%D0%B0%D1%81%D1%82%D0%BA%D0%B0-22_$%D1%80%D0%BE%D0%BC%D0%B0%D0%BD$ "Пастка-22 (роман) – Ukrainian") - [اردو](https://ur.wikipedia.org/wiki/%DA%A9%DB%8C%DA%86_22 "کیچ 22 – Urdu") - [中文](https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E7%AC%AC22%E6%9D%A1%E5%86%9B%E8%A7%84 "第22条军规 – Chinese") [Edit links](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Special:EntityPage/Q278208#sitelinks-wikipedia "Edit interlanguage links") - [Article](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22 "View the content page [c]") - [Talk](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talk:Catch-22 "Discuss improvements to the content page [t]") English - [Read](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22) - [Edit](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Catch-22&action=edit "Edit this page [e]") - [View history](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Catch-22&action=history "Past revisions of this page [h]") Tools Tools move to sidebar hide Actions - 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[Get shortened URL](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:UrlShortener&url=https%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FCatch-22) Print/export - [Download as PDF](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:DownloadAsPdf&page=Catch-22&action=show-download-screen "Download this page as a PDF file") - [Printable version](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Catch-22&printable=yes "Printable version of this page [p]") In other projects - [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Catch-22) - [Wikiquote](https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Catch-22) - [Wikidata item](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Special:EntityPage/Q278208 "Structured data on this page hosted by Wikidata [g]") Appearance move to sidebar hide From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia 1961 novel by Joseph Heller For other uses, see [Catch-22 (disambiguation)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22_$disambiguation$ "Catch-22 (disambiguation)"). \| \| \| \|---\|---\| \| [![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/80/Catch-22_%281961%29_front_cover%2C_first_edition.jpg/250px-Catch-22_%281961%29_front_cover%2C_first_edition.jpg)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Catch-22_$1961$_front_cover,_first_edition.jpg)First edition cover \| \| \| Author \| [Joseph Heller](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Heller "Joseph Heller") \| \| Cover artist \| [Paul Bacon](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Bacon_$designer$ "Paul Bacon (designer)")[\[1\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_note-1) \| \| Language \| English \| \| Genre \| [Dark comedy](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dark_comedy "Dark comedy"), [absurdist fiction](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Absurdist_fiction "Absurdist fiction"), [satire](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satire "Satire"), [war fiction](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_novel "War novel"), [historical fiction](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Historical_fiction "Historical fiction") \| \| Publisher \| [Simon & Schuster](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simon_%26_Schuster "Simon & Schuster") \| \| Publication date \| October 10, 1961[\[2\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_note-2) \| \| Publication place \| United States \| \| Media type \| Print (hardback) \| \| Pages \| 453 (1st edition hardback) \| \| [ISBN](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISBN_$identifier$ "ISBN (identifier)") \| [0-671-12805-1](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-671-12805-1 "Special:BookSources/0-671-12805-1") \| \| [OCLC](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OCLC_$identifier$ "OCLC (identifier)") \| [35231812](https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/35231812) \| \| [Dewey Decimal](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dewey_Decimal_Classification "Dewey Decimal Classification") \| 813/.54 22 \| \| [LC Class](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LCC_$identifier$ "LCC (identifier)") \| PS3558.E476 C3 2004 \| \| Followed by \| [Closing Time](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Closing_Time_$novel$ "Closing Time (novel)") (1994) \| *Catch-22* is a [satirical](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satirical "Satirical") [war novel](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_novel "War novel") by American author [Joseph Heller](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Heller "Joseph Heller"). It was his [debut novel](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Debut_novel "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,[\[3\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_note-BBC-3) it uses a distinctive non-chronological [third-person omniscient](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Narrative_mode#Third-person,_omniscient "Narrative mode") 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 satirizes military bureaucracy and greed. The novel is set during [World War II](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_II "World War II"), from 1942 to 1944. It mainly follows the life of [antihero](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antihero "Antihero") [Captain](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Captain_$United_States_O-3$ "Captain (United States O-3)") [John Yossarian](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yossarian "Yossarian"), a [U.S. Army Air Forces](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Army_Air_Forces "United States Army Air Forces") [B-25](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B-25 "B-25") [bombardier](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bombardier_$aircrew$ "Bombardier (aircrew)"). Most of the events in the book occur while the fictional 256th US Army Air Squadron is based on the island of [Pianosa](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pianosa "Pianosa"), in the [Mediterranean Sea](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mediterranean_Sea "Mediterranean Sea") west of the Italian mainland, although it also includes episodes from basic training at [Lowry Field](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lowry_Air_Force_Base "Lowry Air Force Base") in Colorado and Air Corps training at [Santa Ana Army Air Base](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Ana_Army_Air_Base "Santa Ana Army Air Base") in California. The novel examines the [absurdity](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Absurdity "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. The book was made into a [film adaptation](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22_$film$ "Catch-22 (film)") in 1970, directed by [Mike Nichols](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Nichols "Mike Nichols"), and a [miniseries](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22_$miniseries$ "Catch-22 (miniseries)") in 2019, produced by [George Clooney](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Clooney "George Clooney"). In 1994, Heller published a sequel to the novel titled [Closing Time](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Closing_Time_$novel$ "Closing Time (novel)"). ## Synopsis \[[edit](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Catch-22&action=edit&section=1 "Edit section: Synopsis")\] The main character, Yossarian, is introduced in the setting of a military hospital where he has retreated under the guise of a chronic liver condition to avoid flying further combat missions since he has grown disillusioned with the war effort and distrustful of his commanding officers. Throughout the novel, the [commanding officers](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commanding_officer "Commanding officer") show extreme disregard for the lives of their troops and are all too willing to sacrifice their men to further their own ends. In particular, [Colonel Cathcart](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colonel_Cathcart "Colonel Cathcart") volunteers his unit to fly dangerous missions and forces his men to fly more combat missions than any other unit, constantly raising the number of missions necessary to complete a tour of duty so that the men can never return home, because he wishes to be seen as brave by his superiors even though he has only ever flown one combat mission. After flying forty-four combat missions, Yossarian has become [traumatized](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traumatized "Traumatized") by aerial combat and witnessing the deaths of his friends; he is terrified of being killed in action during each combat mission, but still succeeds in flying twenty-seven more missions over the course of the novel, totaling seventy-one by the end. As the novel progresses, Yossarian's moral character and courage emerge more clearly, in contrast to his seeming selfishness and cowardice when first introduced. He is shown to be an honest, loyal, and able flyer who has been pushed to desperation by the selfishness and cowardice of the authorities responsible for him, especially doctors and military leaders. The development of the novel can be split into sections: - The first (chapters 1–11) broadly follows the story fragmented between characters, but in a single chronological time in 1944. - The second (chapters 12–20) flashes back to focus primarily on the "Great Big Siege of [Bologna](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bologna "Bologna")" before once again jumping to the third part. - The third (chapter 21–25) is the chronological present of 1944. - The fourth (chapters 26–28) flashes back to the origins and growth of [Milo's](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milo_Minderbinder "Milo Minderbinder") syndicate. - The fifth part (chapters 28–32) returns again to the narrative present and maintains the tone of the previous four. - The sixth and final part (chapter 32 and on) remains in the story's present, but takes a much darker turn and emphasizes the darkness and brutality of war and life in general.[\[4\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_note-Burhans-4) For most of the book, the reader is cushioned from directly experiencing the full horror of war, but the existence of these horrors is implied by the extreme trauma and fear that afflicts the airmen. In the final section, these events are laid bare. The horror begins with a pointless attack on an undefended Italian mountain village, with the succeeding chapters incorporating depictions of despair ([Doc Daneeka](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doc_Daneeka "Doc Daneeka") and the [chaplain](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chaplain_Tappman "Chaplain Tappman")), disappearance in combat ([Orr](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orr_$Catch-22$ "Orr (Catch-22)") and Clevinger), disappearance caused by the army (Dunbar) and death of most of Yossarian's friends ([Nately](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nately "Nately"), McWatt, Kid Sampson, Dobbs, Chief White Halfoat and Hungry Joe), culminating in the horrors of Chapter 39, in particular [Aarfy's](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Captain_Aardvark "Captain Aardvark") rape and murder of the innocent young woman Michaela.[\[4\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_note-Burhans-4) In Chapter 41 the full details of the death of Snowden are finally revealed. Nevertheless, the novel ends on an upbeat note with Yossarian learning of [Orr's](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orr_$Catch-22$ "Orr (Catch-22)") miraculous escape to Sweden and Yossarian's pledge to follow him there. ## Style \[[edit](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Catch-22&action=edit&section=2 "Edit section: Style")\] [![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/66/Catch-22_%281961%29_dust_jacket%2C_first_edition.jpg/500px-Catch-22_%281961%29_dust_jacket%2C_first_edition.jpg)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Catch-22_$1961$_dust_jacket,_first_edition.jpg) Catch-22 dust jacket, first edition (1961) Many events in the book are repeatedly described from differing points of view, so the reader learns more about each event from each iteration, with the new information often completing a joke, the setup of which was told several chapters previously. The narrative's events are out of sequence, but events are referred to as if the reader is already familiar with them so that the reader must ultimately piece together a timeline of events. Specific words, phrases, and questions are also repeated frequently, generally to comic effect.\[[citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed "Wikipedia:Citation needed")\] Much of Heller's prose in Catch-22 is circular and repetitive, exemplifying in its form the structure of a [Catch-22](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22_$logic$ "Catch-22 (logic)"). [Circular reasoning](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Circular_reasoning "Circular reasoning") is widely used by some characters to justify their actions and opinions. Heller revels in [paradox](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paradox "Paradox"). For example: "[The Texan](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Texan_$fictional_character$ "The Texan (fictional character)") turned out to be good-natured, generous and likable. In three days no one could stand him," and "The case against Clevinger was open and shut. The only thing missing was something to charge him with." This atmosphere of apparently logical irrationality pervades the book.\[[citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed "Wikipedia:Citation needed")\] This style is also recognizable regarding how exactly Clevinger's trial would be executed by Lieutenant Scheisskopf: "As a member of the Action Board, Lieutenant Scheisskopf was one of the judges who would weigh the merits of the case against Clevinger as presented by the prosecutor. Lieutenant Scheisskopf was also the prosecutor. Clevinger had an officer defending him. The officer defending him was Lieutenant Scheisskopf."[\[5\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_note-Catch-22-5): 76 While a few characters are most prominent, especially Yossarian and the Chaplain, the majority of named characters are described in detail with fleshed out or multidimensional personas to the extent that there are few if any "minor characters". There are no traditional heroes in the novel, reflecting the underlying commentary that war has no heroes, only victims.[\[6\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_note-Rosenbaum-6) Although its nonchronological structure may at first seem random, Catch-22 is highly structured. It is founded on a structure of [free association](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_association_$psychology$ "Free association (psychology)"); ideas run into one another through seemingly random connections. For example, Chapter 1, titled "The Texan", ends with "everybody but the [CID man](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Army_Criminal_Investigation_Command "United States Army Criminal Investigation Command"), who had caught a cold from the fighter captain and come down with pneumonia."[\[5\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_note-Catch-22-5): 24 Chapter 2, titled "Clevinger", begins with "In a way, the CID man was pretty lucky because outside the hospital the war was still going on."[\[5\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_note-Catch-22-5): 25 The CID man connects the two chapters like a free association bridge and eventually Chapter 2 flows from the CID man to Clevinger through more free association links. As Heller utilizes an episodic structure for most of the novel, many chapters may appear to be a disjointed series of events with little or no connection with each other. However, individual chapters often deal with thematically unique ideas, such as Chapter 11 (“Captain Black”) which parodies [Red Scare](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Scare "Red Scare")\-era [McCarthyism](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McCarthyism "McCarthyism"), and Chapter 18 (“The Soldier Who Saw Everything Twice”) which explores theological concepts of mortality. ## Themes \[[edit](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Catch-22&action=edit&section=3 "Edit section: Themes")\] ### Paradox \[[edit](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Catch-22&action=edit&section=4 "Edit section: Paradox")\] [Yossarian](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yossarian "Yossarian") comes to fear his commanding officers more than he fears the Germans attempting to shoot him down and he feels that "they" are "out to get him." The reason Yossarian fears his commanders more than the enemy is that as he flies more missions, [Colonel Cathcart](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colonel_Cathcart "Colonel Cathcart") increases the number of required combat missions before a soldier may return home; he reaches the magic number only to have it retroactively raised. He comes to despair of ever getting home and is greatly relieved when he is sent to the hospital for a condition that is almost [jaundice](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jaundice "Jaundice"). In Yossarian's words: > The enemy is anybody who's going to get you killed, no matter which side he's on, and that includes Colonel Cathcart. And don't you forget that, because the longer you remember it, the longer you might live.[\[5\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_note-Catch-22-5): 124 ### Tragedy and farce \[[edit](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Catch-22&action=edit&section=5 "Edit section: Tragedy and farce")\] Much of the farce in the novel is fueled by intentional and unintentional miscommunication, occasionally leading to tragic consequences. For example, Cathcart's desire to become a general is thwarted by ex-P.F.C. Wintergreen sabotaging his correspondence. Major Major's and Yossarian's mis-censoring of correspondence is blamed on the Chaplain, who is threatened with imprisonment as a result. ### Theodicy \[[edit](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Catch-22&action=edit&section=6 "Edit section: Theodicy")\] Yossarian [questions the idea that](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theodicy "Theodicy") God is all-powerful, all-good, and all knowing. The narrator seems to believe that God, if not evil, is incompetent. In chapter 18, Yossarian states that he "believes in the God he doesn't believe in", this version of God having created Hitler, the war, and all the failures of human life and society, as exemplified in the following passage: > "And don't tell me [God works in mysterious ways](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/God_works_in_mysterious_ways "God works in mysterious ways")", Yossarian continued, hurtling over her objections. "There's nothing so mysterious about it. He's not working at all. He's playing or else He's forgotten all about us. That's the kind of God you people talk about – a country bumpkin, a clumsy, bungling, brainless, conceited, uncouth hayseed. Good God, how much reverence can you have for a Supreme Being who finds it necessary to include such phenomena as phlegm and tooth decay in His divine system of creation? What in the world was running through that warped, evil, scatological mind of His when He robbed old people of the power to control their bowel movements? Why in the world did he ever create pain? ... Oh, He was really being charitable to us when He gave us pain! Why couldn't He have used a doorbell instead to notify us, or one of His celestial choirs? Or a system of blue-and-red neon tubes right in the middle of each person's forehead. Any jukebox manufacturer worth his salt could have done that. Why couldn't He? ... What a colossal, immortal blunderer! When you consider the opportunity and power He had to really do a job, and then look at the stupid, ugly little mess He made of it instead, His sheer incompetence is almost staggering. ..."