filmfan's diary

Ever since I first read Pugwash Magazine many moons ago, I have wanted to become enshrined in its glossy pages. 

It took me just two months to get one of my reviews into Pugwash News - my first blog here celebrated that fact.

Now I've made into the magazine. I say now, what I actually mean is recently. The last issue - the one with the snazzy blue/black/grey design - features the following classic book review by yours truly. This is by no means the best bit of this issue, far from it - so don't miss the mag. I know there's still a few out and about the campus to be picked up.

Oh, seeing as this is online now, I might as well stick a few links in it. Enjoy!

Books That Every Student Should Read – Catch-22 by Joseph Heller

            You have probably heard of a ‘Catch-22’, it’s a situation where whatever you do; you can’t get the outcome you want. I’ll give you an example: you’re straight out of uni and you want to get a job, but you can’t get one without any experience - and you can’t get any experience without a reference from a previous job. Whatever you try you can’t get a job.

            What you might not know is that the term ‘Catch-22’ was coined by Joseph Heller to describe a number of baffling situations in his book of the same name. The book is the story, or rather a number of stories, revolving around Yosarrian, a U.S. Army Air Forces B-25 bombardier. It’s nearing the end of World War II and he’s sick of flying dangerous bombing missions, but he can’t be excused without being certified insane. But he can’t ask for this because it proves he’s not mad. You see, you’d have to be crazy not to want to get out.

            Written in the same circular style, repeating itself to add further details and finish jokes, Heller’s novel is at times upsetting, confusing and laugh out loud ironic. It is also oddly, given the war theme, erotic in places. His paragraphs often need re-reading, but it is a great read – so good I haven’t finished it yet. And I don’t want to.

5/5

I also recommend: Fahrenheit-451 by Ray Bradbury, Brave New World by Aldous Huxley and The Book of Dave by Will Self.