It’s hard to name a novel that has captured the absurdity of war quite like Catch-22.
The iconic work by Joseph Heller has been ranked among the “best books of all time” on Goodreads, based on votes from readers. The recognition highlights the novel’s lasting relevance and its impact as one of the most influential works of 20th-century literature.
First published in 1961, Catch-22 follows Captain John Yossarian, a U.S. Army Air Forces bombardier stationed in the Mediterranean during World War II. As Yossarian tries to maintain his sanity amid the chaos of war, he is confronted by a bureaucratic paradox known as “Catch-22,” a rule that makes it impossible to escape dangerous missions. The novel’s nonlinear structure and dark humor underscore its central critique of authority, logic and the absurd nature of war.
The book came to Heller seemingly out of thin air in a moment of what can only be described as divine inspiration.
“I was lying in bed in my four-room apartment on the West Side when suddenly this line came to me: ‘It was love at first sight. The first time he saw the chaplain, Someone fell madly in love with him.’ I didn’t have the name Yossarian,” Heller told The Paris Review. “The chaplain wasn’t necessarily an army chaplain—he could have been a prison chaplain. But as soon as the opening sentence was available, the book began to evolve clearly in my mind—even most of the particulars . . . the tone, the form, many of the characters, including some I eventually couldn’t use.”
Heller’s epiphany took place in only an hour and a half. “It got me so excited that I did what the cliché says you’re supposed to do: I jumped out of bed and paced the floor. That morning I went to my job at the advertising agency and wrote out the first chapter in longhand. Before the end of the week I had typed it out and sent it to Candida Donadio, my agent. One year later, after much planning, I began chapter two.”
Praised for its biting satire and unforgettable characters, the book introduced a phrase that has since entered everyday language. Its exploration of power, survival and individual resistance continues to resonate with readers across generations.
The novel was adapted into the film Catch-22, directed by Mike Nichols and featuring a cast that included Alan Arkin. While the film took on the challenge of translating the book’s complex narrative and tone, it remains a notable interpretation that brought Heller’s story to a wider audience.
More than six decades after its release, Catch-22 remains a cornerstone of modern literature, one that continues to challenge, entertain and provoke thought.
With its inclusion in Goodreads’ ranking, the novel’s legacy is once again reaffirmed as a timeless and essential read.
Related: Best-Selling Author’s Classic Novel Ranked Among ‘Best Books’ of All Time