Catch-22 (Joseph Heller)

"There was only one catch and that was Catch-22, which specified that a concern for one's own safety in the face of dangers that were real and immediate was the process of a rational mind. Orr [the main character's room mate] 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 was 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."

This classic tragi-comedy by Joseph Heller epitomizes the oxymoronic nature of military intelligence and the violent meaninglessness of war to the poor, vulnerable soldier on the ground. The ones who have to face their own death every day for intangible ideals that have nothing to do with their lives, their blood. Soldiers like Yossarian, who appears naked to roll call so as not to have to accept a medal (because there was no where to pin it on, see?). Orr, who has apple cheeks from the crab apples he like to keep inside of them. Major Major, who his officers can only see if he's out--if he's in, they will have to wait until he goes out and then leave again when he returns.

Or Dunbar, who lives his life based on the principle that anything boring makes time go slower and therefore makes your life longer, or seem longer:

"You're inches away from death every time you go on a mission. How much older could you be at your age? A half a minute before that you were stepping into high school, and an unhooked brassiere was as close as you ever hoped to get to Paradise. Only a fifth of a second before that you were a small kid with a ten-week summer vacation that lasted a hundred thousand years and still ended too soon. Zip! They go rocketing by so fast. How the hell else are you ever going to slow time down?" Dunbar was almost angry when he finished.

"Well, maybe it is true," Clevinger conceded unwillingly in a subdued tone. "Maybe a long life does have to be filled with many unpleasant conditions if it's to seem long. But in that event, who wants one?"

"I do," Dunbar told him.

"Why?" Clevinger asked.

"What else is there?"

I tried to watch the movie based on this novel a while ago and failed. It simply didn't compare to the deft word play and tricks with time that Heller pulls off in writing. This is one classic that is a breeze to read and will have you laughing out loud, hopefully not on an airplane as I was during this last re-reading. People kinda look at you funny.