This is one of the best books I have ever read.
It describes the lives and actions of a squadron of bombers in Pianosa in Italy during the war. It is absolutely hilarious - you can't help but laugh at the confusing bureaucracy and power struggles in the hierarchy of the army. The antics of Yossarian, the main character, and the group of men you might call his friends will keep you in stitches at times. Most of them try to avoid duty by staying at the army hospital, while a few feel the need to fly ever increasing no of compulsory missions.
At the same time though, I can hardly bear to read it. It's not because of the sometimes complicated plot and twisted sense of time, its because of the overwhelming truth it reveals. Alright, some of it may be exaggerated, but the book is supposed to, or at least appears to me to represent an ordinary man in the big city. The blurb says its supposed to show the madness of the 20th century and how man seeks to get out of it. But the last few chapters and pages are depressingly tragic. After a ream full of laughs, the humour peters out. Figures of corruption, and even totalitarianism come into play, and poverty and suffering get mentioned. In the end, this book is a bit like Animal Farm by George Orwell, or even 1984 to an extent. Catch-22 and "All animals are created equal, but some are more equal than others" seem to be linked to each other very closely.
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