101 in 1001 - Item 52...

read Catch-22

...has been completed!

This one was on the list because it's a book that I read part of many, many years ago on a train back to uni (and given that I graduated almost six years ago, you know how long ago that was) and it's sat there ever since to be re-read and finished at some undisclosed point "in the future."  Plus, I love to read and so I like to put some reading ones on my 101 in 1001 lists because they are "easy" for me in some ways.  I have one very long book to read left on this list (War and Peace which I started a while ago is seems quite good) and one other book related goal uncompleted I think.

I quite liked Catch 22.  It's a good book but in a way it's quite hard to understand.  I tried to explain to my mum what it's about (as the back has reviews and not a synopsis) and totally failed.  All I managed to do was confuse her with my attempts at explaining what Catch 22 is and therefore what the book is about.

From Wikipedia:

A Catch-22, coined by Joseph Heller in his novel Catch-22, is a logical paradox wherein an individual finds him or herself in need of something which can only be had by not being in need of it. It is often spoken in regards to rules, regulations, procedures, or situations in which one has knowledge of being or becoming a victim but has no control over it occurring.

It's a bit of a dystopian book in my opinion and I've really got a thing for dystopias over the last year or two.  I enjoyed it although it did leave me wondering a bit just exactly what had happened in the book - I found it a bit confusing in many places/  And as is often the sign of a very good book - it left me wanting more, wanting to know what happened next to the main character.

It was a good read although it took me over a week as I kept only having time for 50 or so pages at a time and sometimes not even that.  When I put my jacket potatoes in to cook today I wrapped myself up in a blanket, sat in the lounge and picked it up and then read until I finished it - over an hour of uninterrupted reading which was lovely.  Haven't managed much of that lately although I did spend a goodly chunk of Monday morning under my duvet reading when the snow stopped me going to the bureau.  Must find more time for reading.