Catch 22

[Plaything]

“His heart cracked, and he fell in love. He wondered if she would marry him.

“Tu sei pazzo,” she told him with a pleasant laugh.

“Why am I crazy?” he asked.

“Perché non posso sposare.”

“Why can’t you get married?”

“Because I am not a virgin,” she answered.

“What has that got to do with it?”

“Who will marry me? No one wants a girl who is not a virgin.”

“I will. I’ll marry you.”

“Ma non posso sposarti.”

“Why can’t you marry me?”

“Perché sei pazzo.”

“Why am I crazy?”

“Perché vuoi sposarmi.”

Yossarian wrinkled his forehead with quizzical amusement. “You won’t marry me because I’m crazy, and you say I’m crazy because I want to marry you? Is that right?”

“Si.”

“Tu sei pazz’!” he told her loudly.

“Perché?” she shouted back at him indignantly, her unavoidable round breasts rising and falling in a saucy huff beneath the pink chemise as she sat up in bed indignantly. “Why am I crazy?”

“Because you won’t marry me.”

“Stupido!” she shouted back at him, and smacked him loudly and flamboyantly on the chest with the back of her hand. “Non posso sposarti! Non capisci? Non posso sposarti.”

“Oh, sure, I understand. And why can’t you marry me?”

“Perché sei pazzo!”

“And why am I crazy?”

“Perché vuoi sposarmi.”

“Because I want to marry you. Carina, ti amo,” he explained, and he drew her gently back down to the pillow. “Ti amo molto.”

“Tu sei pazzo,” she murmured in reply, flattered.

“Perché?”

“Because you say you love me. How can you love a girl who is not a virgin?”

“Because I can’t marry you.”

She bolted right up again in a threatening rage. “Why can’t you marry me?” she demanded, ready to clout him again if he gave an uncomplimentary reply. “Just because I am not a virgin?”

“No, no, darling. Because you’re crazy.”
― Joseph Heller, Catch-22

[Jericho]

Chaser/Admirer

[Plaything]

Certainly.

But isn't it, actudally, the whole fuckin' nine yards...

And, completely unrelated, but I have said this before.

Genius Avatar.

[Plaything]

“His heart cracked, and he fell in love. He wondered if she would marry him.

“Tu sei pazzo,” she told him with a pleasant laugh.

“Why am I crazy?” he asked.

“Perché non posso sposare.”

“Why can’t you get married?”

“Because I am not a virgin,” she answered.

“What has that got to do with it?”

“Who will marry me? No one wants a girl who is not a virgin.”

“I will. I’ll marry you.”

“Ma non posso sposarti.”

“Why can’t you marry me?”

“Perché sei pazzo.”

“Why am I crazy?”

“Perché vuoi sposarmi.”

Yossarian wrinkled his forehead with quizzical amusement. “You won’t marry me because I’m crazy, and you say I’m crazy because I want to marry you? Is that right?”

“Si.”

“Tu sei pazz’!” he told her loudly.

“Perché?” she shouted back at him indignantly, her unavoidable round breasts rising and falling in a saucy huff beneath the pink chemise as she sat up in bed indignantly. “Why am I crazy?”

“Because you won’t marry me.”

“Stupido!” she shouted back at him, and smacked him loudly and flamboyantly on the chest with the back of her hand. “Non posso sposarti! Non capisci? Non posso sposarti.”

“Oh, sure, I understand. And why can’t you marry me?”

“Perché sei pazzo!”

“And why am I crazy?”

“Perché vuoi sposarmi.”

“Because I want to marry you. Carina, ti amo,” he explained, and he drew her gently back down to the pillow. “Ti amo molto.”

“Tu sei pazzo,” she murmured in reply, flattered.

“Perché?”

“Because you say you love me. How can you love a girl who is not a virgin?”

“Because I can’t marry you.”

She bolted right up again in a threatening rage. “Why can’t you marry me?” she demanded, ready to clout him again if he gave an uncomplimentary reply. “Just because I am not a virgin?”

“No, no, darling. Because you’re crazy.”
― Joseph Heller, Catch-22

Bump

'The truth will set you free'

I'm not so sure.

Right now, about a whole lot of impossible things.

K.I.S.S.

I miss 'simple' and as ever, am all too capable of 'stupid'

Don't you sometimes wish you could unpick the fabric of time.

In 100 years none of this will matter.

But it matters now.

[ScottyBabe]

One of my all time favourite books. I remember howling with laughter reading it. The part when we found out that Major Major was actually called Major Major Major Major had me in stitches!

I went on to read Heller's next book, Something Happened, and it was, conversely, the least enjoyable book I've ever read (haha).

[Plaything]

One of my all time favourite books. I remember howling with laughter reading it. The part when we found out that Major Major was actually called Major Major Major Major had me in stitches!

I went on to read Heller's next book, Something Happened, and it was, conversely, the least enjoyable book I've ever read (haha).

I think, perhaps, my favourite of all time.

For me it is the brilliance of the central 'Catch 22' conceit: how beautifully realised Yossarian is; and the slow reveal of a young life cut short in the icy bowel of a wounded bomber.

Hilarious and heart-breaking in equal measure.

And I agree. The rest of Mr Heller's work. Not so much.

Still, if a one trick pony. It was a hell of a trick..

[brummie]

Dont remind me of that book. I was forced to read it for an A level exam. (No not that type of a level. The other type is more pleasurable)
The most over hyped book ever. Even worse than 50 shades of grey.

[Plaything]

'Forced' to read anything takes the edge off.

Got to disagree about whether it is any good.

But totally subjective, we are neither of us right.

Neither of us wrong.

Again.

Beauty. Eye of the beholder.

As is borne out every day in these forums.

[qwerty81]

i didnt like the book the first time i read it in high school... i appreciated the satire of the soul crushing bureaucracy much better once i joined the military...

[EZWind]

The most over hyped book ever. Even worse than 50 shades of grey.

....not so sure about that....read it a coupla times over the years....it gives me many belly laughs
....the movie, not so much......LOVE Alan Arkin, tho