Catch-22
*Catch-22* is like no other novel. It has its own rationale, its own extraordinary character. It moves back and forth from hilarity to horror. It is outrageously funny and strangely affecting. It is totally original. Set in the closing months of World War II in an American bomber squadron off Italy, *Catch-22* is the story of a bombardier named Yossarian, who is frantic and furious because thousands of people he hasn't even met keep trying to kill him. *Catch-22* is a microcosm of the twentieth-century world as it might look to someone dangerously sane. It is a novel that lives and moves and grows with astonishing power and vitality -- a masterpiece of our time.
Where Catch-22 keeps showing up
Six of our editors' lists feature this novel.
Books in conversation with Catch-22
A few of the closest reads from our full list.
What you might want to know about Catch-22
The questions readers send us most often, answered without spoilers.
American B-25 bombardier Yossarian wants to be sent home from Italy in 1944. The flight surgeon will ground anyone who is crazy. Asking to be grounded proves you are sane. The rule is called Catch-22.
Yes. Catch-22 is structurally complex, with non-linear chronology, a large cast of similarly-named characters, and recursive jokes that pay off across hundreds of pages. The dark comedy can be exhausting. Most readers either fall in love with it or set it aside.
Yes. Hulu released a six-episode adaptation in 2019, with George Clooney directing and starring. The show condenses the novel and was met with positive reviews. An earlier 1970 film by Mike Nichols also exists.
Catch-22 was written by Joseph Heller, published in 1961 by Grasset et Fasquello.
Catch-22 is 92 pages in standard print editions, though page counts vary slightly between hardcover, paperback, and large-print formats.
At an average reading pace of about 250 words per minute, Catch-22 takes most readers 1 to 2 hours to finish.
Catch-22 is a standalone novel by Joseph Heller, not part of a series.
Catch-22 is available in hardcover, paperback, ebook, and audiobook formats from Amazon, Bookshop.org, ThriftBooks, and most major bookstores.
