Mine was Catch-22 as well. I never thought that a book about war, which is inherently tragic, could also be hilarious. I rarely laugh out loud when reading; this was one of the exceptions. People would ask me “what’s so funny?” and I’d show the them the cover. Cue a look of utter befuddlement.

Now, when I reflect on it as a tired and jaded adult. I’m even more impressed by the book’s ability to be comic and tragic at the same time. I’ve seen more of what war did to people physically and emotionally. I’ve experienced the tenth circle of hell that is bureaucracy. And Heller still makes me laugh.