Catch-22
Catch-22 by Joseph Hellerby Joseph Heller
Shares rank 21 of 122 novels by recommenders
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.
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.
11 people gave an opinion
- recommend it
- 9
- criticize it
- 2
- approval share
- 82%
Recommended in 5 of 13 months
- November 2025: not recommended
- December 2025: recommended
- January 2026: not recommended
- February 2026: not recommended
- March 2026: not recommended
- April 2026: recommended
- May 2026: not recommended
- June 2026: recommended
- July 2026: recommended
- August 2026: not recommended
- September 2026: not recommended
- October 2026: recommended
- November 2026: not recommended (month in progress)
Why it doesn’t carry the badge
- 9 people recommend itNeeds 10 or more, not met.
- 4.5 recommenders for every criticNeeds 2 to 1 or better, met.
- Recommended in 5 of 13 monthsNeeds 4 or more, met.
The same three rules apply to every product, and the badge can’t be bought. How the badge works
What people say about it
The reasons people give, with the number of comments that give each one. Open a reason to read what they said.
Why people recommend it
Each mark is one comment
Absurd, funny portrayal of military life
“it was exactly describing absurd situations happening when I served”
Comment from 25 Jun 2026 in “Dostoyevsky Isn't Difficult” “Good book, completely changes my outlook on militaries and wars.”
Comment from 4 Oct 2026 on Hacker News “it was one the best novels I've ever read.”
Comment from 26 Dec 2025 in “Ask HN: What did you read in 2025?” Heller's style and wit
“However, I really enjoyed it. I liked Heller's style (prose?) and wit.”
Comment from 27 Dec 2025 in “Ask HN: What did you read in 2025?” “Catch 22 is just fantastic isn't it.”
Comment from 27 Dec 2025 in “Ask HN: What did you read in 2025?” Strong enough to reread
“Then one time I just couldn't put it down. Read the whole book, then went back and read it again.”
Comment from 12 Jul 2026 in “How to Read More Books” “I still enjoyed and would recommend Catch 22 regardless”
Comment from 25 Jun 2026 in “Dostoyevsky Isn't Difficult”
What people warn about
Each mark is one comment
Feels like loosely connected stories
“it feels like a collection of unrelated short stories mashed together”
Comment from 27 Dec 2025 in “Ask HN: What did you read in 2025?” Long and hard to finish
“I've tried with Catch-22 a few times. I just can't get on with it.”
Comment from 27 Dec 2025 in “Ask HN: What did you read in 2025?” “I noped out at the prospect of reading 500 more pages of it”
Comment from 27 Dec 2025 in “Ask HN: What did you read in 2025?”
Other novels people recommend
The four most recommended other novels, with the same counts for each, so you can compare like for like. The tick on each bar marks the 2 to 1 line the badge needs.
| Product | Recommend | Criticize | Approval | Months | Owned | Badge |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime and Punishmentby Fyodor Dostoevsky | 39 | 9 | 81% | 6 | — | Approved |
| The Brothers Karamazovby Fyodor Dostoevsky | 28 | 8 | 78% | 5 | — | Approved |
| Infinite Jestby David Foster Wallace | 26 | 5 | 84% | 9 | 10 yrs6 owners | Approved |
| The Great Gatsbyby F. Scott Fitzgerald | 24 | 9 | 73% | 6 | — | Approved |
| Catch-22by Joseph HellerThis page | 9 | 2 | 82% | 5 | — | — |
What people said
12 of the 13 comments that mention it, newest first. Each links to the original comment.
“Like read some fictional books on the matter.”
“Good book, completely changes my outlook on militaries and wars.”
“Then one time I just couldn't put it down. Read the whole book, then went back and read it again.”
“I still enjoyed and would recommend Catch 22 regardless”
“it was exactly describing absurd situations happening when I served”
“it feels like a collection of unrelated short stories mashed together”
“However, I really enjoyed it. I liked Heller's style (prose?) and wit.”
“I've tried with Catch-22 a few times. I just can't get on with it.”
“Catch 22 is just fantastic isn't it.”
“I'd say that the start with the Texan is far from the best the book gets.”
“I noped out at the prospect of reading 500 more pages of it”
“it was one the best novels I've ever read.”
Counts come from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026. How we count. Report a mistake.