# Catch-22 by Joseph Heller

9 Hacker News commenters recommended Catch-22 by Joseph Heller and 2 criticized it, November 2025 to November 2026. It was recommended in 5 of 13 months.

**Verdict:** Recommended as a sharp, funny novel about absurd military life and war, with readers often rereading it. Some find its structure loose and its length tiring.

## Why people recommend it

- Absurd, funny portrayal of military life (3 comments): "it was exactly describing absurd situations happening when I served" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48675514)) "Good book, completely changes my outlook on militaries and wars." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49958312)) "it was one the best novels I've ever read." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46396649))
- Heller's style and wit (2 comments): "However, I really enjoyed it. I liked Heller's style (prose?) and wit." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46405074)) "Catch 22 is just fantastic isn't it." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46400717))
- Strong enough to reread (2 comments): "Then one time I just couldn't put it down. Read the whole book, then went back and read it again." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48883871)) "I still enjoyed and would recommend Catch 22 regardless" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48675876))

## What people warn about

- Feels like loosely connected stories (1 comments): "it feels like a collection of unrelated short stories mashed together" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46405165))
- Long and hard to finish (2 comments): "I've tried with Catch-22 a few times. I just can't get on with it." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46403930)) "I noped out at the prospect of reading 500 more pages of it" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46398247))

## Alternatives hackers recommend

- [Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky](https://hackerapproved.com/p/crime-and-punishment.md): 39 recommend
- [The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky](https://hackerapproved.com/p/brothers-karamazov.md): 28 recommend
- [Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace](https://hackerapproved.com/p/infinite-jest.md): 26 recommend
- [The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://hackerapproved.com/p/great-gatsby.md): 24 recommend
- [Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand](https://hackerapproved.com/p/atlas-shrugged.md): 23 recommend

## Where to get it

- [See price on Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/dp/0099529122?tag=hackerapprove-20) (affiliate link)
- [Bookshop.org](https://bookshop.org/a/130825/9780099529125) (affiliate link)

## Cite as

Hacker Approved, "Catch-22 by Joseph Heller", https://hackerapproved.com/p/catch-22/ (counts from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026).