New Times,
New Thinking.

  1. Culture
8 July 2011updated 27 Sep 2015 4:04am

Words in Pictures: Joseph Heller

Archive footage of the author talking about Catch-22.

By Staff Blogger

Fifty years have passed since Joseph Heller’s satirical masterpiece Catch-22 was first published. An irreverent and surreal re-imagining of a squadron of Second World War air-crew stationed in the Mediterranean, the book lampooned the illogical or arbitrary bureaucracy of war and the frustration the young men experienced.

In last week’s Critic at large essay in the NS, Daniel Swift celebrated the enduring relevance of the novel. Here’s a video of the author speaking before his death in 1999 on how the title became incorporated into modern parlance.

 

Select and enter your email address Your weekly guide to the best writing on ideas, politics, books and culture every Saturday. The best way to sign up for The Saturday Read is via saturdayread.substack.com The New Statesman's quick and essential guide to the news and politics of the day. The best way to sign up for Morning Call is via morningcall.substack.com
Visit our privacy Policy for more information about our services, how Progressive Media Investments may use, process and share your personal data, including information on your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications.
THANK YOU

Content from our partners
The UK’s skills shortfall is undermining growth
<strong>What kind of tax reforms would stimulate growth?</strong>
How to end the poverty premium