Catch-22 Wrap up

I have now read more books about war than I ever dreamed. Through this book club I have read War & Peace, All Quiet on the Western Front, and Catch-22, and for my Adult Book Discussion I have read Season of Betrayal, Three Day Road and Resistance: A Novel.

War, the portrayal of war, and the perception of war through the "entertainment" media are all very personal. My father was in Vietnam between my 3rd and 4th birthdays and my impression of that time was my mother constantly crying. I'm sure that wasn't true, but when he walked through the gate into the Ultra 70s purple-painted waiting room of the airport on Easter Sunday to come home to us, I knew everything would finally be okay for our family. Over time, however, I couldn't help but be influenced by my experience of other vets and shattered families. We were fortunate that my father weathered his experience and came home with a Bronze Star, a volleyball scar, and photographs he readily shared with us. When I watch Vietnam movies, however, I feel anguish. The filmakers are able to tap into that part of me that knows I am the happy product of a successful Vietnam return that easily could have gone the other way.

Until recently, my only exposure to war-related "entertainment" had been film and TV shows, not books. I wasn't sure I could be moved by books. After All Quiet we commented on the power such a tiny book held. While there were some highly comical moments in Catch-22, I find I am mostly just saddened by the futility of the war effort and the death. I couldn't find it funny even though I know it's a black comedy. The scenario seems too believable, too current, perhaps that's the problem. I appreciated the absurdity of the Syndicate and Milo's complex distribution schemes and Major Major's refusal to see anyone. I look forward to seeing how the book translates into film, it's in my Netflix queue.