" In Catch-22 , Joseph Heller invented a motif for the modern world. The book shaped everything that came after it, establishing Heller's reputation as one of the greatest American writers of the twentieth century " -back of paperback edition of Hellers short stories " It became enormously popular, particularly among younger readers during the Vietnam War era, and its title became a catchphrase -Oxford Companion to American Literature Somewhere between these two quotes lies the real Joseph Heller and the real Catch-22 . I've spent the better part of the last month reading this wonderful novel and pondering all of the puffery surrounding it (along with its author), and I have some ideas and observations that I'd like to share. I've been a focused and obsessed reader going on for 40 years now. Ever since I walked into Humphrey's Family Paperbacks in Glendale, AZ., and picked out a book to...
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