[\[6\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_note-Rosenbaum-6) Later Heller writes of Yossarian wandering through a war-torn Italian city (Chapter 39): > "Yossarian quickened his pace to get away, almost ran. The night was filled with horrors, and he thought he knew how Christ must have felt as he walked through the world, like a psychiatrist through a ward full of nuts, like a victim through a prison full of thieves. What a welcome sight a leper must have been. At the next corner a man was beating a small boy brutally in the midst of an immobile crowd of adult spectators who made no effort to intervene ..."[\[7\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_note-7) ### Military-industrial complex \[[edit](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Catch-22&action=edit&section=7 "Edit section: Military-industrial complex")\] While the military's enemies are Germans, none appear in the story as enemy combatants. This ironic situation is epitomized on of the few appearances of German personnel in the novel, who act as pilots employed by the squadron's mess officer, [Milo Minderbinder](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milo_Minderbinder "Milo Minderbinder"), to bomb the American encampment on Pianosa. This predicament indicates a tension between traditional motives for violence and the modern economic machine, which seems to generate violence simply as another means to profit, quite independent of geographical or ideological constraints which creates a [military–industrial complex](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military%E2%80%93industrial_complex "Military–industrial complex").[\[8\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_note-:0-8) Heller emphasizes the danger of profit-seeking by portraying Milo without "evil intent". Milo's actions are portrayed as the result of greed, not malice.[\[9\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_note-Sorkin_1993_150-9) ## Characters \[[edit](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Catch-22&action=edit&section=8 "Edit section: Characters")\] Further information: [List of Catch-22 characters](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Catch-22_characters "List of Catch-22 characters") The novel has over 50 named characters, many of whom have titular chapters dedicated to expanding on their personalities or motivations. ## Influences \[[edit](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Catch-22&action=edit&section=9 "Edit section: Influences")\] Heller wanted to be a writer from an early age. His experiences as a [bombardier](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bombardier_$air_force$ "Bombardier (air force)") during World War II inspired Catch-22;[\[10\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_note-10) Heller later said that he "never had a bad officer". In a 1977 essay on Catch-22, Heller stated that the "antiwar and antigovernment feelings in the book" were a product of the Korean War and the 1950s rather than World War II itself. Heller's criticisms are not intended for World War II but for the Cold War and [McCarthyism](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McCarthyism "McCarthyism").[\[11\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_note-11) The influence of the 1950s on Catch-22 is evident through Heller's extensive use of [anachronism](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anachronism "Anachronism"). Though the novel is ostensibly set in World War II, Heller intentionally included anachronisms like [loyalty oaths](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loyalty_oaths "Loyalty oaths") and [computers](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computers "Computers") ([IBM](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IBM "IBM") machines) to situate the novel in the context of the 1950s.[\[9\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_note-Sorkin_1993_150-9) Many of the characters are based on or connected to individuals from the 1950s: - Milo Minderbinder's maxim "What's good for M\&M Enterprises is good for the country" alludes to the former president of [General Motors](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Motors "General Motors") [Charles Erwin Wilson](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Erwin_Wilson "Charles Erwin Wilson")'s 1953 statement before the Senate: "What's good for General Motors is good for the country."[\[9\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_note-Sorkin_1993_150-9) - The question of "Who promoted [Major Major](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Major_Major_Major_Major "Major Major Major Major")?" alludes to [Joseph McCarthy](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_McCarthy "Joseph McCarthy")'s questioning of the promotion of [Major Peress](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irving_Peress "Irving Peress"), an army dentist who refused to sign loyalty oaths.[\[9\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_note-Sorkin_1993_150-9) Czech writer [Arnošt Lustig](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arno%C5%A1t_Lustig "Arnošt Lustig") recounts in his book 3x18 that Joseph Heller told him that he would never have written Catch-22 had he not first read [The Good Soldier Švejk](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Good_Soldier_%C5%A0vejk "The Good Soldier Švejk") by [Jaroslav Hašek](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jaroslav_Ha%C5%A1ek "Jaroslav Hašek").[\[12\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_note-12) In 1998, some critics raised the possibility that Heller's book had questionable similarities to [Louis Falstein](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Louis_Falstein&action=edit&redlink=1 "Louis Falstein (page does not exist)")'s 1950 novel, [Face of a Hero](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Face_of_a_Hero "Face of a Hero"). Falstein never raised the issue between Catch-22's publication and his death in 1995 and Heller claimed never to have been aware of the obscure novel. Heller said that the novel had been influenced by [Céline](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis-Ferdinand_C%C3%A9line "Louis-Ferdinand Céline"), [Waugh](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evelyn_Waugh "Evelyn Waugh") and [Nabokov](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vladimir_Nabokov "Vladimir Nabokov"). Many of the similarities have been stated to be attributable to the authors' experiences, both having served as U.S. Army Air Forces aircrew in Italy in World War II. However, their themes and styles are different.[\[13\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_note-13) ## Concept \[[edit](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Catch-22&action=edit&section=10 "Edit section: Concept")\] Main article: [Catch-22 (logic)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22_$logic$ "Catch-22 (logic)") A "[Catch-22](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22_$logic$ "Catch-22 (logic)")" is "a problem for which the only solution is denied by a circumstance inherent in the problem or by a rule".[\[14\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_note-14) For example, losing something is typically a conventional problem; to solve it, one looks for the lost item until one finds it. But if the thing lost is one's glasses, one cannot see to look for them – a Catch-22. The term "Catch-22" is also used more broadly to mean a tricky problem or a no-win or absurd situation. In the book, Catch-22 is a military rule typifying [bureaucratic](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bureaucratic "Bureaucratic") operation and reasoning. The rule is not stated in a precise form, but the principal example in the book fits the definition above: If one is crazy, one does not have to fly missions; and one must be crazy to fly. But one has to apply to be excused, and applying demonstrates that one is not crazy. As a result, one must continue flying, either not applying to be excused, or applying and being refused. The narrator explains: > There was only one catch and that was Catch-22, which specified that a concern for one's safety in the face of dangers that were real and immediate was the process of a rational mind. [Orr](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orr_$Catch-22$ "Orr (Catch-22)") was crazy and could be grounded. All he had to do was ask; and as soon as he did, he would no longer be crazy and would have to fly more missions. Orr would be crazy to fly more missions and sane if he didn't, but if he were sane he had to fly them. If he flew them he was crazy and didn't have to, but if he didn't want to he was sane and had to. Yossarian was moved very deeply by the absolute simplicity of this clause of Catch-22 and let out a respectful whistle. (p. 56, ch. 5) Other forms of Catch-22 are invoked throughout the novel to justify various bureaucratic actions. At one point, victims of harassment by military police quote the MPs' explanation of one of Catch-22's provisions: "Catch-22 states that agents enforcing Catch-22 need not prove that Catch-22 actually contains whatever provision the accused violator is accused of violating." Another character explains: "Catch-22 says [they have a right to do anything we can't stop them from doing](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Might_makes_right "Might makes right")." Yossarian comes to realize that Catch-22 does not actually exist, but because the powers that be claim it does, and the world believes it does, it nevertheless has potent effects. Indeed, because it does not exist, there is no way it can be repealed, undone, overthrown, or denounced. The combination of force with specious and spurious legalistic justification is one of the book's primary motifs. The motif of bureaucratic absurdity is further explored in 1994's [Closing Time](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Closing_Time_$novel$ "Closing Time (novel)"), Heller's sequel to Catch-22. This darker, slower-paced, apocalyptic novel explores the pre- and post-war lives of some of the major characters in Catch-22, with particular emphasis on the relationship between Yossarian and tail gunner Sammy Singer. ## Literary allusions \[[edit](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Catch-22&action=edit&section=11 "Edit section: Literary allusions")\] Catch-22 contains allusions to many works of literature. [Howard Jacobson](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Howard_Jacobson "Howard Jacobson"), in his 2004 introduction to the Vintage Classics publication, wrote that the novel was "positioned teasingly ... between literature and literature's opposites – between [Shakespeare](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shakespeare "Shakespeare") and [Rabelais](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rabelais "Rabelais") and [Dickens](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dickens "Dickens") and [Dostoevsky](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dostoevsky "Dostoevsky") and [Gogol](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gogol "Gogol") and [Céline](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis-Ferdinand_C%C3%A9line "Louis-Ferdinand Céline") and the [Absurdists](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Absurdism "Absurdism") and of course [Kafka](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kafka "Kafka") on the one hand, and on the other [vaudeville](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vaudeville "Vaudeville") and [slapstick](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slapstick "Slapstick") and [Bilko](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Phil_Silvers_Show "The Phil Silvers Show") and [Abbott and Costello](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abbott_and_Costello "Abbott and Costello") and [Tom and Jerry](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_and_Jerry "Tom and Jerry") and [the Goons](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Goons_$The_Goon_Show$ "The Goons (The Goon Show)") (if Heller had ever heard of the Goons)."[\[15\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_note-15) One critic argues that it is Kafka's influence that can be seen most strongly in the novel: "Like Kafka's heroes, Yossarian is riddled with anxiety and caught in an inexorable nightmare – in his case created by Colonel Cathcart and the inevitability of his raising the number of missions he has to fly."[\[16\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_note-16) ## Historical context \[[edit](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Catch-22&action=edit&section=12 "Edit section: Historical context")\] The idea for Catch-22 was based on Joseph Heller's personal experience in World War II. The feelings that Yossarian and the other bomber crew felt were taken directly from problems he suffered while on duty. Heller flew 60 bombing missions from May to October in 1944. Heller was able to make it out of the war, but it took until 1953 before he could start writing about it. For this reason, the book contains references to post-World War II phenomena like IBM computers and [loyalty oaths](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loyalty_oath "Loyalty oath"). The war experience turned Heller into a "tortured, funny, deeply peculiar human being".[\[17\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_note-17) After publication in 1961, Catch-22 became very popular among teenagers at the time. Catch-22 seemed to embody the feelings that young people had toward the Vietnam War. A common joke was that every student who went off to college at the time took along a copy of Catch-22. The popularity of the book created a cult following, which led to more than eight million copies being sold in the United States. On October 26, 1986, professor and author [John W. Aldridge](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_W._Aldridge "John W. Aldridge") wrote a piece in [The New York Times](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_New_York_Times "The New York Times") celebrating the 25th anniversary of the publishing of Catch-22. He commented that Heller's book presaged the chaos in the world that was to come: > The comic fable that ends in horror has become more and more clearly a reflection of the altogether uncomic and horrifying realities of the world in which we live and hope to survive.[\[18\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_note-18) ## Title \[[edit](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Catch-22&action=edit&section=13 "Edit section: Title")\] The title refers to a fictional bureaucratic stipulation that embodies illogical and immoral reasoning. The idea being that if one pleads insanity to stop flying missions with a high mortality rate, one is in fact sane; however, one must be insane to keep flying those exact missions.[\[8\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_note-:0-8) The opening chapter of the novel was first published, in 1955, by [New World Writing](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_World_Writing "New World Writing") as Catch-18, but Heller's agent, Candida Donadio, asked him to change the title, to avert its confusion with [Leon Uris](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leon_Uris "Leon Uris")'s recently published [Mila 18](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mila_18 "Mila 18").[\[19\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_note-:1-19) The implications in Judaism of the number [18](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/18_$number$ "18 (number)") – which refers to [chai](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chai_$symbol$ "Chai (symbol)"), meaning "alive", in [Gematria](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gematria "Gematria") – were relevant to Heller's somewhat greater emphasis on Jewish themes in early drafts of his novel.[\[20\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_note-title-20) Heller's daughter Erica wrote that the Simon & Schuster editor, Robert Gottlieb, was the person who came up with the number 22, and Gottlieb himself stated that he did in the documentary [Turn Every Page: The Adventures of Robert Caro and Robert Gottlieb](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turn_Every_Page:_The_Adventures_of_Robert_Caro_and_Robert_Gottlieb "Turn Every Page: The Adventures of Robert Caro and Robert Gottlieb").[\[21\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_note-21) Parallels among a number of character exchanges in the novel suggested the doubled-one title of Catch-11, but the 1960 release of [Ocean's Eleven](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ocean%27s_Eleven_$1960_film$ "Ocean's Eleven (1960 film)") eliminated that.[\[19\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_note-:1-19) Catch-17 was rejected so as not to be confused with the World War II film [Stalag 17](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stalag_17 "Stalag 17"), as was Catch-14, apparently because the publisher did not believe that 14 was a "funny number". Eventually, the title came to be Catch-22, which, like 11, has a duplicated digit, with the 2 also referring to a number of [déjà vu](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/D%C3%A9j%C3%A0_vu "Déjà vu")\-like events common in the novel.[\[20\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_note-title-20) ## Publication and movie rights \[[edit](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Catch-22&action=edit&section=14 "Edit section: Publication and movie rights")\] Catch-22 was sold to [Simon & Schuster](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simon_%26_Schuster "Simon & Schuster"), where it had been championed by editor [Robert Gottlieb](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Gottlieb "Robert Gottlieb"), who, along with [Nina Bourne](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nina_Bourne "Nina Bourne"), edited and oversaw the marketing of the book.[\[19\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_note-:1-19) Gottlieb was a strong advocate for the book along with [Peter Schwed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Schwed "Peter Schwed") and [Justin Kaplan](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Kaplan "Justin Kaplan"). Henry Simon, a vice president at Simon & Schuster, found it repetitive and offensive.[\[19\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_note-:1-19) The editorial board decided to contract the book when Heller agreed to revisions; he signed for US\$1,500 in 1961 (equivalent to about \$16,200 in 2025).[\[19\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_note-:1-19) Officially published on October 10, 1961, the hardcover sold for \$5.95. The book was not a best-seller in hardcover in the United States. Though twelve thousand copies were sold by [Thanksgiving](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thanksgiving_$United_States$ "Thanksgiving (United States)"), it never entered [The New York Times Best Seller list](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_New_York_Times_Best_Seller_list "The New York Times Best Seller list"). It received good notices and was nominated for the [National Book Award](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Book_Award "National Book Award") in March 1962, though [Walker Percy](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walker_Percy "Walker Percy")'s [The Moviegoer](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Moviegoer "The Moviegoer") won. Catch-22 went through four printings in hardcover but sold well on only the East Coast. The book never established itself nationally until it was published in paperback for 75 cents.