A lot has happened in the world since I read this in high school in the mid-1990s. The book is as interesting andUpdate after my February 2020 Re-read
A lot has happened in the world since I read this in high school in the mid-1990s. The book is as interesting and powerful as I remember. However, I think having an adult perspective on life, government, laws, taxes, rights, etc. makes this a much more powerful for me now than it was when I was a teenager.
One of the great things about this book, too, is that it is not very long. I think that morality tales with political undertones can be daunting if you know you are dealing with a 300-page book. This tells a strong tale in 125 pages or so that is easy to read but difficult to swallow. An allegory that is a must read for all!
I will also say that this book has an ending that I remember as being “wow, but not super shocking” as a teenager. Now, it is absolutely terrifying – it gave me chills!
Original review
One of the best - no doubt! So much symbolism and meaning crammed into such a small book. Also, a great use of anthropomorphism (I just wanted to use a big, fancy sounding word!)
Review wise, that is about all I need to say - it is great, read it!
But, I will add this anecdote . . .
I read this when I was in High School as required reading. Most required reading books were long and not all that exciting (I am looking at you, Jane Eyre!) But, this one was so good that I couldn't put it down. And, since it is so short, I read it in one night. Well, the teacher had assigned chapters and asked us not to read ahead. Still hard to believe I got in trouble for reading too much of a required reading book! ...more
Read part of this a few years ago but I didn't really get into it. This time I enjoyed it much more and I can see why it is a classic.Read part of this a few years ago but I didn't really get into it. This time I enjoyed it much more and I can see why it is a classic....more
I originally read this about 15 years ago. When I joined Goodreads and added the books I had previously read I remembered it as a 3 star book. I am noI originally read this about 15 years ago. When I joined Goodreads and added the books I had previously read I remembered it as a 3 star book. I am not sure if it is being 15 years older or the fact that I did the audiobook this time, but it was easily 5 stars now!
The first thing that came to mind after I was a few chapters into this was the show “Seinfeld”. Always touted as a show about nothing, this book was kind of about nothing. It is series of smaller anecdotes, usually somewhat silly, that really don’t have a specific function in moving the plot. It is a satire about war, red tape, chain of command, etc. and the inherent futility involved. While war and the tragedy that goes with it are usually not considered amusing, this feels like a therapeutic, tongue-in-cheek poke that needed to be made to maintain sanity.
There are a plethora of characters – some of which are more caricatures – that may get your head spinning at first. Luckily, Heller gives them all memorable names which helps keep them organized easily. Maybe that was not his intention, but when you need to remember if it was Milo Minderbender or Major Major Major Major (yes, that is his name – my spell check did not like me repeating a word four times!) who did something, the reader is definitely given naming tools to keep them connected!
I mentioned that there is not necessarily an overall story, but there are definitely themes. One is doing what is best for you no matter who gets stepped on in the process. Another is twisting the facts to make sure the ultimate outcome is what works best for you. And, of course, the BIG idea that has become a common colloquialism (I know I use it just about every day) is the situation of Catch-22. Early in the book, the first example of Catch-22 is that if you say you want to fly bombing missions, you must be crazy so they will take you off the missions – only someone crazy would want to fly missions. But, if you are not on the missions, your sanity is no longer in question so they will make you fly them. If you say you don’t want to fly them, you are sane so you will have to fly them. Basically, no matter how you feel about flying missions, you will end up flying them anyway! Situations like this are repeated throughout the book where there is no good answer to the situation at hand – often with hilarious and frustrating results.
Now, I mention that the book is humorous satire, but it does have many dark moments as well. This kind of goes back to my mention of the discourse within the novel being therapeutic. War is crazy and what can happen is brutal. Oddly enough, a Jimmy Buffett quote from Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes comes to mind: “If we weren't all crazy we would go insane.” That pretty much sums up the book in a nutshell!
