Bah. I was all excited about NaNoReMo until he announced the chosen book: Catch-22. I HATE Catch-22. I had to read it in college and I swear I had to restart it about six times before I could muster the interest to plow through to the end. I guess I’ll sit this one out. (Besides, I’m in the middle of Middlesex and I’m loving it. Thanks again for the recommendation!)
kristen
October 11, 2007 — 11:57 am
yeah. i hated that book too. i finished it, but it took some determination.
did you catch this ask mefi about Catch 22 a while back? http://ask.metafilter.com/58028/Whats-the-appeal-of-Catch22-by-Joseph-Heller
we’re not the only ones who think it sucked.
brigita
October 11, 2007 — 10:59 pm
I tried reading that for AP History in high school but quit about a third of the way in/. I’m usually uber-compulsive about finishing books, movies, etc. but it was senior year and there were boys to be crazy about… 😉
SlythErin
October 12, 2007 — 12:01 am
I tried reading it once because my mother said she liked it. I never finished it.
I should have learned not to trust my mother’s taste in books after Watership Down.
eileen
October 12, 2007 — 2:44 am
meh. i thought it was OK, but I wasn’t too excited about any of the books on his list. Most of them I read in high school and I always prefer something new to something I’ve read before.
Kevin
October 12, 2007 — 3:15 am
I’ll stand up for Catch-22 (and Watership Down!) It’s Douglas Adams absurdity before its time.
JulieB
October 12, 2007 — 7:55 am
Here’s another vote for the anti-Catch 22 crowd. It was the only book I had to read for high school that I hadn’t finished by the time we got around to studying it. I don’t think you can compare it to Douglas Adams – he was actually *funny*.
TOAST
October 12, 2007 — 4:03 pm
I’ll stand up for it. (the book, maybe not the film) It’s a *satire*. Like Starship Troopers, and not unlike “Good Morning Baltimore”, The Colbert Report, Dr. Strangelove and others.
It’s a comedy, you’re meant to be laughing your head off at it.
Some people may mistake it for a regular sort of melodrama, in which case, you’re really not going to like it. It also helps to be somewhat familiar with a bit of WWII military history as well, else you’ll miss certain parts.
I think it’s one of the top 5 novels I’ve ever read.
That said though, at times it’s very subtle. I would definately not recommend it for anyone under the age of about 25.
On a similar line, I liked “American Psycho” as well. If you were to tear out the 6 pages of extreme violence, you get a wonderful satire on 80’s New York culture. I think the 6 pages were just put in there by Ellis for shock value.
As always, I could be wrong and am always open for debate on any of this.
Kris
October 12, 2007 — 5:58 pm
Oh, you did NOT just bring up the dreaded Starship Troopers. I have a fine sense of humour and satire. I agree with you on Colbert and Strangelove, sure. But I will never, NEVER agree that there is a single whit of intelligent satire – or humour for that matter – in the cinematic excrement that is Starship Troopers. You are comparing a book that many people think is one of the best of the 20th century (though I would argue NOT) with a “movie” whose biggest assets are Denise Richards and TITS.
Well… I’ll concede the point for the Doogie Howser character. He was the only good part of that dreck.
Manda
October 12, 2007 — 10:41 pm
Well, hmm. I’m female and a pretty lazy reader and I loved it. Very Vonnegut.
TOAST
October 15, 2007 — 6:39 am
Starship Troopers: Book, yes, film, no. I had the unfortunate experience of seeing the film for the first time with an audience in Brisbane. But that’s another story.