[\[22\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_note-Just_One_Catch-22): 224–230 Upon publication in Great Britain, the book became the No. 1 best-seller.[\[22\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_note-Just_One_Catch-22): 233 Don Fine of [Dell Paperbacks](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dell_Publishing "Dell Publishing") bought the paperback reprint rights to Catch-22 for \$32,000. Between the paperback's release in September 1962 and April 1963, it sold 1.1 million copies.[\[22\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_note-Just_One_Catch-22): 238–240 In August 1962, Donadio brokered the sale of movie rights to [Columbia Pictures](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Columbia_Pictures "Columbia Pictures") for \$100,000 plus \$25,000 to write a treatment or a first draft of a screenplay.[\[22\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_note-Just_One_Catch-22): 234 ## Reception \[[edit](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Catch-22&action=edit&section=15 "Edit section: Reception")\] The initial reviews of the book ranged from very positive to very negative. There were positive reviews from [The Nation](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Nation "The Nation") ("the best novel to come out in years"), the [New York Herald Tribune](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_Herald_Tribune "New York Herald Tribune") ("A wild, moving, shocking, hilarious, raging, exhilarating, giant roller-coaster of a book") and [The New York Times](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_New_York_Times "The New York Times") ("A dazzling performance that will outrage nearly as many readers as it delights"). On the other hand, [The New Yorker](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_New_Yorker "The New Yorker") disliked it ("doesn't even seem to be written; instead, it gives the impression of having been shouted onto paper", "what remains is a debris of sour jokes"), and a second review from the New York Times also disliked it ("repetitive and monotonous. Or one can say that it is too short because none of its many interesting characters and actions is given enough play to become a controlling interest").[\[23\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_note-23) One commentator of Catch-22 recognized that "many early audiences liked the book for just the same reasons that caused others to hate it".[\[24\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_note-Catch-22_1994-24): 11 The book eventually gained a cult following, especially among teenagers and college students. Heller later remarked that in 1962, after appearing on the Today show he went out drinking with the host at the time, [John Chancellor](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Chancellor "John Chancellor"), who handed him stickers that Chancellor had got privately printed reading "YOSSARIAN LIVES". Heller also said that Chancellor had been secretly putting them on the walls of the corridors and executive bathrooms in the NBC building.[\[24\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_note-Catch-22_1994-24): 11 Although the novel won no awards upon release, it has remained in print and is seen as one of the most significant American novels of the 20th century.[\[3\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_note-BBC-3) Scholar and fellow World War II veteran [Hugh Nibley](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hugh_Nibley "Hugh Nibley") said it was the most accurate book he ever read about the military.[\[25\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_note-25) As of 2016[\[update\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Catch-22&action=edit) over ten million copies have been sold.[\[26\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_note-26) Although he continued writing, including a sequel novel [Closing Time](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Closing_Time_$novel$ "Closing Time (novel)"), Heller's later works were inevitably overshadowed by the success of Catch-22. When asked by critics why he had never managed to write another novel as good as his first, Heller would retort with a smile, "Who has?"[\[27\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_note-27) ### Challenges \[[edit](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Catch-22&action=edit&section=16 "Edit section: Challenges")\] Catch-22 has landed on the list of the [American Library Association](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Library_Association "American Library Association")'s banned and challenged classics. In 1972, the [Strongsville City School District](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strongsville_City_School_District "Strongsville City School District") school board removed Catch-22, as well as two books by [Kurt Vonnegut](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kurt_Vonnegut "Kurt Vonnegut"), from school libraries and the curriculum.[\[28\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_note-:2-28) Five families sued the school board. The [Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Court_of_Appeals_for_the_Sixth_Circuit "United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit") rejected the claim, stating that school boards had the right to control the curriculum.[\[29\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_note-:3-29) The decision was overturned on appeal in 1976 in [Minarcini v. Strongsville City School District](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minarcini_v._Strongsville_City_School_District "Minarcini v. Strongsville City School District").[\[28\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_note-:2-28)[\[30\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_note-:4-30) The court wrote, "A library is a storehouse of knowledge. Here we are concerned with the right of students to receive information which they and their teachers desire them to have."[\[29\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_note-:3-29)[\[31\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_note-31) In 1982, the U.S. Supreme Court employed a similar rationale in its decision in [Island Trees School District v. Pico](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Island_Trees_School_District_v._Pico "Island Trees School District v. Pico") on the removal of library books.[\[29\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_note-:3-29) Because the book refers to some women as "whores", it was challenged at the [Dallas, Texas, Independent School District](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dallas_Independent_School_District "Dallas Independent School District") (1974) and [Snoqualmie, Washington](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snoqualmie,_Washington "Snoqualmie, Washington") (1979).[\[28\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_note-:2-28)[\[30\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_note-:4-30) ## Rankings \[[edit](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Catch-22&action=edit&section=17 "Edit section: Rankings")\] \| External videos \| \|---\| \| [![video icon](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/1b/Nuvola_apps_kaboodle.svg/20px-Nuvola_apps_kaboodle.svg.png)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Nuvola_apps_kaboodle.svg) ["50th Anniversary of Joseph Heller's Catch-22"](https://www.c-span.org/video/?302675-1/50th-anniversary-joseph-hellers-catch22) – [Lesley Stahl](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lesley_Stahl "Lesley Stahl") moderating a panel made up of [Christopher Buckley](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christopher_Buckley_$novelist$ "Christopher Buckley (novelist)"), [Robert Gottlieb](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Gottlieb "Robert Gottlieb"), [Mike Nichols](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Nichols "Mike Nichols"), and [Scott Shepherd](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scott_Shepherd_$actor$ "Scott Shepherd (actor)"), October 18, 2011, [C-SPAN](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C-SPAN "C-SPAN")[\[32\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_note-cspan-32) \| - The [Modern Library](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Modern_Library "Modern Library") ranked Catch-22 as the 7th (by review panel) and 12th (by public) greatest English-language novel of the 20th century.[\[33\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_note-33) - The [Radcliffe Publishing Course](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radcliffe_Publishing_Course "Radcliffe Publishing Course") ranked Catch-22 as number 15 of the 20th century's top 100 novels.[\[34\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_note-34) - [The Observer](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Observer "The Observer") listed Catch-22 as one of the 100 greatest novels of all time.[\[35\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_note-35) - [Time](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Time_$magazine$ "Time (magazine)") puts Catch-22 in the top 100 English-language modern novels (1923 onwards, unranked).[\[36\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_note-36) - The [Big Read](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Read "Big Read") by the [BBC](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BBC "BBC") ranked Catch-22 as number 11 on a web poll of the UK's best-loved book.[\[37\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_note-37) ## Adaptations \[[edit](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Catch-22&action=edit&section=18 "Edit section: Adaptations")\] [![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f7/Catch22-1970_opening.jpg/250px-Catch22-1970_opening.jpg)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Catch22-1970_opening.jpg) Opening title of the film adaptation - Catch-22 was adapted into a [feature film of the same name](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22_$film$ "Catch-22 (film)") in 1970, directed by [Mike Nichols](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Nichols "Mike Nichols"). [Alan Arkin](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alan_Arkin "Alan Arkin") portrayed Capt. [Yossarian](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yossarian "Yossarian"), with an ensemble cast including [Art Garfunkel](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Art_Garfunkel "Art Garfunkel") as Nately, [Jon Voight](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jon_Voight "Jon Voight") as [Milo Minderbinder](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milo_Minderbinder "Milo Minderbinder"), [Orson Welles](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orson_Welles "Orson Welles") as General Dreedle, and [Martin Balsam](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Balsam "Martin Balsam") as [Colonel Cathcart](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colonel_Cathcart "Colonel Cathcart"), amongst many others. - A [pilot](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Television_pilot "Television pilot") for a comedy series based upon Catch-22 was made and televised in 1973, with [Richard Dreyfuss](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Dreyfuss "Richard Dreyfuss") in the starring role of Yossarian.[\[38\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_note-38) - [Catch-22 play](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22_$play$ "Catch-22 (play)"): [Aquila Theatre](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aquila_Theatre "Aquila Theatre") produced a stage adaptation of Catch-22, based on Heller's 1971 stage adaptation. It was directed by [Peter Meineck](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Meineck "Peter Meineck"). This production toured the United States in 2007/8 with a Bexhill on Sea production in the fall of 2008.[\[39\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_note-39) - A [six-episode miniseries](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22_$miniseries$ "Catch-22 (miniseries)") produced by, and co-starring, [George Clooney](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Clooney "George Clooney") was picked up by [Hulu](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hulu "Hulu") for a straight-to-series order. It streamed on May 17, 2019. It was also broadcast by [Channel 4](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Channel_4 "Channel 4") in the [United Kingdom](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Kingdom "United Kingdom"). [Christopher Abbott](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christopher_Abbott "Christopher Abbott") portrayed Yossarian, with [Kyle Chandler](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kyle_Chandler "Kyle Chandler") as Cathcart,[\[40\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_note-40) [Hugh Laurie](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hugh_Laurie "Hugh Laurie") as Major —— de Coverley, and Clooney as Lt. Scheisskopf. ## Selected releases \[[edit](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Catch-22&action=edit&section=19 "Edit section: Selected releases")\] This list covers the first and most recent printed publications by the original publisher [Simon & Schuster](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simon_%26_Schuster "Simon & Schuster") as well as all other formats. Other print publishers include [Dell](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dell_Publishing "Dell Publishing"),[\[41\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_note-41) [Corgi](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transworld_$publisher$ "Transworld (publisher)"),[\[42\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_note-42) [Vintage](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vintage_$publisher$ "Vintage (publisher)"),[\[43\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_note-43) [Black Swan](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transworld_$publisher$ "Transworld (publisher)"),[\[44\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_note-44) [Éditions Grasset](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%89ditions_Grasset "Éditions Grasset"),[\[45\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_note-45) and [Wahlström & Widstrand](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wahlstr%C3%B6m_%26_Widstrand "Wahlström & Widstrand"). The original manuscript is held by [Brandeis University](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brandeis_University "Brandeis University").[\[46\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_note-46) - Heller, Joseph (June 1961) \[1961\]. [Catch-22](https://archive.org/details/catch2200hell_0) (hardback). New York: Simon & Schuster. [ISBN](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISBN_$identifier$ "ISBN (identifier)") [0-684-83339-5](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-684-83339-5 "Special:BookSources/0-684-83339-5") . [OCLC](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OCLC_$identifier$ "OCLC (identifier)") [35231812](https://search.worldcat.org/oclc/35231812). `{{cite book}}`: ISBN / Date incompatibility ([help](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:CS1_errors#invalid_isbn_date "Help:CS1 errors")) - Heller, Joseph (1961). [Catch-22](https://archive.org/details/catch22novel00hell) (advance paperback with signed bookplate). Simon & Schuster. [ISBN](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISBN_$identifier$ "ISBN (identifier)") [0-440-51120-8](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-440-51120-8 "Special:BookSources/0-440-51120-8") . `{{cite book}}`: ISBN / Date incompatibility ([help](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:CS1_errors#invalid_isbn_date "Help:CS1 errors")) - Heller, Joseph (1978). Catch-22 (signed limited edition leatherbound). Franklin Library. [ISBN](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISBN_$identifier$ "ISBN (identifier)") [0-8124-1717-8](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-8124-1717-8 "Special:BookSources/0-8124-1717-8") . - Heller, Joseph (September 1996). [Catch-22](https://archive.org/details/catch2200hell_0) (paperback). Simon & Schuster. [ISBN](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISBN_$identifier$ "ISBN (identifier)") [0-684-83339-5](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-684-83339-5 "Special:BookSources/0-684-83339-5") . - Heller, Joseph (October 1999). [Catch-22](https://archive.org/details/catch22novelhell00hell) (hardback). Simon & Schuster. [ISBN](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISBN_$identifier$ "ISBN (identifier)") [0-684-86513-0](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-684-86513-0 "Special:BookSources/0-684-86513-0") . - Heller, Joseph (1980). Catch-22 (unabridged audio cassette). reader Wolfram Kandinsky. Books On Tape. [ISBN](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISBN_$identifier$ "ISBN (identifier)") [0-7366-8962-1](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-7366-8962-1 "Special:BookSources/0-7366-8962-1") . - Heller, Joseph (1984). Catch-22 (audio cassette). [Caedmon Audio](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caedmon_Audio "Caedmon Audio"). [ISBN](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISBN_$identifier$ "ISBN (identifier)") [0-694-50253-7](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-694-50253-7 "Special:BookSources/0-694-50253-7") . - Heller, Joseph (1990). Catch-22 (unabridged audio CD). reader [Jim Weiss](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Weiss "Jim Weiss"). Books On Tape. [ISBN](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISBN_$identifier$ "ISBN (identifier)") [0-7366-9085-9](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-7366-9085-9 "Special:BookSources/0-7366-9085-9") . - Heller, Joseph (1994). Catch-22 ([abridged](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abridgement "Abridgement") edition audio cassette). reader [Alan Arkin](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alan_Arkin "Alan Arkin"). DH Audio. [ISBN](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISBN_$identifier$ "ISBN (identifier)") [0-88646-125-1](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-88646-125-1 "Special:BookSources/0-88646-125-1") . - Heller, Joseph (2007). Catch-22 (unabridged audio CD). reader [Jay O. Sanders](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jay_O._Sanders "Jay O. Sanders"). Caedmon. [ISBN](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISBN_$identifier$ "ISBN (identifier)") [978-0-06-126246-3](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-06-126246-3 "Special:BookSources/978-0-06-126246-3") . - Heller, Joseph (2008). Catch-22 (unabridged audio CD). reader [Trevor White](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trevor_White_$actor$ "Trevor White (actor)"). Hachette Audio. [ISBN](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISBN_$identifier$ "ISBN (identifier)") [978-1-4055-0387-7](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-4055-0387-7 "Special:BookSources/978-1-4055-0387-7") . ## See also \[[edit](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Catch-22&action=edit&section=20 "Edit section: See also")\] - [![icon](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/3f/Book_collection.jpg/40px-Book_collection.jpg)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Book_collection.jpg)[Novels portal](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal:Novels "Portal:Novels") - ![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/75/Flowerpowerportfolio.jpg/40px-Flowerpowerportfolio.jpg)[1960s portal](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal:1960s "Portal:1960s") - [Antinomy](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antinomy "Antinomy") - [Morton's fork](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morton%27s_fork "Morton's fork") ## References \[[edit](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Catch-22&action=edit&section=21 "Edit section: References")\] 1. [^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_ref-1) ["Paul Bacon cover artist"](https://web.archive.org/web/20080119215305/http://www.solothurnli.com/Pages/PaulBacon.html). Solothurnli. Archived from [the original](http://www.solothurnli.com/Pages/PaulBacon.html) on January 19, 2008. Retrieved March 11, 2011. 