It was a better book before I read it.

Before delving into its pages, it seemed infinitely absurd, with a kind of absurdity that was almost unfathomable, stretching the boundaries of what one could imagine.

However, after reading it, I found that it was only absolutely absurd. The kind of absurdity that is clear and definite, leaving no room for ambiguity.

Obviously, when we consider the concepts of infinite and absolute, infinite is greater than absolute. It implies a vastness and limitlessness that absolute cannot match.

Therefore, it seems that this book has been diminished by my reading it. What was once a source of boundless absurdity has now been reduced to a more confined and definite form of absurdity.

Perhaps this is the inevitable result of the act of reading, which often brings a certain level of clarity and understanding, but at the same time, may also strip away some of the mystery and wonder that initially attracted us to the book.

This book was completely misrepresented to me before I read it.

For some reason, I had always thought it was published in the same year as Pynchon's Gravity's Rainbow and was regarded as representing the other branch of post-World War II American literature apart from Pynchon's - the conventional, plot-driven one for stupid people. Some professor or didact must have told me that, wrongly as it turns out, once.

Catch 22 actually predates the Pynchon masterpiece by 15 years and is stylistically an appropriate precursor. Its subject is war and its hilarity. In this, it has much in common with Pynchon and Vonnegut.

Since James Heller is not as obviously overflowing with brilliance and random facts about particle physics as Pynchon, nor as willing to pander to mainstream tastes (I think) as Vonnegut, Catch 22 is a tough read at the beginning. There is a lot of irony and detachment, but not as easily as Vonnegut and with less of the awe inspired by Pynchon.

In fact, I almost gave up. I had started this 450-page book several times before and actually did give up. The real story of Catch 22 doesn't start to come together until well past page 200, but when it does, it really does.

There is a brilliant portrait of an entrepreneurial mess chef who represents evil, with evil being capitalism and the lack of loyalty to any moral cause. He creates a vast international smuggling network whose intricacies are both ridiculously amusing and yet, it seems, accurately and minutely portrayed - as if Heller were a particle physicist translating science for us when he describes how that "syndicate" works.

Most importantly, the book affected me because of what it has to say about war and how it is able to convey that through the heartbreaking travails of one officer - Yossarian - who is willing to act out human desires in the face of a dominant culture that has become insane and subhuman, caricatured. His wartime airforce base is a perfect illustration of RD Laing's common-sense supposition, developed not long after the period of this novel, that insanity is a sane response to an insane world.

Catch 22 is clever, tight, and thematic - "Catch 22" refers to how things that seem irrational can be made to seem rational through tautology. This is a cleverly embroidered theme throughout the entire novel. But in the end, these are not what make the book great. It's the emotion at the heart of the book, Yossarian's desire to live and be a flesh-and-blood human, and his unwillingness to retreat into the bastions of irony and obtuseness that are so attractive to everyone around him. This is what makes Catch 22 heartbreaking, poignant, and even tear-jerking.

Even more absurd than its countless catches is the fact that such a crazy novel, which is straight-up silly at times, can have this profound moving power. It's truly astonishing.

When you manage to endure its rhythm for a sufficient amount of time and begin to deeply care about the characters, you are about to embark on a reading experience of incomparable impact.

The character of Yossarian seems to come alive in the pages. His story is one that will stay with you long after you've turned the final page.

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Yossarian's struggles, his absurd situations, and his unwavering spirit all combine to create a narrative that is both entertaining and thought-provoking.

This novel is a testament to the power of storytelling and the ability of a crazy concept to touch our hearts and minds.

So, if you're looking for a reading experience that will challenge your expectations and leave you with a lasting impression, give this novel a chance. You won't be disappointed.