Catch-22   by Joseph Heller

So this is where they got the drift behind M*A*S*H! It must be that all American general infantrymenʼs response to shell shock is abominable dead-pan sarcasm. Of course, itʼs easy to pull that off on television with characters like Alan Aldaʼs and some visual slapstick, but much harder in a book. Joseph Heller manages to pull it off brilliantly.

A man wants to get out of the army, trying to plead insanity (“Theyʼre all trying to kill me! They keep shooting at me!” “Theyʼre supposed to - theyʼre the enemy, stupid, and theyʼre trying to kill all of us!”; I donʼt know if heʼs really going insane or faking it, but thatʼs totally beside the point). His journey through fighting fronts, COʼs offices, and various medical institutions brings him into contact with a fabulous range of characters and situations, all with a story to tell and an attitude of their own.

I canʼt sum this book up. Suffice it to say that its value can only be seen by those who have read it, and reading it is compelling.