2. [^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_ref-2) Eller, Jonathan R. (2011). The Story of Catch-22 (50th anniversary ed.). Catch-22: Simon & Schuster. p. 469. [ISBN](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISBN_$identifier$ "ISBN (identifier)") [978-1451626650](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1451626650 "Special:BookSources/978-1451626650") . `{{cite book}}`: CS1 maint: location ([link](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:CS1_maint:_location "Category:CS1 maint: location")) 3. ^ [*a](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_ref-BBC_3-0) [b](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_ref-BBC_3-1) ["What is Catch-22? And why does the book matter?"](https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/1868619.stm). BBC News. March 12, 2002. Retrieved March 11, 2011. 4. ^ [a](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_ref-Burhans_4-0) [b](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_ref-Burhans_4-1) Clinton S. Burhans, Jr. "Spindrift and the Sea: Structural Patterns and Unifying Elements in Catch 22". Twentieth Century Literature, Vol. 19, No. 4, pp. 239–250, 1973. [JSTOR online access](https://www.jstor.org/stable/440541) 5. ^ [a](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_ref-Catch-22_5-0) [b](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_ref-Catch-22_5-1) [c](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_ref-Catch-22_5-2) [d](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_ref-Catch-22_5-3) Heller, Joseph (June 1961) \[1961\]. [Catch-22](https://archive.org/details/catch2200hell_0) (hardback). New York: Simon & Schuster. [ISBN](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISBN_$identifier$ "ISBN (identifier)") [0-684-83339-5](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-684-83339-5 "Special:BookSources/0-684-83339-5") . [OCLC](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OCLC_$identifier$ "OCLC (identifier)") [35231812](https://search.worldcat.org/oclc/35231812). `{{cite book}}`: ISBN / Date incompatibility ([help](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:CS1_errors#invalid_isbn_date "Help:CS1 errors")) 6. ^ [a](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_ref-Rosenbaum_6-0) [b](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_ref-Rosenbaum_6-1) Rosenbaum, Ron (August 2, 2011). ["Catch-22: The awful truth people miss about Heller's great novel"](https://slate.com/human-interest/2011/08/catch-22-the-awful-truth-people-miss-about-heller-s-great-novel.html). [Slate](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slate_$magazine$ "Slate (magazine)"). Retrieved July 3, 2019. 7. [^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_ref-7)* Heller, Joseph (1995). Catch-22. Random House. p. 514. [ISBN](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISBN_$identifier$ "ISBN (identifier)") [978-0-679-43722-2](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-679-43722-2 "Special:BookSources/978-0-679-43722-2") . 8. ^ [*a](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_ref-:0_8-0) [b](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_ref-:0_8-1) Podgorski, Daniel (October 27, 2015). ["Rocks and Hard Places Galore: The Bureaucratic Appropriation of War in Joseph Heller's Catch-22"](http://thegemsbok.com/art-reviews-and-articles/book-reviews-tuesday-tome-catch-22-joseph-heller/). The Gemsbok. Your Tuesday Tome. Retrieved February 21, 2016. 9. ^ [a](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_ref-Sorkin_1993_150_9-0) [b](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_ref-Sorkin_1993_150_9-1) [c](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_ref-Sorkin_1993_150_9-2) [d](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_ref-Sorkin_1993_150_9-3) Sorkin, Adam J. (1993). Conversations with Joseph Heller. Jackson, MO: University Press of Mississippi. p. 150. [ISBN](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISBN_$identifier$ "ISBN (identifier)") [0-87805-635-1](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-87805-635-1 "Special:BookSources/0-87805-635-1") . 10. [^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_ref-10)* Craig, DM (1994). "From Avignon to Catch-22". [War, Literature & the Arts](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War,_Literature_%26_the_Arts "War, Literature & the Arts"). Vol. 6, no. 2. pp. 27–54\. 11. [^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_ref-11) Heller, Joseph (1977). "Reeling in Catch-22". In Lynda Rosen Obst (ed.). The Sixties. New York: Random House/Rolling Stone Press. pp. 50–52\. 12. [^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_ref-12) Sadlon, Zenny. ["Personal testimony by Arnošt Lustig"](http://www.zenny.com/Heller.html). Zenny.com. Retrieved March 11, 2011. 13. [^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_ref-13) [Gussow, Mel](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mel_Gussow "Mel Gussow") (April 29, 1998). ["Critic's Notebook; Questioning the Provenance of the Iconic Catch-22"](https://www.nytimes.com/1998/04/29/books/critic-s-notebook-questioning-the-provenance-of-the-iconic-catch-22.html?pagewanted=all). [The New York Times](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_New_York_Times "The New York Times"). Retrieved April 1, 2010. 14. [^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_ref-14) [catch-22](http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/catch%2022), Merriam-Webster. Retrieved March 8, 2012 15. [^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_ref-15) [Random House](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Random_House "Random House") [ISBN](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISBN_$identifier$ "ISBN (identifier)") [978-0-09-947046-5](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-09-947046-5 "Special:BookSources/978-0-09-947046-5") [Vintage Classics](http://www.randomhouse.co.uk/vintage/classics/home.htm) 16. [^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_ref-16) [McDonald, Paul. Reading Catch-22. Humanities E-Books](http://www.humanities-ebooks.co.uk/book/Reading_Catch-22) 17. [^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_ref-17) Bailey, Blake (August 26, 2011). ["The Enigma of Joseph Heller"](https://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/28/books/review/the-enigma-of-joseph-heller.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&ref=bookreviews). The New York Times. Retrieved May 7, 2012. 18. [^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_ref-18) Aldridge, John W. (October 26, 1986). ["The Loony Horror of it all – Catch-22 Turns 25"](https://www.nytimes.com/books/98/02/15/home/heller-loony.html). The New York Times. Retrieved March 1, 2018. 19. ^ [*a](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_ref-:1_19-0) [b](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_ref-:1_19-1) [c](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_ref-:1_19-2) [d](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_ref-:1_19-3) [e](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_ref-:1_19-4) Eller, Jonathan R. (October 1992). "Catching a Market: The Publishing History of Catch-22". Prospects. 17: 475–525\. [doi](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doi_$identifier$ "Doi (identifier)"):[10\.1017/S0361233300004804](https://doi.org/10.1017%2FS0361233300004804). 20. ^ [a](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_ref-title_20-0) [b](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_ref-title_20-1) N James. "The Early Composition History of Catch-22". In Biographies of Books: The Compositional Histories of Notable American Writings, J Barbour, T Quirk (edi.) pp. 262–290. Columbia: University of Missouri Press, 1996. 21. [^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_ref-21)* Heller, Erica (August 4, 2011). ["Catch-18"](https://www.theparisreview.org/blog/2011/08/04/catch-18/). The Paris Review. Retrieved March 12, 2023. 22. ^ [*a](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_ref-Just_One_Catch_22-0) [b](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_ref-Just_One_Catch_22-1) [c](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_ref-Just_One_Catch_22-2) [d](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_ref-Just_One_Catch_22-3) Daugherty, Tracy (2011). [Just One Catch: A Biography of Joseph Heller](https://archive.org/details/justonecatchbiog00daug). New York: St. Martin's Press. [ISBN](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISBN_$identifier$ "ISBN (identifier)") [978-0312596859](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0312596859 "Special:BookSources/978-0312596859") . 23. [^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_ref-23)* ["The Internet Public Library: Online Literary Criticism Collection"](https://web.archive.org/web/20110106035214/http://www.ipl.org/div/litcrit/bin/litcrit.out.pl?ti=cat-860). Ipl.org. Archived from [the original](http://www.ipl.org/div/litcrit/bin/litcrit.out.pl?ti=cat-860) on January 6, 2011. Retrieved March 11, 2011. 24. ^ [*a](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_ref-Catch-22_1994_24-0) [b](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_ref-Catch-22_1994_24-1) Heller, Joseph (1994) \[1961\]. Catch-22. New York: Simon & Schuster. [ISBN](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISBN_$identifier$ "ISBN (identifier)") [0-671-50233-6](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-671-50233-6 "Special:BookSources/0-671-50233-6") . 25. [^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_ref-25)* Hugh Nibley and Alex Nibley, Sergeant Nibley PhD.: Memories of an Unlikely Screaming Eagle, Salt Lake City: Shadow Mountain, 2006, p. 255 26. [^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_ref-26) Jordison, Sam (August 23, 2016). ["Catch-22's 10m copies: how a bitter satire became a bestseller"](https://www.theguardian.com/books/booksblog/2016/aug/23/catch-22s-10m-copies-how-a-bitter-satire-became-a-bestseller). The Guardian. [ISSN](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISSN_$identifier$ "ISSN (identifier)") [0261-3077](https://search.worldcat.org/issn/0261-3077). Retrieved June 13, 2024. 27. [^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_ref-27) ["Joseph Heller and his fiction. The first cut is the deepest"](https://www.economist.com/books-and-arts/2011/10/08/the-first-cut-is-the-deepest). The Economist. October 8, 2011. Retrieved March 3, 2017. 28. ^ [*a](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_ref-:2_28-0) [b](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_ref-:2_28-1) [c](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_ref-:2_28-2) Office of Intellectual Freedom (March 26, 2013). ["Banned & Challenged Classics"](https://www.ala.org/advocacy/bbooks/frequentlychallengedbooks/classics). American Library Association. Retrieved June 18, 2021. 29. ^ [a](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_ref-:3_29-0) [b](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_ref-:3_29-1) [c](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_ref-:3_29-2) Hudson, David L. ["Minarcini v. Strongsville City School District (6th Circuit)"](https://firstamendment.mtsu.edu/article/minarcini-v-strongsville-city-school-district-6th-circuit/). Middle Tennessee State University. Retrieved June 18, 2021. 30. ^ [a](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_ref-:4_30-0) [b](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_ref-:4_30-1) Pal, Anupama (February 24, 2016). "Banning Joseph Heller's Catch-22: The Case of Minarcini v. Strongsville City School District and Issues of First Amendment Rights, Intellectual Freedom, and Censorship". Elon Law Review. 8* (41): 41–60\. 31. [^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_ref-31) ["U.S. Court Says School Boards Cannot Remove Library Books"](https://www.nytimes.com/1976/08/31/archives/us-court-says-school-boards-cannot-remove-library-books.html). The New York Times. August 31, 1976. [ISSN](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISSN_$identifier$ "ISSN (identifier)") [0362-4331](https://search.worldcat.org/issn/0362-4331). Retrieved June 18, 2021. 32. [^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_ref-cspan_32-0) ["50th Anniversary of Joseph Heller's Catch-22"](https://www.c-span.org/video/?302675-1/50th-anniversary-joseph-hellers-catch22). [C-SPAN](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C-SPAN "C-SPAN"). October 18, 2011. Retrieved January 8, 2017. 33. [^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_ref-33) [Randomhouse.com](http://www.randomhouse.com/modernlibrary/100bestnovels.html) [Modern Library](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Modern_Library "Modern Library")'s 100 best novels of the 20th century 34. [^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_ref-34) Huber, Herbert. ["Radcliffe Publishing Course: the twentieth century's top 100 novels"](https://web.archive.org/web/20110317195013/http://www.lesekost.de/kanon/HHL102.htm). Lesekost.de. Archived from [the original](http://www.lesekost.de/kanon/HHL102.htm) on March 17, 2011. Retrieved March 11, 2011. 35. [^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_ref-35) McCrum, Robert (August 8, 2006). ["The Observer's greatest novels of all time"](https://www.theguardian.com/books/2003/oct/12/features.fiction). The Observer. UK. Retrieved March 11, 2011. 36. [^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_ref-36) ["Time's top 100 English language modern novels"](https://web.archive.org/web/20051019053903/http://www.time.com/time/2005/100books/the_complete_list.html). [Time](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Time_$magazine$ "Time (magazine)"). October 16, 2005. Archived from [the original](http://www.time.com/time/2005/100books/the_complete_list.html) on October 19, 2005. Retrieved March 11, 2011. 37. [^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_ref-37) [The BBC's Big Read](https://www.bbc.co.uk/arts/bigread/top100.shtml) 38. [^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_ref-38) Holloway, Daniel (April 23, 2019). ["How George Clooney and Christopher Abbott Battled to Bring 'Catch-22' Into the 21st Century"](https://variety.com/2019/tv/news/george-clooney-catch-22-christopher-abbott-1203194665/). Variety. Retrieved June 13, 2024. 39. [^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_ref-39) [Phythyon, John. R. Jr.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_R._Phythyon,_Jr. "John R. Phythyon, Jr.") (March 2, 2008). ["Catch-22 a nearly perfect adaptation"](http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2008/mar/02/catch22_nearly_perfect_adaptation). The Lawrence Journal-World & News. 40. [^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_ref-40) Otterson, Joe (April 13, 2018). ["'Catch-22' Casting Shuffle: Kyle Chandler Takes Over as Cathcart, George Clooney Switches Roles"](https://variety.com/2018/tv/news/catch-22-hulu-kyle-chandler-george-clooney-switches-roles-1202752693/). Variety. Retrieved April 13, 2018. 41. [^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_ref-41) ["Catch-22(Dell 1120) Paperback – January 1, 1964 by Joseph Heller (Author)"](https://www.amazon.com/Catch-22-Dell-1120-Joseph-Heller/dp/B000G96ELY). Amazon. 42. [^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_ref-42) ["Catch 22 By Joseph Heller Vintage 1973 Paperback Corgi Books Early Edition"](https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/186123387462). eBay. 43. [^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_ref-43) ["Catch-22 by Joseph Heller (Paperback, 1994) Vintage"](https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/296199155833?chn=ps&_ul=AU&norover=1&mkevt=1&mkrid=705-166974-041499-5&mkcid=2&mkscid=101&itemid=296199155833&targetid=2274564709393&device=c&mktype=pla&googleloc=9072253&poi=&campaignid=21085115440&mkgroupid=159531975733&rlsatarget=pla-2274564709393&abcId=9390515&merchantid=116297175&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjw0_WyBhDMARIsAL1Vz8s5gZ2mmv2KceW4vtMj2x2VcwTHTZjgw0KYyWpgFVXRFU3RBaOKD54aAoA_EALw_wcB). eBay. 44. [^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_ref-44) Heller, Joseph (1985). Catch-22 Paperback – Import, January 1, 1985 by joseph-heller (Author). Black Swan. [ISBN](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISBN_$identifier$ "ISBN (identifier)") [0552991953](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0552991953 "Special:BookSources/0552991953") . 45. [^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_ref-45) Heller, Joseph (2000). Catch 22 Paperback – January 1, 1985 French Edition by Joseph Heller (Author). B. Grasset. [ISBN](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISBN_$identifier$ "ISBN (identifier)") [2246269318](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/2246269318 "Special:BookSources/2246269318") . 