Book Review - Catch-22, de Joseph Heller

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Catch-22, de Joseph Heller.

Romance satírico, profundamente subversivo. A ação decorre durante a 2ª Guerra Mundial, entre 1942 e 1944, e retrata as vicissitudes do piloto-bombardeiro Yossarian, forçado a combater numa guerra de que não quer fazer parte e da qual não consegue escapar, graças ao infame e paradoxal "Artigo-22".

 
Para Yossarian o principal inimigo não é aquele que está do lado de lá das trincheiras mas sim aquele que está na cadeia de comando, do lado de cá.

É claramente um manifesto anti-guerra, mas vai muito além disso: é também uma apologia de rebelião do individuo contra os ditames absurdos da sociedade; é uma análise mordaz dos caracteres dos seres humanos; é uma crítica do funcionamento da máquina económica moderna.

“There was no telling what people might find out once they felt free to ask whatever questions they wanted to.” 

“Men," he began his address to the officers, measuring his pauses carefully. "You're American officers. The officers of no other army in the world can make that statement. Think about it.” 

"There was only one catch and that was Catch-22, which specified that a concern for one's safety in the face of dangers that were real and immediate was the process of a rational mind. Orr was crazy and could be grounded. All he had to do was ask; and as soon as he did, he would no longer be crazy and would have to fly more missions. Orr would be crazy to fly more missions and sane if he didn't, but if he were sane he had to fly them. If he flew them he was crazy and didn't have to, but if he didn't want to he was sane and had to. Yossarian was moved very deeply by the absolute simplicity of this clause of Catch-22 and let out a respectful whistle."

“Catch-22 did not exist, he was positive of that, but it made no difference. What did matter was that everyone thought it existed, and that was much worse, for there was no object or text to ridicule or refute, to accuse, criticize, attack, amend, hate, revile, spit at, rip to shreds, trample upon or burn up.” 

“What would they do to me," he asked in confidential tones, "if I refused to fly them?" We'd probably shoot you," ex-P.F.C. Wintergreen replied.
We?" Yossarian cried in surprise. "What do you mean, we? Since when are you on their side?"
If you're going to be shot, whose side do you expect me to be on?" ex-P.F.C. Wintergreen retorted”

 
“He had decided to live forever or die in the attempt.”