CATCH-22
Joseph Heller
Aug 2017 · Simon and Schuster · Narrated by Jay O. Sanders
4.3star
27 reviewsreport
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Audiobook
19 hr 58 min
Unabridged
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About this audiobook
This fiftieth-anniversary edition commemorates Joseph Heller’s masterpiece with a new introduction; critical essays and reviews by Norman Mailer, Alfred Kazin, Anthony Burgess, and others; rare papers and photos; and much more.
Nominated as one of America’s best-loved novels by PBS’s The Great American Read.
Now a Hulu limited series starring Christopher Abbott, George Clooney, Kyle Chandler, and Hugh Laurie.
Fifty years after its original publication, Catch-22 remains a cornerstone of American literature and one of the funniest—and most celebrated—books of all time. In recent years it has been named to “best novels” lists by Time, Newsweek, the Modern Library, and the London Observer.
Set in Italy during World War II, this is the story of the incomparable, malingering bombardier, Yossarian, a hero who is furious because thousands of people he has never met are trying to kill him. But his real problem is not the enemy—it is his own army, which keeps increasing the number of missions the men must fly to complete their service. Yet if Yossarian makes any attempt to excuse himself from the perilous missions he’s assigned, he’ll be in violation of Catch-22, a hilariously sinister bureaucratic rule: a man is considered insane if he willingly continues to fly dangerous combat missions, but if he makes a formal request to be removed from duty, he is proven sane and therefore ineligible to be relieved.
This fiftieth-anniversary edition commemorates Joseph Heller’s masterpiece with a new introduction by Christopher Buckley; a wealth of critical essays and reviews by Norman Mailer, Alfred Kazin, Anthony Burgess, and others; rare papers and photos from Joseph Heller’s personal archive; and much more. Here, at last, is the definitive edition of a classic of world literature.
Nominated as one of America’s best-loved novels by PBS’s The Great American Read.
Now a Hulu limited series starring Christopher Abbott, George Clooney, Kyle Chandler, and Hugh Laurie.
Fifty years after its original publication, Catch-22 remains a cornerstone of American literature and one of the funniest—and most celebrated—books of all time. In recent years it has been named to “best novels” lists by Time, Newsweek, the Modern Library, and the London Observer.
Set in Italy during World War II, this is the story of the incomparable, malingering bombardier, Yossarian, a hero who is furious because thousands of people he has never met are trying to kill him. But his real problem is not the enemy—it is his own army, which keeps increasing the number of missions the men must fly to complete their service. Yet if Yossarian makes any attempt to excuse himself from the perilous missions he’s assigned, he’ll be in violation of Catch-22, a hilariously sinister bureaucratic rule: a man is considered insane if he willingly continues to fly dangerous combat missions, but if he makes a formal request to be removed from duty, he is proven sane and therefore ineligible to be relieved.
This fiftieth-anniversary edition commemorates Joseph Heller’s masterpiece with a new introduction by Christopher Buckley; a wealth of critical essays and reviews by Norman Mailer, Alfred Kazin, Anthony Burgess, and others; rare papers and photos from Joseph Heller’s personal archive; and much more. Here, at last, is the definitive edition of a classic of world literature.
Ratings and reviews
4.3
27 reviews
Jared V
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July 2, 2019
One of my all-time favorite audio books for multiple reasons. Jay O. Sanders narrates this audio book perfectly. Lending multiple voices to the various characters with such voice acting talent I find myself re-listening anually! The content of the book itself is amusing, witty, insightful and highly entertaining on multiple levels. While the first listen-through can be somewhat confusing as this book doesn't follow the usual chronological read-through. It does make the book much more fun multiple read-throughs by using major events in various character story arcs to help cement where you are relative in time. You also seem to uncover more and more of the story every time you listen. While at times the book can been a slog through the seemingly endless slap-stick humor (Clevinger's Trial) it can at the same time be endearing and one of the more memorable things this book does so well. This book is in my top 5 and possibly the best narrated audio book I've ever listened to, way to go Jay O. Sanders!
Goran
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April 20, 2021
The narrator has a perfect voice for this classic. The only thing I always wonder is why audio book producers always feel they need to start the audio book with a musical fanfare. It always annoys me. Why can't they just let the narrator start reading the book? If I want music I put on a song.
maria metko
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January 24, 2018
cant wait to purchase it. Itll be better than just the movie.
About the author
Joseph Heller was born in Brooklyn in 1923. In 1961, he published Catch-22, which became a bestseller and, in 1970, a film. He went on to write such novels as Good as Gold, God Knows, Picture This, Closing Time, and Portrait of an Artist, as an Old Man. Heller died in 1999.
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