46. [^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_ref-46) [Heller archive](http://lts.brandeis.edu/research/archives-speccoll/findingguides/xml/heller.html) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20100608094903/http://lts.brandeis.edu/research/archives-speccoll/findingguides/xml/heller.html) June 8, 2010, at the [Wayback Machine](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wayback_Machine "Wayback Machine"), Brandeis University. ## External links \[[edit](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Catch-22&action=edit&section=22 "Edit section: External links")\] [![Wikimedia Commons logo](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/40px-Commons-logo.svg.png)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Commons-logo.svg) Wikimedia Commons has media related to [Catch-22](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Catch-22 "commons:Category:Catch-22"). ![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fa/Wikiquote-logo.svg/40px-Wikiquote-logo.svg.png) Wikiquote has quotations related to *[Catch-22](https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Special:Search/Catch-22 "q:Special:Search/Catch-22"). - [Librarything.com with many photos of other Catch-22* covers](http://www.librarything.com/work/1479) - [Photos of the first edition of Catch-22](http://www.mansionbooks.com/BookDetail.php?bk=219) - [Catch-22 as a figure of speech](http://www.figarospeech.com/it-figures/2007/6/17/did-the-earth-move-for-you.html) - [Catch-22 study guide](http://www.shmoop.com/catch-22) – analysis, themes, quotes, and teaching guide - [Why a novel so acclaimed took 46 years to make it to the stage: How the cult classic was adapted for the stage](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/theatre-dance/features/catch22-how-the-cult-classic-was-adapted-for-the-stage-9262950.html) - [History of combat crew rotation - World War II and Korean War](https://web.archive.org/web/20141212095416/http://www.afhra.af.mil/shared/media/document/AFD-080424-048.pdf) - [Historical Sources for the Events in Joseph Heller's Novel, Catch-22 By Daniel Setzer](http://www.dansetzer.us/heller/JHeller.pdf) \| [v](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Joseph_Heller "Template:Joseph Heller") [t](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template_talk:Joseph_Heller "Template talk:Joseph Heller") [e](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:EditPage/Template:Joseph_Heller "Special:EditPage/Template:Joseph Heller")Works by [Joseph Heller](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Heller "Joseph Heller") \| \| \|---\|---\| \| Novels \| [Catch-22]() (1961) [Something Happened](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Something_Happened "Something Happened") (1974) [Good as Gold](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Good_as_Gold_$novel$ "Good as Gold (novel)") (1979) [God Knows](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/God_Knows_$novel$ "God Knows (novel)") (1984) [Picture This](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Picture_This_$novel$ "Picture This (novel)") (1988) [Closing Time](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Closing_Time_$novel$ "Closing Time (novel)") (1994) [Portrait of an Artist, as an Old Man](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portrait_of_an_Artist,_as_an_Old_Man "Portrait of an Artist, as an Old Man") (2000) \| \| Short story collections \| [Catch as Catch Can: The Collected Stories and Other Writings](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch_as_Catch_Can:_The_Collected_Stories_and_Other_Writings "Catch as Catch Can: The Collected Stories and Other Writings") (2003) \| \| Plays \| [We Bombed in New Haven](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/We_Bombed_in_New_Haven "We Bombed in New Haven") (1967) [Catch-22](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22_$play$ "Catch-22 (play)") (1971) [Clevinger's Trial](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clevinger%27s_Trial "Clevinger's Trial") (1973) \| \| Autobiographies \| [No Laughing Matter](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No_Laughing_Matter_$book$ "No Laughing Matter (book)") (1986) [Now and Then: From Coney Island to Here](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Now_and_Then:_From_Coney_Island_to_Here "Now and Then: From Coney Island to Here") (1998) \| \| [v](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Catch-22 "Template:Catch-22") [t](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template_talk:Catch-22 "Template talk:Catch-22") [e](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:EditPage/Template:Catch-22 "Special:EditPage/Template:Catch-22")[Joseph Heller's](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Heller "Joseph Heller") [Catch-22]() \| \| \|---\|---\| \| Catch-22 \| [Catch-22]() [Closing Time](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Closing_Time_$novel$ "Closing Time (novel)") [Catch-22 (film)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22_$film$ "Catch-22 (film)") [Catch-22 (play)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22_$play$ "Catch-22 (play)") [Clevinger's Trial (play)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clevinger%27s_Trial "Clevinger's Trial") [Catch-22 (miniseries)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22_$miniseries$ "Catch-22 (miniseries)") [Catch-22 (logic)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22_$logic$ "Catch-22 (logic)") \| \| [Characters](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Catch-22_characters "List of Catch-22 characters") \| [John Yossarian](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yossarian "Yossarian") [Capt. Aardvark](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Captain_Aardvark "Captain Aardvark") [Chaplain Tappman](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chaplain_Tappman "Chaplain Tappman") [Col. Cathcart](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colonel_Cathcart "Colonel Cathcart") [Doc Daneeka](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doc_Daneeka "Doc Daneeka") [Major Major Major Major](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Major_Major_Major_Major "Major Major Major Major") [Milo Minderbinder](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milo_Minderbinder "Milo Minderbinder") [Nately](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nately "Nately") [Orr](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orr_$Catch-22$ "Orr (Catch-22)") [Scheisskopf](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scheisskopf "Scheisskopf") \| \| [Authority control databases](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:Authority_control "Help:Authority control") [![Edit this at Wikidata](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/8/8a/OOjs_UI_icon_edit-ltr-progressive.svg/20px-OOjs_UI_icon_edit-ltr-progressive.svg.png)](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q278208#identifiers "Edit this at Wikidata") \| \| \|---\|---\| \| International \| [VIAF](https://viaf.org/viaf/176599686) [GND](https://d-nb.info/gnd/4229273-6) \| \| National \| [France](https://catalogue.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/cb121871278) [BnF data](https://data.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/cb121871278) [Israel](https://www.nli.org.il/en/authorities/987007593240505171) \| \| Other \| [Open Library](https://openlibrary.org/works/OL276798W?mode=all) \| ![](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:CentralAutoLogin/start?useformat=desktop&type=1x1&usesul3=1) Retrieved from "<https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Catch-22&oldid=1346643906>" [Categories](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:Category "Help:Category"): - 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Readable Markdown	\| \| \| \|---\|---\| \| [![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/80/Catch-22_%281961%29_front_cover%2C_first_edition.jpg/250px-Catch-22_%281961%29_front_cover%2C_first_edition.jpg)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Catch-22_$1961$_front_cover,_first_edition.jpg)First edition cover \| \| \| Author \| [Joseph Heller](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Heller "Joseph Heller") \| \| Cover artist \| [Paul Bacon](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Bacon_$designer$ "Paul Bacon (designer)")[\[1\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_note-1) \| \| Language \| English \| \| Genre \| [Dark comedy](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dark_comedy "Dark comedy"), [absurdist fiction](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Absurdist_fiction "Absurdist fiction"), [satire](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satire "Satire"), [war fiction](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_novel "War novel"), [historical fiction](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Historical_fiction "Historical fiction") \| \| Publisher \| [Simon & Schuster](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simon_%26_Schuster "Simon & Schuster") \| \| Publication date \| October 10, 1961[\[2\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_note-2) \| \| Publication place \| United States \| \| Media type \| Print (hardback) \| \| Pages \| 453 (1st edition hardback) \| \| [ISBN](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISBN_$identifier$ "ISBN (identifier)") \| [0-671-12805-1](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-671-12805-1 "Special:BookSources/0-671-12805-1") \| \| [OCLC](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OCLC_$identifier$ "OCLC (identifier)") \| [35231812](https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/35231812) \| \| [Dewey Decimal](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dewey_Decimal_Classification "Dewey Decimal Classification") \| 813/.54 22 \| \| [LC Class](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LCC_$identifier$ "LCC (identifier)") \| PS3558.E476 C3 2004 \| \| Followed by \| [Closing Time](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Closing_Time_$novel$ "Closing Time (novel)") (1994) \| *Catch-22* is a [satirical](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satirical "Satirical") [war novel](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_novel "War novel") by American author [Joseph Heller](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Heller "Joseph Heller"). It was his [debut novel](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Debut_novel "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,[\[3\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_note-BBC-3) it uses a distinctive non-chronological [third-person omniscient](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Narrative_mode#Third-person,_omniscient "Narrative mode") 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 satirizes military bureaucracy and greed. The novel is set during [World War II](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_II "World War II"), from 1942 to 1944. It mainly follows the life of [antihero](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antihero "Antihero") [Captain](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Captain_$United_States_O-3$ "Captain (United States O-3)") [John Yossarian](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yossarian "Yossarian"), a [U.S. Army Air Forces](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Army_Air_Forces "United States Army Air Forces") [B-25](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B-25 "B-25") [bombardier](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bombardier_$aircrew$ "Bombardier (aircrew)"). Most of the events in the book occur while the fictional 256th US Army Air Squadron is based on the island of [Pianosa](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pianosa "Pianosa"), in the [Mediterranean Sea](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mediterranean_Sea "Mediterranean Sea") west of the Italian mainland, although it also includes episodes from basic training at [Lowry Field](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lowry_Air_Force_Base "Lowry Air Force Base") in Colorado and Air Corps training at [Santa Ana Army Air Base](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Ana_Army_Air_Base "Santa Ana Army Air Base") in California. The novel examines the [absurdity](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Absurdity "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. The book was made into a [film adaptation](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22_$film$ "Catch-22 (film)") in 1970, directed by [Mike Nichols](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Nichols "Mike Nichols"), and a [miniseries](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22_$miniseries$ "Catch-22 (miniseries)") in 2019, produced by [George Clooney](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Clooney "George Clooney"). In 1994, Heller published a sequel to the novel titled [Closing Time](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Closing_Time_$novel$ "Closing Time (novel)"). The main character, Yossarian, is introduced in the setting of a military hospital where he has retreated under the guise of a chronic liver condition to avoid flying further combat missions since he has grown disillusioned with the war effort and distrustful of his commanding officers. Throughout the novel, the [commanding officers](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commanding_officer "Commanding officer") show extreme disregard for the lives of their troops and are all too willing to sacrifice their men to further their own ends. In particular, [Colonel Cathcart](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colonel_Cathcart "Colonel Cathcart") volunteers his unit to fly dangerous missions and forces his men to fly more combat missions than any other unit, constantly raising the number of missions necessary to complete a tour of duty so that the men can never return home, because he wishes to be seen as brave by his superiors even though he has only ever flown one combat mission. After flying forty-four combat missions, Yossarian has become [traumatized](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traumatized "Traumatized") by aerial combat and witnessing the deaths of his friends; he is terrified of being killed in action during each combat mission, but still succeeds in flying twenty-seven more missions over the course of the novel, totaling seventy-one by the end. As the novel progresses, Yossarian's moral character and courage emerge more clearly, in contrast to his seeming selfishness and cowardice when first introduced. He is shown to be an honest, loyal, and able flyer who has been pushed to desperation by the selfishness and cowardice of the authorities responsible for him, especially doctors and military leaders. The development of the novel can be split into sections: - The first (chapters 1–11) broadly follows the story fragmented between characters, but in a single chronological time in 1944. - The second (chapters 12–20) flashes back to focus primarily on the "Great Big Siege of [Bologna](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bologna "Bologna")" before once again jumping to the third part. - The third (chapter 21–25) is the chronological present of 1944. - The fourth (chapters 26–28) flashes back to the origins and growth of [Milo's](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milo_Minderbinder "Milo Minderbinder") syndicate. - The fifth part (chapters 28–32) returns again to the narrative present and maintains the tone of the previous four. - The sixth and final part (chapter 32 and on) remains in the story's present, but takes a much darker turn and emphasizes the darkness and brutality of war and life in general.[\[4\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_note-Burhans-4) For most of the book, the reader is cushioned from directly experiencing the full horror of war, but the existence of these horrors is implied by the extreme trauma and fear that afflicts the airmen. In the final section, these events are laid bare. The horror begins with a pointless attack on an undefended Italian mountain village, with the succeeding chapters incorporating depictions of despair ([Doc Daneeka](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doc_Daneeka "Doc Daneeka") and the [chaplain](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chaplain_Tappman "Chaplain Tappman")), disappearance in combat ([Orr](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orr_$Catch-22$ "Orr (Catch-22)") and Clevinger), disappearance caused by the army (Dunbar) and death of most of Yossarian's friends ([Nately](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nately "Nately"), McWatt, Kid Sampson, Dobbs, Chief White Halfoat and Hungry Joe), culminating in the horrors of Chapter 39, in particular [Aarfy's](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Captain_Aardvark "Captain Aardvark") rape and murder of the innocent young woman Michaela.[\[4\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_note-Burhans-4) In Chapter 41 the full details of the death of Snowden are finally revealed. Nevertheless, the novel ends on an upbeat note with Yossarian learning of [Orr's](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orr_$Catch-22$ "Orr (Catch-22)") miraculous escape to Sweden and Yossarian's pledge to follow him there. [![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/66/Catch-22_%281961%29_dust_jacket%2C_first_edition.jpg/500px-Catch-22_%281961%29_dust_jacket%2C_first_edition.jpg)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Catch-22_$1961$_dust_jacket,_first_edition.jpg) Catch-22 dust jacket, first edition (1961) Many events in the book are repeatedly described from differing points of view, so the reader learns more about each event from each iteration, with the new information often completing a joke, the setup of which was told several chapters previously. The narrative's events are out of sequence, but events are referred to as if the reader is already familiar with them so that the reader must ultimately piece together a timeline of events. Specific words, phrases, and questions are also repeated frequently, generally to comic effect.\[[citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed "Wikipedia:Citation needed")\] Much of Heller's prose in Catch-22 is circular and repetitive, exemplifying in its form the structure of a [Catch-22](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22_$logic$ "Catch-22 (logic)"). [Circular reasoning](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Circular_reasoning "Circular reasoning") is widely used by some characters to justify their actions and opinions. Heller revels in [paradox](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paradox "Paradox"). For example: "[The Texan](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Texan_$fictional_character$ "The Texan (fictional character)") turned out to be good-natured, generous and likable. In three days no one could stand him," and "The case against Clevinger was open and shut. The only thing missing was something to charge him with." This atmosphere of apparently logical irrationality pervades the book.\[[citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed "Wikipedia:Citation needed")\] This style is also recognizable regarding how exactly Clevinger's trial would be executed by Lieutenant Scheisskopf: "As a member of the Action Board, Lieutenant Scheisskopf was one of the judges who would weigh the merits of the case against Clevinger as presented by the prosecutor. Lieutenant Scheisskopf was also the prosecutor. Clevinger had an officer defending him. The officer defending him was Lieutenant Scheisskopf."[\[5\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_note-Catch-22-5): 76 While a few characters are most prominent, especially Yossarian and the Chaplain, the majority of named characters are described in detail with fleshed out or multidimensional personas to the extent that there are few if any "minor characters". There are no traditional heroes in the novel, reflecting the underlying commentary that war has no heroes, only victims.[\[6\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_note-Rosenbaum-6) Although its nonchronological structure may at first seem random, Catch-22 is highly structured. It is founded on a structure of [free association](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_association_$psychology$ "Free association (psychology)"); ideas run into one another through seemingly random connections. For example, Chapter 1, titled "The Texan", ends with "everybody but the [CID man](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Army_Criminal_Investigation_Command "United States Army Criminal Investigation Command"), who had caught a cold from the fighter captain and come down with pneumonia."[\[5\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_note-Catch-22-5): 24 Chapter 2, titled "Clevinger", begins with "In a way, the CID man was pretty lucky because outside the hospital the war was still going on."