Catch-22 by Joseph Heller is a story that follows a young soldier, Yossarian, who witnesses the horrors of WWII which he thinks is a pointless war. Being stuck in the loop of going on missions and having the required missions raised, he strives to find a way out.
This book is filled with an interesting plot line that while not very linear, is relevant. While we always follow Yossarian, the non-linear writing style takes us through many different “side stories”. Yossarian has many different experiences out at war from friends dying in his arms to censoring letters while trying to stay grounded. All of these experiences make him want to leave the war more and more, but he's stuck in a paradox with the “Catch-22” rule,where you can only be grounded if you're insane but if you want to be grounded your sane making it so there's no way of getting out of missions, and the number of missions being raised right before they can be discharged.
While Heller's use of a non-linear storyline might make it seem spotty and unorganized at points, Heller uses this to display the chaos of war in the book. The unique style of writing seemed to push the theme of the book even more. No matter what little story seemed to happen it would always connect to him trying to get away from the horrors of war. He adds memorable characters that point out and criticize the war. The non-linear storyline also pushes and develops the message of the dehumanization of war. Besides creating Ideas the use of the non-linear storyline is used almost perfectly Heller helps the reader understand the chaos and confusion that Yossarian feels, making the reader realize just how badly he wants to get away from the war. Jumping around with flashbacks hones in on key points in the war that traumatized him. When the time is current it shows the corruption that’s going on, Officers profiting from the war on the black market, and Captains forcing the soldiers to go on more missions just because they want to be recognized. Heller perfectly uses a non-linear narrative and paradoxes to make this book exciting and meaningful.
While I believe that Heller did a good job with this book I do have some complaints. The main one I have is actually with the non-linear storyline. While I do think that it is what makes the book special, it makes the book confusing at times. I would find myself lost, where I wouldn’t be paying attention and there's a shift in time not realizing that it was a flashback from when he was in training or on a current bombing run. The feeling of not knowing how I got to a point in the book would cause me to have to reread some pages. But did not take away from the book as it reflects Yossarian’s confusion.
Overall this book was one of the better books I have ever read. While the non-linear storyline can be confusing at points, it’s what sets the book apart. It perfectly mirrors how the characters feel and emphasizes the author's message. I would recommend this book to anyone that has time and is interested in American literature.