Catch-22 by Joseph Heller
The book is a satirical critique of military bureaucracy and the illogical nature of war, set during World War II. The story follows a U.S. Army Air Forces B-25 bombardier stationed in Italy, who is trying to maintain his sanity while fulfilling his service requirements so that he can go home. The novel explores the absurdity of war and military life through the experiences of the protagonist, who discovers that a bureaucratic rule, the "Catch-22", makes it impossible for him to escape his dangerous situation. The more he tries to avoid his military assignments, the deeper he gets sucked into the irrational world of military rule.
The 33rd greatest book of all time
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Total Points: 3877
This book was first published in 1961
63 Lists
- score: 191 -- The Top 10: The Greatest Books of All Time - 2007 (Weight: 200)
- score: 175 -- 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die - 2006 (Weight: 180)
- score: 173 -- The Greatest Books of All Time - 2022 (Weight: 160)
- score: 161 -- For The Love of Books - 1999 (Weight: 200)
- score: 155 -- The Ideal Library - 2024 (Weight: 130)
- score: 143 -- The Booklist Century: 100 Books, 100 Years - 2005 (Weight: 150)
- score: 139 -- The Greatest 20th Century Novels - 1997 (Weight: 180)
- score: 136 -- Världsbiblioteket (The World Library) - 1991 (Weight: 190)
- score: 130 -- Harvard Book Store Staff's Favorite 100 Books - 2011 (Weight: 120)
- score: 127 -- 100 Books to Read in a Lifetime - 2014 (Weight: 120)
- score: 127 -- 100 Books to Read in a Lifetime - 2014 (Weight: 120)
- score: 127 -- The Great American Novels - 2024 (Weight: 120)
- score: 120 -- Best Books (Fiction, Prose) : Experts Choose Their Favourites - 1996 (Weight: 150)
- score: 120 -- The New York Public Library's Books of the Century - 1996 (Weight: 150)
- score: 110 -- 200 Books That Shaped 200 Years of Literature - 2021 (Weight: 110)
- score: 104 -- Books Of The Century - 1999 (Weight: 110)
- score: 95 -- Koen Book Distributors Top 100 Books of the Past Century - 1999 (Weight: 100)
- score: 84 -- 125 Books We Love for Adults - 2020 (Weight: 80)
- score: 84 -- 50 Best Cult Books - 2016 (Weight: 80)
- score: 84 -- Books that Shaped the Century - 2020 (Weight: 80)
- score: 80 -- The 100 Favorite Novels of Librarians - 1999 (Weight: 89)
- score: 76 -- Big Read (Bulgarian) - 2009 (Weight: 70)
- score: 76 -- The Modern Library | 100 Best Novels - 1999 (Weight: 80)
- score: 72 -- Radcliffe's 100 Best Novels - 1998 (Weight: 80)
- score: 68 -- Our Users' Top 100 Favorite Books of All Time - 2024 (Weight: 60)
- score: 66 -- TrueLit's Top 100 Favorite Books (2023) - 2023 (Weight: 60)
- score: 65 -- The Celebrity Reading List - 2007 (Weight: 60)
- score: 61 -- 1000 Novels Everyone Must Read - 2009 (Weight: 60)
- score: 61 -- 100 Most Influential Books of the Century - 2000 (Weight: 70)
- score: 56 -- Taking off the Reading Gloves - 1998 (Weight: 70)
- score: 53 -- 100 Must-Read Classics, as Chosen by our Readers - 2022 (Weight: 50)
- score: 51 -- My Favourite Book - Australian Big Read - 2004 (Weight: 50)
- score: 51 -- The Big Read - 2003 (Weight: 50)
- score: 47 -- Big Read (Hungarian) - 2005 (Weight: 50)
- score: 45 -- Top 100 Books, As Chosen By Canadians - 2005 (Weight: 50)
- score: 42 -- Select 100 - 2015 (Weight: 40)
- score: 42 -- Books That Shaped America - 2012 (Weight: 40)
- score: 38 -- Kanon na koniec wieku (Canon at the end of the century) - 2002 (Weight: 40)
- score: 36 -- Waterstone's Books of the Century - 1997 (Weight: 40)
- score: 35 -- As if You Don't Have Enough to Read, Fiction Edition - 2011 (Weight: 30)
- score: 32 -- 50 Books to Read Before You Die - 2012 (Weight: 30)
- score: 30 -- Entertainment Weekly's Top 100 Novels - 2013 (Weight: 30)
- score: 28 -- TIME Magazine All Time 100 Novels - 2005 (Weight: 30)
- score: 17 -- 20th Century's Greatest Hits: 100 English-Language Books of Fiction - 1999 (Weight: 20)
- score: 12 -- Ninety-Nine Novels: The Best in English since 1939 - 1984 (Weight: 20)
- score: 10 -- The Great American Read - 2018 (Weight: 10)
- score: 1 -- The Complete 500: OCLC - 2024 (Weight: 1)
- score: 1 -- 100 Best Novels in English Since 1900 - 2014 (Weight: 1)
- score: 1 -- 1,000 Books to Read Before You Die: A Life-Changing List - 2018 (Weight: 1)
- score: 1 -- 50 Books to (Re-)Read at 50 - 2012 (Weight: 1)
- score: 1 -- The Modern Library: The Two Hundred Best Novels in English Since 1950 - 2011 (Weight: 1)
- score: 1 -- The 100 Greatest American Novels, 1893 – 1993 - 2013 (Weight: 1)
- score: 1 -- 50 Books to Read Before You Die - 2015 (Weight: 1)
- score: 1 -- 100 Best Novels Written in English - 2015 (Weight: 1)
- score: 1 -- From Zero to Well-Read in 100 Books - 2013 (Weight: 1)
- score: 1 -- The 100 Best Books in the World - 2021 (Weight: 1)
- score: 1 -- The 100 Greatest Novels of All Time: The List - 2003 (Weight: 1)
- score: 1 -- Great Books - 2006 (Weight: 1)
- score: 1 -- The College Board: 101 Great Books Recommended for College-Bound Readers - 2002 (Weight: 1)
- score: 1 -- The Book of Great Books: A Guide to 100 World Classics - 2001 (Weight: 1)
- score: 1 -- The Telegraph’s 100 Novels Everyone Should Read - 2009 (Weight: 1)
- score: 1 -- Best Books Ever - 2006 (Weight: 1)
- score: 1 -- One Hundred Best American Novels, 1770 to 1985 - 2014 (Weight: 1)