[\[5\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_note-Catch-22-5): 25 The CID man connects the two chapters like a free association bridge and eventually Chapter 2 flows from the CID man to Clevinger through more free association links. As Heller utilizes an episodic structure for most of the novel, many chapters may appear to be a disjointed series of events with little or no connection with each other. However, individual chapters often deal with thematically unique ideas, such as Chapter 11 (“Captain Black”) which parodies [Red Scare](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Scare "Red Scare")\-era [McCarthyism](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McCarthyism "McCarthyism"), and Chapter 18 (“The Soldier Who Saw Everything Twice”) which explores theological concepts of mortality. [Yossarian](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yossarian "Yossarian") comes to fear his commanding officers more than he fears the Germans attempting to shoot him down and he feels that "they" are "out to get him." The reason Yossarian fears his commanders more than the enemy is that as he flies more missions, [Colonel Cathcart](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colonel_Cathcart "Colonel Cathcart") increases the number of required combat missions before a soldier may return home; he reaches the magic number only to have it retroactively raised. He comes to despair of ever getting home and is greatly relieved when he is sent to the hospital for a condition that is almost [jaundice](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jaundice "Jaundice"). In Yossarian's words: > The enemy is anybody who's going to get you killed, no matter which side he's on, and that includes Colonel Cathcart. And don't you forget that, because the longer you remember it, the longer you might live.[\[5\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_note-Catch-22-5): 124 Much of the farce in the novel is fueled by intentional and unintentional miscommunication, occasionally leading to tragic consequences. For example, Cathcart's desire to become a general is thwarted by ex-P.F.C. Wintergreen sabotaging his correspondence. Major Major's and Yossarian's mis-censoring of correspondence is blamed on the Chaplain, who is threatened with imprisonment as a result. Yossarian [questions the idea that](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theodicy "Theodicy") God is all-powerful, all-good, and all knowing. The narrator seems to believe that God, if not evil, is incompetent. In chapter 18, Yossarian states that he "believes in the God he doesn't believe in", this version of God having created Hitler, the war, and all the failures of human life and society, as exemplified in the following passage: > "And don't tell me [God works in mysterious ways](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/God_works_in_mysterious_ways "God works in mysterious ways")", Yossarian continued, hurtling over her objections. "There's nothing so mysterious about it. He's not working at all. He's playing or else He's forgotten all about us. That's the kind of God you people talk about – a country bumpkin, a clumsy, bungling, brainless, conceited, uncouth hayseed. Good God, how much reverence can you have for a Supreme Being who finds it necessary to include such phenomena as phlegm and tooth decay in His divine system of creation? What in the world was running through that warped, evil, scatological mind of His when He robbed old people of the power to control their bowel movements? Why in the world did he ever create pain? ... Oh, He was really being charitable to us when He gave us pain! Why couldn't He have used a doorbell instead to notify us, or one of His celestial choirs? Or a system of blue-and-red neon tubes right in the middle of each person's forehead. Any jukebox manufacturer worth his salt could have done that. Why couldn't He? ... What a colossal, immortal blunderer! When you consider the opportunity and power He had to really do a job, and then look at the stupid, ugly little mess He made of it instead, His sheer incompetence is almost staggering. ..."[\[6\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_note-Rosenbaum-6) Later Heller writes of Yossarian wandering through a war-torn Italian city (Chapter 39): > "Yossarian quickened his pace to get away, almost ran. The night was filled with horrors, and he thought he knew how Christ must have felt as he walked through the world, like a psychiatrist through a ward full of nuts, like a victim through a prison full of thieves. What a welcome sight a leper must have been. At the next corner a man was beating a small boy brutally in the midst of an immobile crowd of adult spectators who made no effort to intervene ..."[\[7\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_note-7) ### Military-industrial complex \[[edit](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Catch-22&action=edit&section=7 "Edit section: Military-industrial complex")\] While the military's enemies are Germans, none appear in the story as enemy combatants. This ironic situation is epitomized on of the few appearances of German personnel in the novel, who act as pilots employed by the squadron's mess officer, [Milo Minderbinder](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milo_Minderbinder "Milo Minderbinder"), to bomb the American encampment on Pianosa. This predicament indicates a tension between traditional motives for violence and the modern economic machine, which seems to generate violence simply as another means to profit, quite independent of geographical or ideological constraints which creates a [military–industrial complex](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military%E2%80%93industrial_complex "Military–industrial complex").[\[8\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_note-:0-8) Heller emphasizes the danger of profit-seeking by portraying Milo without "evil intent". Milo's actions are portrayed as the result of greed, not malice.[\[9\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_note-Sorkin_1993_150-9) The novel has over 50 named characters, many of whom have titular chapters dedicated to expanding on their personalities or motivations. Heller wanted to be a writer from an early age. His experiences as a [bombardier](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bombardier_$air_force$ "Bombardier (air force)") during World War II inspired Catch-22;[\[10\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_note-10) Heller later said that he "never had a bad officer". In a 1977 essay on Catch-22, Heller stated that the "antiwar and antigovernment feelings in the book" were a product of the Korean War and the 1950s rather than World War II itself. Heller's criticisms are not intended for World War II but for the Cold War and [McCarthyism](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McCarthyism "McCarthyism").[\[11\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_note-11) The influence of the 1950s on Catch-22 is evident through Heller's extensive use of [anachronism](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anachronism "Anachronism"). Though the novel is ostensibly set in World War II, Heller intentionally included anachronisms like [loyalty oaths](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loyalty_oaths "Loyalty oaths") and [computers](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computers "Computers") ([IBM](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IBM "IBM") machines) to situate the novel in the context of the 1950s.[\[9\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_note-Sorkin_1993_150-9) Many of the characters are based on or connected to individuals from the 1950s: - Milo Minderbinder's maxim "What's good for M\&M Enterprises is good for the country" alludes to the former president of [General Motors](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Motors "General Motors") [Charles Erwin Wilson](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Erwin_Wilson "Charles Erwin Wilson")'s 1953 statement before the Senate: "What's good for General Motors is good for the country."[\[9\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_note-Sorkin_1993_150-9) - The question of "Who promoted [Major Major](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Major_Major_Major_Major "Major Major Major Major")?" alludes to [Joseph McCarthy](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_McCarthy "Joseph McCarthy")'s questioning of the promotion of [Major Peress](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irving_Peress "Irving Peress"), an army dentist who refused to sign loyalty oaths.[\[9\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_note-Sorkin_1993_150-9) Czech writer [Arnošt Lustig](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arno%C5%A1t_Lustig "Arnošt Lustig") recounts in his book 3x18 that Joseph Heller told him that he would never have written Catch-22 had he not first read [The Good Soldier Švejk](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Good_Soldier_%C5%A0vejk "The Good Soldier Švejk") by [Jaroslav Hašek](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jaroslav_Ha%C5%A1ek "Jaroslav Hašek").[\[12\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_note-12) In 1998, some critics raised the possibility that Heller's book had questionable similarities to [Louis Falstein](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Louis_Falstein&action=edit&redlink=1 "Louis Falstein (page does not exist)")'s 1950 novel, [Face of a Hero](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Face_of_a_Hero "Face of a Hero"). Falstein never raised the issue between Catch-22's publication and his death in 1995 and Heller claimed never to have been aware of the obscure novel. Heller said that the novel had been influenced by [Céline](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis-Ferdinand_C%C3%A9line "Louis-Ferdinand Céline"), [Waugh](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evelyn_Waugh "Evelyn Waugh") and [Nabokov](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vladimir_Nabokov "Vladimir Nabokov"). Many of the similarities have been stated to be attributable to the authors' experiences, both having served as U.S. Army Air Forces aircrew in Italy in World War II. However, their themes and styles are different.[\[13\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_note-13) A "[Catch-22](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22_$logic$ "Catch-22 (logic)")" is "a problem for which the only solution is denied by a circumstance inherent in the problem or by a rule".[\[14\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_note-14) For example, losing something is typically a conventional problem; to solve it, one looks for the lost item until one finds it. But if the thing lost is one's glasses, one cannot see to look for them – a Catch-22. The term "Catch-22" is also used more broadly to mean a tricky problem or a no-win or absurd situation. In the book, Catch-22 is a military rule typifying [bureaucratic](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bureaucratic "Bureaucratic") operation and reasoning. The rule is not stated in a precise form, but the principal example in the book fits the definition above: If one is crazy, one does not have to fly missions; and one must be crazy to fly. But one has to apply to be excused, and applying demonstrates that one is not crazy. As a result, one must continue flying, either not applying to be excused, or applying and being refused. The narrator explains: > There was only one catch and that was Catch-22, which specified that a concern for one's safety in the face of dangers that were real and immediate was the process of a rational mind. [Orr](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orr_$Catch-22$ "Orr (Catch-22)") was crazy and could be grounded. All he had to do was ask; and as soon as he did, he would no longer be crazy and would have to fly more missions. Orr would be crazy to fly more missions and sane if he didn't, but if he were sane he had to fly them. If he flew them he was crazy and didn't have to, but if he didn't want to he was sane and had to. Yossarian was moved very deeply by the absolute simplicity of this clause of Catch-22 and let out a respectful whistle. (p. 56, ch. 5) Other forms of Catch-22 are invoked throughout the novel to justify various bureaucratic actions. At one point, victims of harassment by military police quote the MPs' explanation of one of Catch-22's provisions: "Catch-22 states that agents enforcing Catch-22 need not prove that Catch-22 actually contains whatever provision the accused violator is accused of violating." Another character explains: "Catch-22 says [they have a right to do anything we can't stop them from doing](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Might_makes_right "Might makes right")." Yossarian comes to realize that Catch-22 does not actually exist, but because the powers that be claim it does, and the world believes it does, it nevertheless has potent effects. Indeed, because it does not exist, there is no way it can be repealed, undone, overthrown, or denounced. The combination of force with specious and spurious legalistic justification is one of the book's primary motifs. The motif of bureaucratic absurdity is further explored in 1994's [Closing Time](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Closing_Time_$novel$ "Closing Time (novel)"), Heller's sequel to Catch-22. This darker, slower-paced, apocalyptic novel explores the pre- and post-war lives of some of the major characters in Catch-22, with particular emphasis on the relationship between Yossarian and tail gunner Sammy Singer. Catch-22 contains allusions to many works of literature. [Howard Jacobson](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Howard_Jacobson "Howard Jacobson"), in his 2004 introduction to the Vintage Classics publication, wrote that the novel was "positioned teasingly ... between literature and literature's opposites – between [Shakespeare](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shakespeare "Shakespeare") and [Rabelais](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rabelais "Rabelais") and [Dickens](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dickens "Dickens") and [Dostoevsky](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dostoevsky "Dostoevsky") and [Gogol](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gogol "Gogol") and [Céline](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis-Ferdinand_C%C3%A9line "Louis-Ferdinand Céline") and the [Absurdists](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Absurdism "Absurdism") and of course [Kafka](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kafka "Kafka") on the one hand, and on the other [vaudeville](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vaudeville "Vaudeville") and [slapstick](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slapstick "Slapstick") and [Bilko](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Phil_Silvers_Show "The Phil Silvers Show") and [Abbott and Costello](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abbott_and_Costello "Abbott and Costello") and [Tom and Jerry](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_and_Jerry "Tom and Jerry") and [the Goons](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Goons_$The_Goon_Show$ "The Goons (The Goon Show)") (if Heller had ever heard of the Goons)."[\[15\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_note-15) One critic argues that it is Kafka's influence that can be seen most strongly in the novel: "Like Kafka's heroes, Yossarian is riddled with anxiety and caught in an inexorable nightmare – in his case created by Colonel Cathcart and the inevitability of his raising the number of missions he has to fly."[\[16\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_note-16) The idea for Catch-22 was based on Joseph Heller's personal experience in World War II. The feelings that Yossarian and the other bomber crew felt were taken directly from problems he suffered while on duty. Heller flew 60 bombing missions from May to October in 1944. Heller was able to make it out of the war, but it took until 1953 before he could start writing about it. For this reason, the book contains references to post-World War II phenomena like IBM computers and [loyalty oaths](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loyalty_oath "Loyalty oath"). The war experience turned Heller into a "tortured, funny, deeply peculiar human being".[\[17\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_note-17) After publication in 1961, Catch-22 became very popular among teenagers at the time. Catch-22 seemed to embody the feelings that young people had toward the Vietnam War. A common joke was that every student who went off to college at the time took along a copy of Catch-22. The popularity of the book created a cult following, which led to more than eight million copies being sold in the United States. On October 26, 1986, professor and author [John W. Aldridge](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_W._Aldridge "John W. Aldridge") wrote a piece in [The New York Times](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_New_York_Times "The New York Times") celebrating the 25th anniversary of the publishing of Catch-22. He commented that Heller's book presaged the chaos in the world that was to come: > The comic fable that ends in horror has become more and more clearly a reflection of the altogether uncomic and horrifying realities of the world in which we live and hope to survive.[\[18\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_note-18) The title refers to a fictional bureaucratic stipulation that embodies illogical and immoral reasoning. The idea being that if one pleads insanity to stop flying missions with a high mortality rate, one is in fact sane; however, one must be insane to keep flying those exact missions.[\[8\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_note-:0-8) The opening chapter of the novel was first published, in 1955, by [New World Writing](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_World_Writing "New World Writing") as Catch-18, but Heller's agent, Candida Donadio, asked him to change the title, to avert its confusion with [Leon Uris](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leon_Uris "Leon Uris")'s recently published [Mila 18](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mila_18 "Mila 18").[\[19\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_note-:1-19) The implications in Judaism of the number [18](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/18_$number$ "18 (number)") – which refers to [chai](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chai_$symbol$ "Chai (symbol)"), meaning "alive", in [Gematria](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gematria "Gematria") – were relevant to Heller's somewhat greater emphasis on Jewish themes in early drafts of his novel.[\[20\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_note-title-20) Heller's daughter Erica wrote that the Simon & Schuster editor, Robert Gottlieb, was the person who came up with the number 22, and Gottlieb himself stated that he did in the documentary [Turn Every Page: The Adventures of Robert Caro and Robert Gottlieb](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turn_Every_Page:_The_Adventures_of_Robert_Caro_and_Robert_Gottlieb "Turn Every Page: The Adventures of Robert Caro and Robert Gottlieb").[\[21\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_note-21) Parallels among a number of character exchanges in the novel suggested the doubled-one title of Catch-11, but the 1960 release of [Ocean's Eleven](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ocean%27s_Eleven_$1960_film$ "Ocean's Eleven (1960 film)") eliminated that.[\[19\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_note-:1-19) Catch-17 was rejected so as not to be confused with the World War II film [Stalag 17](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stalag_17 "Stalag 17"), as was Catch-14, apparently because the publisher did not believe that 14 was a "funny number". Eventually, the title came to be Catch-22, which, like 11, has a duplicated digit, with the 2 also referring to a number of [déjà vu](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/D%C3%A9j%C3%A0_vu "Déjà vu")\-like events common in the novel.