So, should you read this book? Well, I think that question is a Catch-22 in itself. I think about 50% of the people who try this will hate it or dnf it. I think the other 50% of the people who read it will love it, quote it, put it on their favorites list. Where the Catch-22 is that I think any person has the capability to be in either category depending on where their mindset is right now. If I recommend it to you now you may hate me, or you may thank me profusely. In 10 years is would be visa versa! I do think the audiobook helped me appreciate it more and it is now in my favorites. Will that happen for you? I definitely cannot be the one to decide that! ...more
Yes! This book! Amazing! Terrifying, brutal, intricate, prophetic - and, in one big word, GENIUS!
This was a reread - the last time I read this was oveYes! This book! Amazing! Terrifying, brutal, intricate, prophetic - and, in one big word, GENIUS!
This was a reread - the last time I read this was over 20 years ago and I wanted to see if the 5 star rating and its standing in one of my top 3 favorite books held up - and it most certainly does.
If this book was written today in the midst of the slew of dystopian novels that come out, it may not have stood out. But, this book was way ahead of its time. Written in a post WWII era where the fears of dictatorships and brutal tyranny were fresh in the minds of the people, this book plays off that fear and adds a dark vision of a potential future.
This is where the genius of Orwell comes in. The book is mainly the manifesto of the Party that the main character is seeking to rebell against. But, the ideology and descriptions of this dystopian world are not presented in a boring way - they are fascinating. The fact that Orwell created this world and laid out not only a terrifying political environment, but the rules for the new language they were creating, is beyond amazing.
Finally, some of the things he describes sound all too possible in our current world. The controversial elections this week in the US only added to the intensity of this book.
Read this! Especially if you are a fan of modern dystopia, you must read the fore fathers - 1984 and Brave New World.
I read this book back in High School. I hated it. I thought it was boring and stupid and all I wanted to do was spread the word that this book was terI read this book back in High School. I hated it. I thought it was boring and stupid and all I wanted to do was spread the word that this book was terrible and no one should read it. I had it marked one star on Goodreads and it had a home on my least favorite shelf.
Well, I have been waiting years to find the perfect place to use this gif:
[image]
I reread in late August, early September 2017. I have to say that I should probably reread everything I read bank in High School to get a better perspective.
I enjoyed the book quite a bit this time. The story in intricate and dark. Jane Eyre is a tragic hero who does her best through the whole book but keeps encountering unfortunate situation after unfortunate situation. The story held my interest a lot more than some other classic novels I have read.
My only complaint was a few times certain plot points were belabored. I found myself saying, "Okay, I get it, let's move on."
So, everyone, if you remember a book from your youth with less than enthusiastic fondness, it might be worth giving it another shot. You never know what you might find! ...more
First read in high school: 1 star Rethinking my rating a few years ago after watching movie and [image]
Re-read update August 2020
My history with Gatsby
First read in high school: 1 star Rethinking my rating a few years ago after watching movie and discussing book with my wife (see original review below) : 3 stars Re-read rating in 2020: 5 stars
Interesting anecdote to accompany my re-read. I did it on audio this time, headed out to listen to it (double time) on a walk yesterday, and 8.6 miles later I had listened to the whole thing straight through!
So glad I gave this one another shot. It's pretty good - definitely worthy of 5 stars. If you remember it poorly because of a required reading experience, I think it is worth revisiting.
Here is my original review from January 8th, 2013:
When I first reviewed this on Goodreads, I gave it 1 star. I just did not remember enjoying it as required reading in High School.
Then I went through a phase a couple of years ago where I read a lot of Hemingway and about Hemingway (The Paris Wife), and with Hemingway you get a lot of Fitzgerald.
Shortly after that, the movie with Leonardo DiCaprio came out and my wife's book club read the book. We ended up discussing the book for hours and watched the movie. After that I had to change my rating.
I only brought it up to 3 because it is still not one of my favorites, but I get it more now (update August 2020 - now 5 stars!). There is a whole lot of interesting content packed into an under 200 page book (how they made a 2 1/2 hour movie, I'll never know - but they kept it pretty close to the source material). I also think this book is very representative of the time period and the type of writing you were seeing in the "Jazz Age". Because of this, it is an important piece of literature....more
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