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catch-22
by joseph heller
- Used
- Signed
- Condition
- See description
- Seller
-
Brooklyn, New York, United States
Payment Methods Accepted
About This Item
new york: simon and schuster, 1961. second printing, 1961.
comes with a signed bookplate. authorized facsimile jacket of first edition was published in 1989 by first edition library. satirical world war ii novel frequently described as one of the most important books of the 20th century.
new york: simon and schuster. 8.5 x 6". 443 pages. hardcover. book condition: near fine; moderate shelf wear with some soiling on back and front block. small tear on front right corner. small stain to block and some fading on spine.
comes with a signed bookplate. authorized facsimile jacket of first edition was published in 1989 by first edition library. satirical world war ii novel frequently described as one of the most important books of the 20th century.
new york: simon and schuster. 8.5 x 6". 443 pages. hardcover. book condition: near fine; moderate shelf wear with some soiling on back and front block. small tear on front right corner. small stain to block and some fading on spine.
Synopsis
Catch-22 is Joseph Heller’s first novel and his most acclaimed work. Set during World War II, the novel uses a distinctive non-chronological third-person omniscient narration, mainly focusing on the life of Captain John Yossarian, a U.S. Army Air Forces B-25 bombardier. Occasionally, the narrator also shows us how other characters, such as the chaplain or Hungry Joe, experience the world around them. As the novel’s events are described from the different points of view through separate out-of-sequence storylines, the timeline of Catch-22 develops along with the plot. The novel's title refers to a plot device that is repeatedly invoked in the story. Catch-22 starts as a set of paradoxical requirements whereby airmen mentally unfit to fly did not have to, but could not actually be excused. By the end of the novel, the phrase is invoked as the explanation for many unreasonable restrictions. “Catch-22” has since entered the English language and can be understood as an unsolvable logic puzzle, a difficult situation from which there is no escape. Upon publication, the book was not a best seller in the United States. It was merely a cult favorite until the publication of the paperback edition in 1962, which set record sales — most likely benefitting from a national debate about the pointlessness of the Vietnam War. Catch-22 has since been ranked as one of the 100 best English-language novels of the 20th century by the Modern Library, one of the 20th century's top 100 novels by the Radcliffe Publishing Course, and one of the 100 greatest novels of all time by The Observer.
Read More: Identifying first editions of catch-22
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Details
- Bookseller
- leaves
(US)
- Bookseller's Inventory #
- 198
- Title
- catch-22
- Author
- joseph heller
- Book Condition
- Used
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Publisher
- simon and schuster
- Place of Publication
- new york
- Date Published
- 1961
Terms of Sale
leaves
30 day return guarantee, with full refund including original shipping costs for up to 30 days after delivery if an item arrives misdescribed or damaged.
About the Seller
leaves
Biblio member since 2024
Brooklyn, New York
About leaves
leaves is an independent, second-hand bookstore. we are a community-oriented project committed to sustainability and affordability.
we carry books of all genres, ranging in price from one dollar to many thousands. our website is dedicated to our rare, collectible, and out of print selection. for discount books and reading copies, visit our store in greenpoint, brooklyn.
we carry books of all genres, ranging in price from one dollar to many thousands. our website is dedicated to our rare, collectible, and out of print selection. for discount books and reading copies, visit our store in greenpoint, brooklyn.
Glossary
Some terminology that may be used in this description includes:
- Shelf Wear
- Shelf wear (shelfwear) describes damage caused over time to a book by placing and removing a book from a shelf. This damage is...
- Spine
- The outer portion of a book which covers the actual binding. The spine usually faces outward when a book is placed on a shelf....
- First Edition
- In book collecting, the first edition is the earliest published form of a book. A book may have more than one first edition in...
- Jacket
- Sometimes used as another term for dust jacket, a protective and often decorative wrapper, usually made of paper which wraps...
- Bookplate
- Highly sought after by some collectors, a book plate is an inscribed or decorative device that identifies the owner, or former...
- Facsimile
- An exact copy of an original work. In books, it refers to a copy or reproduction, as accurate as possible, of an original...
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