[\[20\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_note-title-20) ## Publication and movie rights \[[edit](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Catch-22&action=edit&section=14 "Edit section: Publication and movie rights")\] Catch-22 was sold to [Simon & Schuster](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simon_%26_Schuster "Simon & Schuster"), where it had been championed by editor [Robert Gottlieb](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Gottlieb "Robert Gottlieb"), who, along with [Nina Bourne](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nina_Bourne "Nina Bourne"), edited and oversaw the marketing of the book.[\[19\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_note-:1-19) Gottlieb was a strong advocate for the book along with [Peter Schwed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Schwed "Peter Schwed") and [Justin Kaplan](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Kaplan "Justin Kaplan"). Henry Simon, a vice president at Simon & Schuster, found it repetitive and offensive.[\[19\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_note-:1-19) The editorial board decided to contract the book when Heller agreed to revisions; he signed for US\$1,500 in 1961 (equivalent to about \$16,200 in 2025).[\[19\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_note-:1-19) Officially published on October 10, 1961, the hardcover sold for \$5.95. The book was not a best-seller in hardcover in the United States. Though twelve thousand copies were sold by [Thanksgiving](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thanksgiving_$United_States$ "Thanksgiving (United States)"), it never entered [The New York Times Best Seller list](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_New_York_Times_Best_Seller_list "The New York Times Best Seller list"). It received good notices and was nominated for the [National Book Award](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Book_Award "National Book Award") in March 1962, though [Walker Percy](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walker_Percy "Walker Percy")'s [The Moviegoer](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Moviegoer "The Moviegoer") won. Catch-22 went through four printings in hardcover but sold well on only the East Coast. The book never established itself nationally until it was published in paperback for 75 cents.[\[22\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_note-Just_One_Catch-22): 224–230 Upon publication in Great Britain, the book became the No. 1 best-seller.[\[22\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_note-Just_One_Catch-22): 233 Don Fine of [Dell Paperbacks](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dell_Publishing "Dell Publishing") bought the paperback reprint rights to Catch-22 for \$32,000. Between the paperback's release in September 1962 and April 1963, it sold 1.1 million copies.[\[22\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_note-Just_One_Catch-22): 238–240 In August 1962, Donadio brokered the sale of movie rights to [Columbia Pictures](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Columbia_Pictures "Columbia Pictures") for \$100,000 plus \$25,000 to write a treatment or a first draft of a screenplay.[\[22\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_note-Just_One_Catch-22): 234 The initial reviews of the book ranged from very positive to very negative. There were positive reviews from [The Nation](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Nation "The Nation") ("the best novel to come out in years"), the [New York Herald Tribune](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_Herald_Tribune "New York Herald Tribune") ("A wild, moving, shocking, hilarious, raging, exhilarating, giant roller-coaster of a book") and [The New York Times](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_New_York_Times "The New York Times") ("A dazzling performance that will outrage nearly as many readers as it delights"). On the other hand, [The New Yorker](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_New_Yorker "The New Yorker") disliked it ("doesn't even seem to be written; instead, it gives the impression of having been shouted onto paper", "what remains is a debris of sour jokes"), and a second review from the New York Times also disliked it ("repetitive and monotonous. Or one can say that it is too short because none of its many interesting characters and actions is given enough play to become a controlling interest").[\[23\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_note-23) One commentator of Catch-22 recognized that "many early audiences liked the book for just the same reasons that caused others to hate it".[\[24\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_note-Catch-22_1994-24): 11 The book eventually gained a cult following, especially among teenagers and college students. Heller later remarked that in 1962, after appearing on the Today show he went out drinking with the host at the time, [John Chancellor](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Chancellor "John Chancellor"), who handed him stickers that Chancellor had got privately printed reading "YOSSARIAN LIVES". Heller also said that Chancellor had been secretly putting them on the walls of the corridors and executive bathrooms in the NBC building.[\[24\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_note-Catch-22_1994-24): 11 Although the novel won no awards upon release, it has remained in print and is seen as one of the most significant American novels of the 20th century.[\[3\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_note-BBC-3) Scholar and fellow World War II veteran [Hugh Nibley](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hugh_Nibley "Hugh Nibley") said it was the most accurate book he ever read about the military.[\[25\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_note-25) As of 2016 over ten million copies have been sold.[\[26\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_note-26) Although he continued writing, including a sequel novel [Closing Time](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Closing_Time_$novel$ "Closing Time (novel)"), Heller's later works were inevitably overshadowed by the success of Catch-22. When asked by critics why he had never managed to write another novel as good as his first, Heller would retort with a smile, "Who has?"[\[27\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_note-27) Catch-22 has landed on the list of the [American Library Association](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Library_Association "American Library Association")'s banned and challenged classics. In 1972, the [Strongsville City School District](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strongsville_City_School_District "Strongsville City School District") school board removed Catch-22, as well as two books by [Kurt Vonnegut](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kurt_Vonnegut "Kurt Vonnegut"), from school libraries and the curriculum.[\[28\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_note-:2-28) Five families sued the school board. The [Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Court_of_Appeals_for_the_Sixth_Circuit "United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit") rejected the claim, stating that school boards had the right to control the curriculum.[\[29\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_note-:3-29) The decision was overturned on appeal in 1976 in [Minarcini v. Strongsville City School District](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minarcini_v._Strongsville_City_School_District "Minarcini v. Strongsville City School District").[\[28\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_note-:2-28)[\[30\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_note-:4-30) The court wrote, "A library is a storehouse of knowledge. Here we are concerned with the right of students to receive information which they and their teachers desire them to have."[\[29\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_note-:3-29)[\[31\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_note-31) In 1982, the U.S. Supreme Court employed a similar rationale in its decision in [Island Trees School District v. Pico](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Island_Trees_School_District_v._Pico "Island Trees School District v. Pico") on the removal of library books.[\[29\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_note-:3-29) Because the book refers to some women as "whores", it was challenged at the [Dallas, Texas, Independent School District](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dallas_Independent_School_District "Dallas Independent School District") (1974) and [Snoqualmie, Washington](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snoqualmie,_Washington "Snoqualmie, Washington") (1979).[\[28\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_note-:2-28)[\[30\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_note-:4-30) \| External videos \| \|---\| \| [![video icon](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/1b/Nuvola_apps_kaboodle.svg/20px-Nuvola_apps_kaboodle.svg.png)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Nuvola_apps_kaboodle.svg) ["50th Anniversary of Joseph Heller's Catch-22"](https://www.c-span.org/video/?302675-1/50th-anniversary-joseph-hellers-catch22) – [Lesley Stahl](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lesley_Stahl "Lesley Stahl") moderating a panel made up of [Christopher Buckley](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christopher_Buckley_$novelist$ "Christopher Buckley (novelist)"), [Robert Gottlieb](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Gottlieb "Robert Gottlieb"), [Mike Nichols](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Nichols "Mike Nichols"), and [Scott Shepherd](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scott_Shepherd_$actor$ "Scott Shepherd (actor)"), October 18, 2011, [C-SPAN](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C-SPAN "C-SPAN")[\[32\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_note-cspan-32) \| - The [Modern Library](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Modern_Library "Modern Library") ranked Catch-22 as the 7th (by review panel) and 12th (by public) greatest English-language novel of the 20th century.[\[33\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_note-33) - The [Radcliffe Publishing Course](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radcliffe_Publishing_Course "Radcliffe Publishing Course") ranked Catch-22 as number 15 of the 20th century's top 100 novels.[\[34\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_note-34) - [The Observer](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Observer "The Observer") listed Catch-22 as one of the 100 greatest novels of all time.[\[35\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_note-35) - [Time](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Time_$magazine$ "Time (magazine)") puts Catch-22 in the top 100 English-language modern novels (1923 onwards, unranked).[\[36\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_note-36) - The [Big Read](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Read "Big Read") by the [BBC](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BBC "BBC") ranked Catch-22 as number 11 on a web poll of the UK's best-loved book.[\[37\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_note-37) [![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f7/Catch22-1970_opening.jpg/250px-Catch22-1970_opening.jpg)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Catch22-1970_opening.jpg) Opening title of the film adaptation - Catch-22 was adapted into a [feature film of the same name](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22_$film$ "Catch-22 (film)") in 1970, directed by [Mike Nichols](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Nichols "Mike Nichols"). [Alan Arkin](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alan_Arkin "Alan Arkin") portrayed Capt. [Yossarian](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yossarian "Yossarian"), with an ensemble cast including [Art Garfunkel](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Art_Garfunkel "Art Garfunkel") as Nately, [Jon Voight](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jon_Voight "Jon Voight") as [Milo Minderbinder](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milo_Minderbinder "Milo Minderbinder"), [Orson Welles](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orson_Welles "Orson Welles") as General Dreedle, and [Martin Balsam](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Balsam "Martin Balsam") as [Colonel Cathcart](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colonel_Cathcart "Colonel Cathcart"), amongst many others. - A [pilot](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Television_pilot "Television pilot") for a comedy series based upon Catch-22 was made and televised in 1973, with [Richard Dreyfuss](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Dreyfuss "Richard Dreyfuss") in the starring role of Yossarian.[\[38\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_note-38) - [Catch-22 play](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22_$play$ "Catch-22 (play)"): [Aquila Theatre](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aquila_Theatre "Aquila Theatre") produced a stage adaptation of Catch-22, based on Heller's 1971 stage adaptation. It was directed by [Peter Meineck](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Meineck "Peter Meineck"). This production toured the United States in 2007/8 with a Bexhill on Sea production in the fall of 2008.[\[39\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_note-39) - A [six-episode miniseries](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22_$miniseries$ "Catch-22 (miniseries)") produced by, and co-starring, [George Clooney](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Clooney "George Clooney") was picked up by [Hulu](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hulu "Hulu") for a straight-to-series order. It streamed on May 17, 2019. It was also broadcast by [Channel 4](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Channel_4 "Channel 4") in the [United Kingdom](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Kingdom "United Kingdom"). [Christopher Abbott](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christopher_Abbott "Christopher Abbott") portrayed Yossarian, with [Kyle Chandler](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kyle_Chandler "Kyle Chandler") as Cathcart,[\[40\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_note-40) [Hugh Laurie](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hugh_Laurie "Hugh Laurie") as Major —— de Coverley, and Clooney as Lt. Scheisskopf. This list covers the first and most recent printed publications by the original publisher [Simon & Schuster](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simon_%26_Schuster "Simon & Schuster") as well as all other formats. Other print publishers include [Dell](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dell_Publishing "Dell Publishing"),[\[41\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_note-41) [Corgi](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transworld_$publisher$ "Transworld (publisher)"),[\[42\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_note-42) [Vintage](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vintage_$publisher$ "Vintage (publisher)"),[\[43\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_note-43) [Black Swan](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transworld_$publisher$ "Transworld (publisher)"),[\[44\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_note-44) [Éditions Grasset](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%89ditions_Grasset "Éditions Grasset"),[\[45\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_note-45) and [Wahlström & Widstrand](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wahlstr%C3%B6m_%26_Widstrand "Wahlström & Widstrand"). The original manuscript is held by [Brandeis University](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brandeis_University "Brandeis University").[\[46\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_note-46) - Heller, Joseph (June 1961) \[1961\]. [Catch-22](https://archive.org/details/catch2200hell_0) (hardback). New York: Simon & Schuster. [ISBN](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISBN_$identifier$ "ISBN (identifier)") [0-684-83339-5](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-684-83339-5 "Special:BookSources/0-684-83339-5") . [OCLC](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OCLC_$identifier$ "OCLC (identifier)") [35231812](https://search.worldcat.org/oclc/35231812). - Heller, Joseph (1961). [Catch-22](https://archive.org/details/catch22novel00hell) (advance paperback with signed bookplate). Simon & Schuster. [ISBN](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISBN_$identifier$ "ISBN (identifier)") [0-440-51120-8](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-440-51120-8 "Special:BookSources/0-440-51120-8") . - Heller, Joseph (1978). Catch-22 (signed limited edition leatherbound). Franklin Library. [ISBN](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISBN_$identifier$ "ISBN (identifier)") [0-8124-1717-8](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-8124-1717-8 "Special:BookSources/0-8124-1717-8") . - Heller, Joseph (September 1996). [Catch-22](https://archive.org/details/catch2200hell_0) (paperback). Simon & Schuster. [ISBN](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISBN_$identifier$ "ISBN (identifier)") [0-684-83339-5](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-684-83339-5 "Special:BookSources/0-684-83339-5") . - Heller, Joseph (October 1999). [Catch-22](https://archive.org/details/catch22novelhell00hell) (hardback). Simon & Schuster. [ISBN](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISBN_$identifier$ "ISBN (identifier)") [0-684-86513-0](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-684-86513-0 "Special:BookSources/0-684-86513-0") . - Heller, Joseph (1980). Catch-22 (unabridged audio cassette). reader Wolfram Kandinsky. Books On Tape. [ISBN](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISBN_$identifier$ "ISBN (identifier)") [0-7366-8962-1](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-7366-8962-1 "Special:BookSources/0-7366-8962-1") . - Heller, Joseph (1984). Catch-22 (audio cassette). [Caedmon Audio](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caedmon_Audio "Caedmon Audio"). [ISBN](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISBN_$identifier$ "ISBN (identifier)") [0-694-50253-7](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-694-50253-7 "Special:BookSources/0-694-50253-7") . - Heller, Joseph (1990). Catch-22 (unabridged audio CD). reader [Jim Weiss](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Weiss "Jim Weiss"). Books On Tape. [ISBN](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISBN_$identifier$ "ISBN (identifier)") [0-7366-9085-9](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-7366-9085-9 "Special:BookSources/0-7366-9085-9") . - Heller, Joseph (1994). Catch-22 ([abridged](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abridgement "Abridgement") edition audio cassette). reader [Alan Arkin](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alan_Arkin "Alan Arkin"). DH Audio. [ISBN](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISBN_$identifier$ "ISBN (identifier)") [0-88646-125-1](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-88646-125-1 "Special:BookSources/0-88646-125-1") . - Heller, Joseph (2007). Catch-22 (unabridged audio CD). reader [Jay O. Sanders](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jay_O._Sanders "Jay O. Sanders"). Caedmon. [ISBN](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISBN_$identifier$ "ISBN (identifier)") [978-0-06-126246-3](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-06-126246-3 "Special:BookSources/978-0-06-126246-3") . - Heller, Joseph (2008). Catch-22 (unabridged audio CD). reader [Trevor White](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trevor_White_$actor$ "Trevor White (actor)"). Hachette Audio. [ISBN](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISBN_$identifier$ "ISBN (identifier)") [978-1-4055-0387-7](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-4055-0387-7 "Special:BookSources/978-1-4055-0387-7") . - [Antinomy](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antinomy "Antinomy") - [Morton's fork](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morton%27s_fork "Morton's fork") 1. [^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_ref-1) ["Paul Bacon cover artist"](https://web.archive.org/web/20080119215305/http://www.solothurnli.com/Pages/PaulBacon.html). Solothurnli. Archived from [the original](http://www.solothurnli.com/Pages/PaulBacon.html) on January 19, 2008. Retrieved March 11, 2011. 