内容简介
Catch-22islikenoothernovelwehaveeverread.Ithasitsownstyle,itsownrationale,itsownextraordinarycharacter.Itmovesbackandforthfromhilaritytohorror.Itisoutrageouslyfunnyandstrangelyaffecting.Itistotallyoriginal.ItissetintheclosingmonthsofWorldWarII,inanAmericanbombersquadrononasmallislandoffItaly.ItsheroisabombardiernamedYossarian,whoisfranticandfuriousbecausethousandsofpeoplehehasn'tevenmetkeeptryingtokillhim.(Hehasdecidedtoliveforeverevenifhehastodieintheattempt.)HisproblemisColonelCathcart,whokeepsraisingthenumberofmissionsthemenhavetofly.TheothersrangefromLieutenantMiloMinderbinder,adedicatedentrepreneur(hebombshisownairfieldwhentheGermansmakehimareasonableoffer:costplus6%),tothedeadmaninYossarian'stent;fromMajorMajorMajor,whosetragedyisthatheresemblesHenryFonda,toNately'swhore'skidsister;fromLieutenantScheisskopf(helovesaparade)toMajor--deCoverley,whosefaceissoforbiddingnoonehaseverdaredaskhimhisfirstname;fromClevinger,whoislostintheclouds,tothesoldierinwhite,wholiesencasedinbandagesfromheadtotoeandmaynotevenbethereatall;fromDoriDuz,whodoes,tothewoundedgunnerSnowden,wholiesdyinginthetailofYossarian'splaneandatlastrevealshisterrifyingsecret.Catch-22isamicrocosmofthetwentieth-centuryworldasitmightlooktosomeonedangerouslysane.Itisanovelthatlivesandmovesandgrowswithastonishingpowerandvitality.Itis,webelieve,oneofthestrongestcreationsofthemid-century.
作者简介
Sometimeslifetrapsyouinanunfortunatesituationthatisimpossibletoescapefrombecauseofasetofinherentlyabsurdrules.TakeJosephHeller,forexample.Theveryfirstnovelhepublishedwasamongthemostbiting,powerful,hilariousexamplesofcontemporaryliterature,agenuineclassicof1960santi-warliterature.Yet,Hellerwasforevertrappedbythatnovel,unabletoachievesimilarsuccesswithhissubsequentworksnomatterhowfinetheymayhavebeen.BoththatpainfulpredicamentandthatauspiciousdebutnovelareknownasCatch-22,andonehopesthatanabsurdistsuchasJosephHellerhadtoatleastappreciatethatironyalittle.Catch-22(1961)wassomewhatbasedonHeller'sownexperiencesasaB-25bombadierintheTwelfthAirForceduringWorldWarII.ItisthestoryofJohnYossarian,amalingeringbombardierstationedinItalyduringthewar.Helivesinconstantterrorofbeingkilled,soheflieseachofhismissionswiththesolegoalofreturningalive.Unfortunately,ColonelCathcartkeepsincreasingthenumberofmissionshemustundertakeinordertocompletehisservice.Yossarian'sonlywayoutistoprovethatheisinsane.Ofcourse,theonlywayhecandothatistowillinglytakethemostdangerousmissionstheairforcehastooffer.Yossarian'sridiculous,unwinnablesituationistheCatch-22fromwhichthenovelgetsitsname.HellerusesYossarian'ssituationasameanstosatirizeandcriticizethemilitaryanddehumanizingbureaucraciesingeneral.Thenovelfollowsadisorientinglogicofitsown,owingmoretoLewisCarroll'sWonderlandthananywar-themednovelbeforeit.Consequently,Heller'suniqueapproachtohissubjecthadadeepinfluenceonwriterssuchasKurtVonnegut(SlaughterhouseFive)andTomRobbins(VillaIncognito).In1970,Catch-22wasadaptedintoastar-studdedfeaturefilmbydirectorMikeNichols(Who'sAfraidofVirginiaWoolf?;TheGraduate).Althoughmanyviewedthefilmasadisappointment,ithaditsfairshareofhighlyinspiredsequences,andinallfairness,thewhimsicalstructureofthenoveldoesnoteasilylenditselftothecinematicmedium.Withagenuineclassiconhishands,Hellerthentookhistimeproducinghissecondnovel.SomethingHappeneddidnotappearuntil1974,butitcontinuedmanyofthethemespresentinCatch-22.Thistimearoundhedirectedhispoisonpenatthedehumanizingeffectsofthebig-businessworld.Heller'stangyblendofpessimismandhumanismwouldbethedrivingforcebehindthemajorityofhisworkthatfollowed,includingGoodasGold,ClosingTime(asequeltoCatch-22),andtheplayWeBombedNewHaven.However,noneofhissubsequenteffortscameclosetomatchingthesuccessorinfluenceofCatch-22,afactthatirkedHelleruntilhisdeath.Hisfinalnovel,theposthumouslypublishedPortraitofanArtistasanOldMan,exploredthisverythemeaswriterEugenePotastrugglestodecideuponasubjectforhisfinalnovel.Despitehisownmisgivingsabouthiscareer,JosephHellerwillforeverberememberedasagiantinAmericanliterature,evenifitisonlyduetohisfirstnovel...andthat'sthekindofCatch-22inwhichmostwriterswouldkilltobetrapped.
