Comment by KaiserPro

Comment by KaiserPro 4 days ago

2 replies

Its funny, I've tried with Catch-22 a few times. I just can't get on with it.

I think that its all just one ginormous side note, and that Yossarian is a shit, means I can't enjoy it.

I also suspect that I am not american enough to pick up on the satire references.

I suspect I feel what americans feel when they read jeeves and wooster.

dyukqu 4 days ago

Looked up for "jeeves and wooster", so, you're British then. This makes this little conversation interesting for me, because I'm not American, not even European and so our exposure/approach to this novel is very different then, I guess. Even the language was a little over my head, since English is not my native tongue. However, I really enjoyed it. I liked Heller's style (prose?) and wit. About Yossarian...yes, he's not a "perfect hero", but he is very human with all his earthly desires (I would say) and his struggles for staying righteous at the same time. The chapter about thoughts crossed his mind & feelings he experienced while he was wandering in the cold, damp streets at night was peak for me. I might re-read that very chapter nowadays.

  • KaiserPro 4 days ago

    > you're British

    correct!

    >English is not my native tongue.

    Aha, interesting

    I think the thing that trips me up is that it feels like a collection of unrelated short stories mashed together. Worse (for me) is that those stories contradict each other.