I found this an amazing book and I can't recommend it to anyone.

"Something Happened" is an ironic title because nothing happens. There is no plot, no character development, no humor at all. Which is quite remarkable for a book of 800+ pages. And yet, I kept reading.

Heller's prose is fantastic; he hypnotizes you with extremely long sentences that just go on and on and keep flowing until he suddenly hits the brakes, but then doesn't really and takes a detour about the upcoming promotion of Slocum who is about to get it and if it happens right away he can get a new office and his son has finished the potatoes so he can go to bed and suddenly you are half a page and an evening further into the deeply depressing life of the average American nuclear family.

Heller is so incredibly confident and patient with this book that you can't read it any other way. If you are in the slightest bit in a hurry, you'll throw this book into a corner within an hour and never touch it again. But if you read on, then exactly what he wants to happen happens. Instead of reading about what it's like to lead a monotonous, unfulfilling and pointless life, you experience what it's like to lead a monotonous, unfulfilling and pointless life for 800 boring pages where the quality oozes out.

I do not recommend this book if you are an anxious person!!!

There were a few funny bits and good quotes in this, but reading this novel (and being stuck in Mr. Slocum's head) felt like dragging my feet through golden syrup. It was a rather slow and cumbersome experience. The story didn't seem to flow smoothly, and I often found myself losing interest and having to force myself to continue reading.

This book kinda gave me the ick with reading for a few weeks :-( It was not a good start to the year. I had high hopes for it, but unfortunately, it didn't meet my expectations. I would not recommend this book to others, especially those who are looking for a fast-paced and engaging read.

Nothing happened. Despite having penned the captivating and fascinating Catch-22, this work fails to reach the same echelon. The protagonist meticulously details his pitiable life, yet makes no effort to alter the relationships he loathes. There is no coherent plot, no genuine character growth, and no meaningful climax. The so-called 'something' that occurs does so in the final three pages. However, since one cannot empathize with the main character, Bob Slocum, there is no emotional connection at the end. The attempt at a climax and resolution so close to the conclusion lacks the brilliance of Steinbeck in its capacity to keep the reader enthralled until the very end. The story is bereft of the style and skill that a writer of Heller's caliber should exhibit.

So honest, it's truly embarrassing.

It's embarrassing for those of us (and I'm quite certain it's practically everybody) who have ever had thoughts that were uncomfortable, unacceptable, and socially prohibited.

That's precisely what this book is all about. And yet, it's also damned funny.

It reminded me of Humbert Humbert. You don't want to sympathize and empathize with him, but somehow that's exactly what you end up doing. Only truly great writers have the ability to trick you in such a way.

This book throbs with the essence of modern life. When you read it, you can't help but gaze at yourself in the mirror, reflecting on your own thoughts, actions, and the complex nature of the world we live in. It forces you to confront the uncomfortable truths within yourself and see the world from a different perspective.