Catch-22 is a now classic satirical novel written by American author and World War II veteran Joseph Heller. First published in 1961, the book has become one of the most important twentieth century literary works. Since early after its publication, it has gained cult followers and until now approximately 10 million copies of it have been sold. A fellow WWII veteran, who is also an author and a scholar, referred to the novel as the most accurate book about military. The title itself, Catch-22, has introduced a new term entry in English vocabulary which means, as written at Wikipedia.com, “a problematic situation for which the only solution is denied by a circumstance inherent in the problem or by a rule."
Set during the World War II, the story in the novel is somewhat historical and it covers several themes and motives; among others are heroism, (absurdity, inefficiency, and power of) bureaucracy, religious faith, sanity, greed, and amorality of capitalism. However, despite the WWII background in the story, Heller said that he got the influence from and intended his criticisms toward the Koran War and the Cold War.
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