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Catch 22 cover art

Catch 22

By: Joseph Heller
Narrated by: Trevor White
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Summary

Nominated for the Audiobook Download of the Year, 2008.

At the heart of Joseph Heller's best-selling novel, first published in 1961, is a satirical indictment of military madness and stupidity, and the desire of the ordinary man to survive it.

This is the tale of the dangerously sane Captain Yossarian, who spends his time in Italy plotting to survive. Yossarian is a bombardier in the 256th Squadron of the US Army Air Forces during World War II, stationed on Pianosa, a fictionalised island in the Mediterranean between mainland Italy and Corsica. The squadron's assignment is to bomb enemy positions in Italy and eastern France. Yossarian's mission is simply to stay alive.

©1961 Joseph Heller (P)2008 Hachette Audio

Critic reviews

"The greatest satirical work in the English language since Erewhon. ( Observer)
"Wildly original, and brutally gruesome, a dazzling performance that will outrage as many readers as it delights. Vulgarly, bitterly, savagely funny, it will not be forgotten by those who can take it." ( The New York Times)
"An apocalyptic masterpiece." ( Chicago Times)

What listeners say about Catch 22

Average customer ratings
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Story
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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Wonderful

It's easy to see why this book has cult status. The chapters explore each charater in great depth, but the key elements of the plot appear in a random order, with much repetition. The writing is also very exuberent, almost surreal. But chapter by chapter, much like the ritual chanting of ancient folklore, everything starts to fit together. And just at that point the whole story moves beyond humour, it trips you up with moments of great sadness. This may be about the absurdity of war, but from within this spinning multi-coloured lens there's a lot more to see. Brilliant narration completes a formidable package.

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42 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Very well read

This novel lends itself well to being read aloud - there is a lot of dialogue - and White does a fantastic job, His voice is wonderful to listen to, evocative and full of character. I thoroughly recommend this version.

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29 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Catch 22

Having always thought I should do Catch 22 as it is a classic, I'm very glad I did. I had no idea what the book was about - set in the American airforce, its fantastically funny in a very intelligent, witty way. I listened to it on my way to work and was laughing out loud in the street. Well read, it was a delight to listen to and will be listening to it again in the future. Would recommend with great pleasure.

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24 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Brilliantly Narrated

I'm sure you don't need another person to tell you how brilliant this story is - it's a classic. Just thought that I'd add how brillint the narration is, I read the book before listening to it, and the acting actually improved upon the already astounding read!

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16 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Poignant

This reading is one of the best audiobooks I have in my library
The pernicious effects of unnecessary bureaucracy brought to compelling life.
You cannot listen without laughter and yet at the same time realise how awful the subject matter is.

Highly recommended

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16 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

No Catch it was great

I own quite a few audiobooks on cassette and am slowly replacing those that can no longer be played with downloads from audible. I was so pleased when Catch 22 became available. I have always loved this book. It has been narrated well by Trevor White the canadian actor. He brings out the cynical humour in Heller's book so well.

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16 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Brilliant

One of a kind, everyone should read this book. A good narration too.

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13 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Who's on first?


I have persevered and finished this book out of respect to readers that have loved it. Time can render a book or film into a cliche of it self through no fault of its own, a great example is The Matrix, so visually fresh when it was first presented and now it feels almost like a parody of itself; I think this book suffers the same problem. I would not call it a novel because to me it is a very long squetch that grows tire very soon; at one point I felt I was trapped in an Abbott and Costello sketch (who’s on first?) for a very long time. The theme is the absurdity of war, but it felt like a boot kicking me on the face for ever and ever. If you read this book it is proof that you are crazy but if you do not read this book it proves you must be crazy, who said I was crazy, not me but if you do not you must be. Bee I am allergic to bees! what bee? not b, bee…. for 499 pages, I dare you.

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10 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars

Not for me...

For me very much like hitch hikers guide to the galaxy humour - a must read book I also really did not enjoy or find all that funny. I am sure if you like the type of humour in those books it will be a great listen, but its really not for me and really did not make me laugh at all. Not sure what says about me, but I found this pretty boring...

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9 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

A Worthy Classic

I bought this book on a whim because I had heard so many good things about it, although the subject did not overly interest me. Having now listened to it I realise why it is regarded as such a pivotal piece of fiction. This book is hilarious, clever, poignant and sad and it was a thorough pleasure to listen to. The theme throughout conveys a sense of madness and illogical bureaucracy that permeates war, and the central characters sanity at rightfully worrying that people are trying to kill him is seen as a form of madness by everyone else. Some superb dialogue and ridiculously entertaining farce. Well read and crystal clear.

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9 people found this helpful