2. [^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_ref-2) Eller, Jonathan R. (2011). The Story of Catch-22 (50th anniversary ed.). Catch-22: Simon & Schuster. p. 469. [ISBN](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISBN_$identifier$ "ISBN (identifier)") [978-1451626650](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1451626650 "Special:BookSources/978-1451626650") . `{{cite book}}`: CS1 maint: location ([link](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:CS1_maint:_location "Category:CS1 maint: location")) 3. ^ [*a](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_ref-BBC_3-0) [b](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_ref-BBC_3-1) ["What is Catch-22? And why does the book matter?"](https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/1868619.stm). BBC News. March 12, 2002. Retrieved March 11, 2011. 4. ^ [a](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_ref-Burhans_4-0) [b](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_ref-Burhans_4-1) Clinton S. Burhans, Jr. "Spindrift and the Sea: Structural Patterns and Unifying Elements in Catch 22". Twentieth Century Literature, Vol. 19, No. 4, pp. 239–250, 1973. [JSTOR online access](https://www.jstor.org/stable/440541) 5. ^ [a](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_ref-Catch-22_5-0) [b](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_ref-Catch-22_5-1) [c](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_ref-Catch-22_5-2) [d](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_ref-Catch-22_5-3) Heller, Joseph (June 1961) \[1961\]. [Catch-22](https://archive.org/details/catch2200hell_0) (hardback). New York: Simon & Schuster. [ISBN](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISBN_$identifier$ "ISBN (identifier)") [0-684-83339-5](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-684-83339-5 "Special:BookSources/0-684-83339-5") . [OCLC](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OCLC_$identifier$ "OCLC (identifier)") [35231812](https://search.worldcat.org/oclc/35231812). 6. ^ [a](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_ref-Rosenbaum_6-0) [b](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_ref-Rosenbaum_6-1) Rosenbaum, Ron (August 2, 2011). ["Catch-22: The awful truth people miss about Heller's great novel"](https://slate.com/human-interest/2011/08/catch-22-the-awful-truth-people-miss-about-heller-s-great-novel.html). [Slate](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slate_$magazine$ "Slate (magazine)"). Retrieved July 3, 2019. 7. [^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_ref-7)* Heller, Joseph (1995). Catch-22. Random House. p. 514. [ISBN](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISBN_$identifier$ "ISBN (identifier)") [978-0-679-43722-2](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-679-43722-2 "Special:BookSources/978-0-679-43722-2") . 8. ^ [*a](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_ref-:0_8-0) [b](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_ref-:0_8-1) Podgorski, Daniel (October 27, 2015). ["Rocks and Hard Places Galore: The Bureaucratic Appropriation of War in Joseph Heller's Catch-22"](http://thegemsbok.com/art-reviews-and-articles/book-reviews-tuesday-tome-catch-22-joseph-heller/). The Gemsbok. Your Tuesday Tome. Retrieved February 21, 2016. 9. ^ [a](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_ref-Sorkin_1993_150_9-0) [b](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_ref-Sorkin_1993_150_9-1) [c](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_ref-Sorkin_1993_150_9-2) [d](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_ref-Sorkin_1993_150_9-3) Sorkin, Adam J. (1993). Conversations with Joseph Heller. Jackson, MO: University Press of Mississippi. p. 150. [ISBN](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISBN_$identifier$ "ISBN (identifier)") [0-87805-635-1](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-87805-635-1 "Special:BookSources/0-87805-635-1") . 10. [^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_ref-10)* Craig, DM (1994). "From Avignon to Catch-22". [War, Literature & the Arts](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War,_Literature_%26_the_Arts "War, Literature & the Arts"). Vol. 6, no. 2. pp. 27–54\. 11. [^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_ref-11) Heller, Joseph (1977). "Reeling in Catch-22". In Lynda Rosen Obst (ed.). The Sixties. New York: Random House/Rolling Stone Press. pp. 50–52\. 12. [^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_ref-12) Sadlon, Zenny. ["Personal testimony by Arnošt Lustig"](http://www.zenny.com/Heller.html). Zenny.com. Retrieved March 11, 2011. 13. [^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_ref-13) [Gussow, Mel](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mel_Gussow "Mel Gussow") (April 29, 1998). ["Critic's Notebook; Questioning the Provenance of the Iconic Catch-22"](https://www.nytimes.com/1998/04/29/books/critic-s-notebook-questioning-the-provenance-of-the-iconic-catch-22.html?pagewanted=all). [The New York Times](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_New_York_Times "The New York Times"). Retrieved April 1, 2010. 14. [^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_ref-14) [catch-22](http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/catch%2022), Merriam-Webster. Retrieved March 8, 2012 15. [^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_ref-15) [Random House](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Random_House "Random House") [ISBN](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISBN_$identifier$ "ISBN (identifier)") [978-0-09-947046-5](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-09-947046-5 "Special:BookSources/978-0-09-947046-5") [Vintage Classics](http://www.randomhouse.co.uk/vintage/classics/home.htm) 16. [^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_ref-16) [McDonald, Paul. Reading Catch-22. Humanities E-Books](http://www.humanities-ebooks.co.uk/book/Reading_Catch-22) 17. [^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_ref-17) Bailey, Blake (August 26, 2011). ["The Enigma of Joseph Heller"](https://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/28/books/review/the-enigma-of-joseph-heller.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&ref=bookreviews). The New York Times. Retrieved May 7, 2012. 18. [^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_ref-18) Aldridge, John W. (October 26, 1986). ["The Loony Horror of it all – Catch-22 Turns 25"](https://www.nytimes.com/books/98/02/15/home/heller-loony.html). The New York Times. Retrieved March 1, 2018. 19. ^ [*a](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_ref-:1_19-0) [b](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_ref-:1_19-1) [c](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_ref-:1_19-2) [d](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_ref-:1_19-3) [e](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_ref-:1_19-4) Eller, Jonathan R. (October 1992). "Catching a Market: The Publishing History of Catch-22". Prospects. 17: 475–525\. [doi](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doi_$identifier$ "Doi (identifier)"):[10\.1017/S0361233300004804](https://doi.org/10.1017%2FS0361233300004804). 20. ^ [a](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_ref-title_20-0) [b](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_ref-title_20-1) N James. "The Early Composition History of Catch-22". In Biographies of Books: The Compositional Histories of Notable American Writings, J Barbour, T Quirk (edi.) pp. 262–290. Columbia: University of Missouri Press, 1996. 21. [^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_ref-21)* Heller, Erica (August 4, 2011). ["Catch-18"](https://www.theparisreview.org/blog/2011/08/04/catch-18/). The Paris Review. Retrieved March 12, 2023. 22. ^ [*a](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_ref-Just_One_Catch_22-0) [b](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_ref-Just_One_Catch_22-1) [c](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_ref-Just_One_Catch_22-2) [d](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_ref-Just_One_Catch_22-3) Daugherty, Tracy (2011). [Just One Catch: A Biography of Joseph Heller](https://archive.org/details/justonecatchbiog00daug). New York: St. Martin's Press. [ISBN](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISBN_$identifier$ "ISBN (identifier)") [978-0312596859](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0312596859 "Special:BookSources/978-0312596859") . 23. [^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_ref-23)* ["The Internet Public Library: Online Literary Criticism Collection"](https://web.archive.org/web/20110106035214/http://www.ipl.org/div/litcrit/bin/litcrit.out.pl?ti=cat-860). Ipl.org. Archived from [the original](http://www.ipl.org/div/litcrit/bin/litcrit.out.pl?ti=cat-860) on January 6, 2011. Retrieved March 11, 2011. 24. ^ [*a](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_ref-Catch-22_1994_24-0) [b](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_ref-Catch-22_1994_24-1) Heller, Joseph (1994) \[1961\]. Catch-22. New York: Simon & Schuster. [ISBN](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISBN_$identifier$ "ISBN (identifier)") [0-671-50233-6](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-671-50233-6 "Special:BookSources/0-671-50233-6") . 25. [^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_ref-25)* Hugh Nibley and Alex Nibley, Sergeant Nibley PhD.: Memories of an Unlikely Screaming Eagle, Salt Lake City: Shadow Mountain, 2006, p. 255 26. [^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_ref-26) Jordison, Sam (August 23, 2016). ["Catch-22's 10m copies: how a bitter satire became a bestseller"](https://www.theguardian.com/books/booksblog/2016/aug/23/catch-22s-10m-copies-how-a-bitter-satire-became-a-bestseller). The Guardian. [ISSN](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISSN_$identifier$ "ISSN (identifier)") [0261-3077](https://search.worldcat.org/issn/0261-3077). Retrieved June 13, 2024. 27. [^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_ref-27) ["Joseph Heller and his fiction. The first cut is the deepest"](https://www.economist.com/books-and-arts/2011/10/08/the-first-cut-is-the-deepest). The Economist. October 8, 2011. Retrieved March 3, 2017. 28. ^ [*a](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_ref-:2_28-0) [b](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_ref-:2_28-1) [c](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_ref-:2_28-2) Office of Intellectual Freedom (March 26, 2013). ["Banned & Challenged Classics"](https://www.ala.org/advocacy/bbooks/frequentlychallengedbooks/classics). American Library Association. Retrieved June 18, 2021. 29. ^ [a](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_ref-:3_29-0) [b](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_ref-:3_29-1) [c](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_ref-:3_29-2) Hudson, David L. ["Minarcini v. Strongsville City School District (6th Circuit)"](https://firstamendment.mtsu.edu/article/minarcini-v-strongsville-city-school-district-6th-circuit/). Middle Tennessee State University. Retrieved June 18, 2021. 30. ^ [a](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_ref-:4_30-0) [b](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_ref-:4_30-1) Pal, Anupama (February 24, 2016). "Banning Joseph Heller's Catch-22: The Case of Minarcini v. Strongsville City School District and Issues of First Amendment Rights, Intellectual Freedom, and Censorship". Elon Law Review. 8* (41): 41–60\. 31. [^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_ref-31) ["U.S. Court Says School Boards Cannot Remove Library Books"](https://www.nytimes.com/1976/08/31/archives/us-court-says-school-boards-cannot-remove-library-books.html). The New York Times. August 31, 1976. [ISSN](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISSN_$identifier$ "ISSN (identifier)") [0362-4331](https://search.worldcat.org/issn/0362-4331). Retrieved June 18, 2021. 32. [^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_ref-cspan_32-0) ["50th Anniversary of Joseph Heller's Catch-22"](https://www.c-span.org/video/?302675-1/50th-anniversary-joseph-hellers-catch22). [C-SPAN](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C-SPAN "C-SPAN"). October 18, 2011. Retrieved January 8, 2017. 33. [^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_ref-33) [Randomhouse.com](http://www.randomhouse.com/modernlibrary/100bestnovels.html) [Modern Library](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Modern_Library "Modern Library")'s 100 best novels of the 20th century 34. [^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_ref-34) Huber, Herbert. ["Radcliffe Publishing Course: the twentieth century's top 100 novels"](https://web.archive.org/web/20110317195013/http://www.lesekost.de/kanon/HHL102.htm). Lesekost.de. Archived from [the original](http://www.lesekost.de/kanon/HHL102.htm) on March 17, 2011. Retrieved March 11, 2011. 35. [^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_ref-35) McCrum, Robert (August 8, 2006). ["The Observer's greatest novels of all time"](https://www.theguardian.com/books/2003/oct/12/features.fiction). The Observer. UK. Retrieved March 11, 2011. 36. [^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_ref-36) ["Time's top 100 English language modern novels"](https://web.archive.org/web/20051019053903/http://www.time.com/time/2005/100books/the_complete_list.html). [Time](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Time_$magazine$ "Time (magazine)"). October 16, 2005. Archived from [the original](http://www.time.com/time/2005/100books/the_complete_list.html) on October 19, 2005. Retrieved March 11, 2011. 37. [^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_ref-37) [The BBC's Big Read](https://www.bbc.co.uk/arts/bigread/top100.shtml) 38. [^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_ref-38) Holloway, Daniel (April 23, 2019). ["How George Clooney and Christopher Abbott Battled to Bring 'Catch-22' Into the 21st Century"](https://variety.com/2019/tv/news/george-clooney-catch-22-christopher-abbott-1203194665/). Variety. Retrieved June 13, 2024. 39. [^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_ref-39) [Phythyon, John. R. Jr.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_R._Phythyon,_Jr. "John R. Phythyon, Jr.") (March 2, 2008). ["Catch-22 a nearly perfect adaptation"](http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2008/mar/02/catch22_nearly_perfect_adaptation). The Lawrence Journal-World & News. 40. [^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_ref-40) Otterson, Joe (April 13, 2018). ["'Catch-22' Casting Shuffle: Kyle Chandler Takes Over as Cathcart, George Clooney Switches Roles"](https://variety.com/2018/tv/news/catch-22-hulu-kyle-chandler-george-clooney-switches-roles-1202752693/). Variety. Retrieved April 13, 2018. 41. [^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_ref-41) ["Catch-22(Dell 1120) Paperback – January 1, 1964 by Joseph Heller (Author)"](https://www.amazon.com/Catch-22-Dell-1120-Joseph-Heller/dp/B000G96ELY). Amazon. 42. [^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_ref-42) ["Catch 22 By Joseph Heller Vintage 1973 Paperback Corgi Books Early Edition"](https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/186123387462). eBay. 43. [^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_ref-43) ["Catch-22 by Joseph Heller (Paperback, 1994) Vintage"](https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/296199155833?chn=ps&_ul=AU&norover=1&mkevt=1&mkrid=705-166974-041499-5&mkcid=2&mkscid=101&itemid=296199155833&targetid=2274564709393&device=c&mktype=pla&googleloc=9072253&poi=&campaignid=21085115440&mkgroupid=159531975733&rlsatarget=pla-2274564709393&abcId=9390515&merchantid=116297175&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjw0_WyBhDMARIsAL1Vz8s5gZ2mmv2KceW4vtMj2x2VcwTHTZjgw0KYyWpgFVXRFU3RBaOKD54aAoA_EALw_wcB). eBay. 44. [^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_ref-44) Heller, Joseph (1985). Catch-22 Paperback – Import, January 1, 1985 by joseph-heller (Author). Black Swan. [ISBN](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISBN_$identifier$ "ISBN (identifier)") [0552991953](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0552991953 "Special:BookSources/0552991953") . 45. [^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_ref-45) Heller, Joseph (2000). Catch 22 Paperback – January 1, 1985 French Edition by Joseph Heller (Author). B. Grasset. [ISBN](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISBN_$identifier$ "ISBN (identifier)") [2246269318](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/2246269318 "Special:BookSources/2246269318") . 46. [^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22#cite_ref-46) [Heller archive](http://lts.brandeis.edu/research/archives-speccoll/findingguides/xml/heller.html) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20100608094903/http://lts.brandeis.edu/research/archives-speccoll/findingguides/xml/heller.html) June 8, 2010, at the [Wayback Machine](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wayback_Machine "Wayback Machine"), Brandeis University. [![Wikimedia Commons logo](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/40px-Commons-logo.svg.png)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Commons-logo.svg) Wikimedia Commons has media related to [Catch-22](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Catch-22 "commons:Category:Catch-22"). ![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fa/Wikiquote-logo.svg/40px-Wikiquote-logo.svg.png) Wikiquote has quotations related to *[Catch-22](https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Special:Search/Catch-22 "q:Special:Search/Catch-22"). - [Librarything.com with many photos of other Catch-22* covers](http://www.librarything.com/work/1479) - [Photos of the first edition of Catch-22](http://www.mansionbooks.com/BookDetail.php?bk=219) - [Catch-22 as a figure of speech](http://www.figarospeech.com/it-figures/2007/6/17/did-the-earth-move-for-you.html) - [Catch-22 study guide](http://www.shmoop.com/catch-22) – analysis, themes, quotes, and teaching guide - [Why a novel so acclaimed took 46 years to make it to the stage: How the cult classic was adapted for the stage](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/theatre-dance/features/catch22-how-the-cult-classic-was-adapted-for-the-stage-9262950.html) - [History of combat crew rotation - World War II and Korean War](https://web.archive.org/web/20141212095416/http://www.afhra.af.mil/shared/media/document/AFD-080424-048.pdf) - [Historical Sources for the Events in Joseph Heller's Novel, Catch-22 By Daniel Setzer](http://www.dansetzer.us/heller/JHeller.pdf)
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