"Flying in the Face of Sanity"
             Catch-22 was written by Joseph Heller, and is about a WWII oddball bombardier named Yossarian. The novel was brilliantly written. The depths of the various characters were unparallel to those of any other author. There are thirty-nine characters in the book and every one was unique. Heller must have been a genius to keep all of them straight. This reader struggled to keep track of them and had to jot down a few notes while reading.
             Catch-22 is laugh out loud funny. It is a satirical indictment of military madness and stupidity, and the desire of an ordinary man to survive it. The author throws in symbolism for bureaucratic absurdities, religion, and social issues to actually make the reader think. Anyone who does not like Catch-22 does not like to think. Heller's opinions appeal to every person because his characters oppose each other on issues.
             Heller was capable of looking at the world from a different perspective. That is what made the novel so intriguing. He would take the idea of maintaining sanity during war and completely flip the concept upside down and force the reader to question one's own sanity. The reoccurring argument in the story carried on by Yossarian illustrates that point. He is convinced that everyone is trying to kill him. The thought Heller put into this is incomparable because every "insane" remark Yossarian says has a base that is completely sane and entirely true.
             --"They're trying to kill me," Yossarian told him calmly.
             "No one's trying to kill you," Clevinger cried.
             "Then why are they shooting at me?" Yossarian asked.
             "They're shooting at everyone," Clevinger answered. "They're trying to kill everyone."
             "And what difference does that make?" Clevinger really thought he was right, but Yossarian had proof, because strangers he d...