# Joseph Heller easy question **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** books-writing-myths\ **Created:** [May 26, 2025, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joseph-heller-easy-question/1018799 "2025-05-26T01:54:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2025, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joseph-heller-easy-question/1018799/1 "2025-05-26T01:54:12Z")
I’d like some opinions, please: \*\*_aside from **Catch-22** _, what is Joseph Heller’s best book? Or your favorite of the bunch? ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2025, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joseph-heller-easy-question/1018799/2 "2025-05-26T02:31:11Z")
_Something Happened_ I found very interesting and very odd. _Closing Time_, which Heller wrote as a sequel to _Catch-22_, I found a hard read and nowhere near the quality of _Catch-22_. ---
**Author:** ![Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/prof.pepperwinkle/32/13627_2.png) [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prof.Pepperwinkle)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2025, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joseph-heller-easy-question/1018799/3 "2025-05-26T02:33:25Z")
I’ve always enjoyed _God Knows_, Heller’s very human retelling of the Biblical story of David. ---
**Author:** ![Zoobi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/13edae/32.png) [@Zoobi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoobi)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2025, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joseph-heller-easy-question/1018799/4 "2025-05-26T02:34:47Z")
I agree. I liked it much better than his other non C-22 stuff. ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2025, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joseph-heller-easy-question/1018799/5 "2025-05-26T02:58:01Z")
> [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](#): > > I’ve always enjoyed _God Knows_, Heller’s very human retelling of the Biblical story of David. I think _Catch-22_ is a genius piece of literature but _God Knows_ would be my second choice. I liked _Picture This_ even though it didn’t get as much critical acclaim as _Good As Gold_, which I didn’t care for at the time but feel like it now deserves a re-read in the context of current politics. I agree with @Monty that _Closing Time_, while having a lot of interesting ideas just wasn’t a very good sequel to _Catch-22_; it felt like a collection of concepts and scenes that the Heller ran out of steam in trying to tease into a narrative. I struggled to get through _Something Happened_, mostly because the gag that nothing much happens for most of the novel wears pretty thin after a couple hundred pages but it probably also deserves a reread, and I’m pretty sure I have _Catch as Catch Can_ in a box somewhere but never got around to reading it even though I imagine that Heller would actually be a really good short fiction writer. Stranger ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2025, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joseph-heller-easy-question/1018799/6 "2025-05-26T15:53:35Z")
I keep seeing the thread title as **Joseph Heller ESSAY Question**. Nope, too much like work. ---
**Author:** ![DMC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dmc/32/18049_2.png) [@DMC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMC)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2025, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joseph-heller-easy-question/1018799/7 "2025-05-26T15:58:57Z")
I can easily get through Umberto Eco and Robert Pirsig, but still have trouble with Catch-22. I’m not sure why it’s so problematic, but this thread is making me want to get it another shot. I’ve retried another difficult book, Infinite Jest, dozens of times and never get through more than 50 or so pages before I just can’t bear it any more. I’ve only tried Catch-22 a couple of times, so maybe the third time is the charm. Unlike Infinite Jest, I am convinced that there are people who have truly read Catch-22 cover to cover. ---
**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2025, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joseph-heller-easy-question/1018799/8 "2025-05-26T17:35:02Z")
> [@DMC](#): > > I am convinced that there are people who have truly read Catch-22 cover to cover. I would be one of them. Several times, although not for many years. I will probably be an outlier in this thread, but I’ve read only two other Heller works: _Something Happened_ and _Good as Gold_. I did not like either one of them; in fact, I could not finish _Something Happened_. ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2025, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joseph-heller-easy-question/1018799/9 "2025-05-26T18:32:09Z")
> [@DMC](#): > > I am convinced that there are people who have truly read Catch-22 cover to cover. I’ve read it “cover to cover” eight or nine times since 1972. One of my two all-time favorite novels. ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2025, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joseph-heller-easy-question/1018799/10 "2025-05-26T18:39:38Z")
> [@Railer13](#): > > I will probably be an outlier in this thread, but I’ve read only two other Heller works: _Something Happened_ and _Good as Gold_. I did not like either one of them; in fact, I could not finish _Something Happened_. Because of _Catch-22_, over the years I’ve read all of his other novels and haven’t liked any of them. I can’t remember anything about them except for _Something Happened_ being a godawful slog. But now that I’m older and ever so much wiser I’d like to give one of them another try. Hence this thread. ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2025, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joseph-heller-easy-question/1018799/11 "2025-05-26T18:46:34Z")
> [@TreacherousCretin](#): > > I’ve read it “cover to cover” eight or nine times since 1972 I think it is much easier to follow in subsequent readings because the changes to characters and narrative which occur in repeated scenes become more clear. It also helps to understand that the story isn’t about the plot but about the frustration that Yossarian experiences in the bureaucratic insanity of the Army and his responses to how different characters deal with or use it to their advantage. And also it is set in WWII Italy, the themes are timeless; every time I hear some cryptobro talking about the advantages of a decentralized currency and effective altruism I im,ediately flash back to Milo Minderbinder explaining how he makes a profit by selling eggs at a loss, and pitching chocolate-covered cotton balls as the next hot commodity. Stranger ---
**Author:** ![Kropotkin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kropotkin/32/18045_2.png) [@Kropotkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kropotkin)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2025, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joseph-heller-easy-question/1018799/12 "2025-05-26T19:13:28Z")
And as Heller said, the book was not about the war, but a satire of capitalism. With that in mind, it may be easier to appreciate the book. (Is there a “while” missing from your post after “and also”?) ---
**Author:** ![Steven\_Maven](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steven_maven/32/3272_2.png) [@Steven\_Maven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steven_Maven)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2025, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joseph-heller-easy-question/1018799/13 "2025-05-26T22:09:31Z")
> [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](#): > > didn’t get as much critical acclaim as _Good As Gold_, which I didn’t care for at the time but feel like it now deserves a re-read in the context of current politics. I loved _Good As Gold_ which I read when it came out. I rarely read a book more than once. ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2025, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joseph-heller-easy-question/1018799/14 "2025-05-26T23:29:31Z")
> [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](#): > > Milo Minderbinder explaining how he makes a profit by selling eggs at a loss, It took two or three readings for me to understand how Milo accomplished it: He bought the eggs with the Army’s money, sold the eggs and kept the money. ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2025, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joseph-heller-easy-question/1018799/15 "2025-05-26T23:32:20Z")
> [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](#): > > I think it is much easier to follow in subsequent readings… Agreed. Also helped (in my case, anyway) to have read the book twice before the disappointing movie came out. ---
**Author:** ![outlierrn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/outlierrn/32/3005_2.png) [@outlierrn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/outlierrn)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2025, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joseph-heller-easy-question/1018799/16 "2025-05-27T05:04:51Z")
I’ve read **Catch-22** cover to cover several times. The first in high school, which I remember as being a challenge, but persisting because of a feeling that I was on to something. **Something Happened** , OTOH, I persisted through out of sheer stubbornness. I also read **Good as Gold** and **No Laughing Matter** (non-fiction). **God Knows** is the only one I’ve revisited, and would easily be my answer to the OP.