Catch 22

By: Joseph Heller

Narrated by: Trevor White

Length: 16 hrs and 20 mins

Publisher's summary

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)

MASH on Acid!

Decided to check this out given its iconic nature and it is a crazy ride. Really good account of the absurdity of war and the mind bending circumstances for its combatants. I struggled at times with this just the crazy logic (or lack of it) but it always brought me back. you can see this as the forerunner for some of the great war stories such as MASH and even Full Metal Jacket.

A classic and deservedly so.

Too long

I enjoyed the opening chapters and the unexpected absurd dialogues. About halfway through the novel, I started to get bored by the repetitive (and hence predictable) story line. Nothing really happens. It's like extending a comedy to a 5-hour-play. Entertaining first, but tedious after a while. I would have preferred spending the second 8 hours on listening to another audiobook...

The Trail meets Slaughthouse 5

classic story excellently read. tough gig to give voice to different characters over such a long piece. capture the chaos, the entrapment and the irony - oh the irony of the Catch. Kafka meets Slaughthouse 5.

Great story, not so great reader.

In the end, I really did enjoy this book. It was witty and humorous, but at the same time shocking, sad, and horrible.
Admittedly it took me quite some time to wrap my head around the story, and the way it was told. For a while I was convinced the author was mad. Eventually I came around to realise that the author was really conveying the madness and illogic of war, through the very method of his writing.
My only gripe with *this particular version* was the narrator, Trevor White. I feel that his portrayal of some of the characters was sometimes at odds with the words he was reading. Sometimes he would seem to forget which character he was talking as, and the tone and accent would melt from one to the next in dialogue.
Overall, this book was a good experience. Anyone who wants to read this book and is not too bothered by minor slips by the narrator, go right ahead and get this book. It's gud.

Performance

Catch 22, the book and film, have always been favourites of mine. Trevor White's performance in this audio book is terrific, it takes the book to another level you don't get by reading it. Well done Mr White, you are a true artist sir and have me laughing so hard my sides ache.

High school literature study revisited

I'm on a bit a mission to read many of the books I studied in High School English classes, and Catch 22 was one. All too often, the mere fact that a student MUST read a book for study, means that often he/she becomes unable to just relax and appreciate the story for what it really is. This is the third such book I have read, and I have to say that it should have been no surprise to me that books are chosen for study because of their literary merit. I really enjoyed Catch22, it's irony, black humour, satire and pathos. There are quite a few belly laugh moments, but it is pretty hard core shockingly explicit at times, and not for the faint hearted. The main Character, Yossarian, finds himself trapped in bizarre environment, fighting for his country in a crazy war doing crazy things, where he appears to be the only sane person. This scenario is timeless and in fact, could be placed in any war at any time.

The narrator took a bit of getting used to, but overall I found him to be very good. The long soundless gap between chapters was a bit irritating.

This is a modern classic well worth listening to.

Wonderful

One of the most entertaining books of the 20th century, with a perfect read by Trevor White.

Black comedy at its best

If you could sum up Catch 22 in three words, what would they be?

Entertaining, amusing, surprising

What was one of the most memorable moments of Catch 22?

There are many memorable moments in Catch-22. Hard to choose only one, but I love the absurdity of all the situations that do occur during this book.

Which scene was your favorite?

I loved the moment where Orr tells Yossarian "why" he was using crab apples in his cheeks. Another great moment was when Yossarian gets everyone to moan during a mission briefing.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Not at first, but after I got to know the many characters, this book became a very easy "read". I am going to listen to it more times, and also read the paperback version.

Any additional comments?

Loved it!

Outstanding performance | A deeply disturbing book

I do not know whether I have absorbed this publication as it was meant to have been, however, I found it distinctly disturbing and at times depressing. The subject, subject matter and subjects all profoundly and cleverly intertwined with an outstanding narration by Trevor White. Will probably listen again one day (when I am brave enough).

Couldnt make out a thing

All my attempts to read Catch 22 in a book form have failed miserably so far (including this). Nothing against the narrator but just the maze of characters and their complex & intertwined relationship overwhelmed me right from the very beginning. I gave up barely 2 hours into the audio and havent come back.