Joseph Heller Criticism
Joseph Heller, an American novelist renowned for his use of black humor and satire, has left an indelible mark on literary criticism with his exploration of war's absurdity and bureaucratic irrationality, most notably through his seminal work, Catch-22. Born to Russian-Jewish immigrants in Brooklyn and raised in Coney Island, Heller's sardonic humor and wartime experiences as a bombardier during World War II profoundly shaped his writing. As David M. Craig discusses, these experiences are vividly reflected in Catch-22, a novel that has resonated deeply since its publication, particularly during turbulent periods such as the Vietnam War, as noted by John Clark Pratt.
The novel's chaotic portrayal of war and its linguistic disintegration, highlighted by Alfred Kazin and Carol Pearson, critiques societal myths and showcases Heller's narrative innovation. Despite its monumental success, Heller's subsequent works, such as We Bombed in New Haven and Good as Gold, have sparked mixed reviews. John Simon notes the lack of depth in his plays, while Leonard Michaels and Eliot Fremont-Smith critique Good as Gold for its handling of Jewish identity and outdated tropes. Yet, Heller's ability to weave humor with social critique remains influential, as praised by Richard Locke.
Heller's later writings, including Closing Time and Now and Then, offer personal introspection, reflecting on aging and societal critique. Though considered by some as less impactful, as discussed by Robert L. McLaughlin, these works provide valuable insights into Heller's evolving themes. His posthumous work, Portrait of the Artist, as an Old Man, encapsulates a poignant exploration of a writer's struggle with creativity in later life, underscoring Heller's enduring legacy as a chronicler of human absurdity and institutional critique.
Contents
- Principal Works
- Heller, Joseph (Vol. 3)
- Heller, Joseph (Vol. 5)
- Heller, Joseph (Vol. 1)
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Heller, Joseph (Vol. 11)
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'We Bombed in New Haven'
(summary)
In the following essay, John Simon criticizes Joseph Heller's play We Bombed in New Haven for its lack of originality and depth, arguing that it fails to effectively employ techniques of Pirandello, Absurdism, Brechtian, or Pinterian drama, resulting in a simplistic and ineffective anti-war message.
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Bright Book of Life: American Novelists and Storytellers from Hemingway to Mailer
(summary)
In the following essay, Alfred Kazin argues that Joseph Heller's Catch-22 explores the senselessness and horror of war through the character Yossarian, highlighting the psychological feeling of entrapment and inevitability of death in a world rendered chaotic and irrational by conflict.
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'Catch-22' and the Debasement of Language
(summary)
In the following essay, Carol Pearson contends that Joseph Heller's Catch-22 critiques the use of language as a manipulative tool rather than a communicative one, exposing the disparity between societal myths and reality and advocating for a rejection of rationalist language in favor of embracing irrationality as a means to comprehend and navigate an inherently chaotic universe.
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Eros and Thanatos in 'Catch 22'
(summary)
In the following essay, Mike Frank argues that Joseph Heller's Catch-22 critiques the destructive nature of the Protestant ethic and its deification of the profit motive, highlighting how the novel's characters, particularly Yossarian, challenge a society that sacrifices life for economic gain, embracing instead the life-affirming principle of eros.
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Richard Locke
(summary)
In the following essay, Richard Locke argues that Joseph Heller's "Catch-22" is perhaps the most significant novel published post-World War II, noted for its cultural synthesis, narrative structure, and resemblance to American literary giants, while comparing it favorably to Thomas Pynchon's "Gravity's Rainbow."
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Kvetch-22
(summary)
In the following essay, Eliot Fremont-Smith critiques Joseph Heller's "Good as Gold" for its outdated absurdities, lack of genuine insight, and offensive stereotypes, arguing that its portrayal of anti-Semitism lacks depth and offers no new perspective, merely reiterating Heller's belief that everything is inherently corrupt.
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Bruce Gold's American Experience
(summary)
In the following essay, Leonard Michaels argues that Joseph Heller's novel "Good as Gold" is a satirical exploration of Jewish identity and existential alienation, using the character of Bruce Gold to critique the commodification of culture and identity in America, while also delving into themes of self-identity and the complexity of Jewish experience.
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'We Bombed in New Haven'
(summary)
- Heller, Joseph (Vol. 8)
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Heller, Joseph
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The Political Satire in Joseph Heller's Good as Gold
(summary)
In the following essay, Toman examines Heller's satirical treatment of the American neoconservative political program in Good as Gold.
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Yossarian's Legacy: Catch-22 and the Vietnam War
(summary)
In the following essay, Pratt explores parallels between Catch-22 and the experience of fighting in the Vietnam War.
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From Avignon to Catch-22
(summary)
In the following essay, Craig discusses the influence of Heller's World War II experience as a pilot over Avignon on the writing of Catch-22.
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Review of Closing Time
(summary)
In the following review, Murtaugh finds Closing Time to be ultimately disappointing in its “central organizing idea.”
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An Interview with Joseph Heller
(summary)
In the following interview, Heller and Reilly explore Heller's literary techniques, particularly his use of satire and narrative perspectives, and discuss the thematic evolution of his novels from the acclaimed Catch-22 to the more personal and realistic Closing Time, highlighting Heller's engagement with historical events and personal experiences.
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The Early Composition History of Catch-22
(summary)
In the following essay, Nagel explores Heller's writing process for Catch-22, finding the early draft manuscripts rich with implications for the final published version of the novel.
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Shy Raconteur
(summary)
In the following review, Glass finds Now and Then lacking as autobiography. Now and Then is a detailed guide to subway travel and cheap food in 1930s Coney Island, New York. It begins in Coney Island, lingers in Coney Island and, somehow, ends in Coney Island. Its title could have been No Escape from Coney Island or—because the author also wrote Catch-22—Catch a Life in Here if You Can. Or, as writer of that other masterpiece, Something Happened, Joseph Heller might have called this Nothing Happened. Nothing much does.
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Portrait of the Artist, as an Old Man
(summary)
In the following review, the anonymous critic finds Portrait of the Artist, as an Old Man lacking in profundity but worth reading for the insight it provides into Heller's reaction to his own aging.
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Portrait of the Artist, as an Old Man
(summary)
In the following review, McLaughlin considers Portrait of the Artist, as an Old Man a bittersweet and satisfying final work. Joseph Heller's posthumous novel focuses on Eugene Pota, an aging writer struggling to find an idea for a final masterpiece, allowing for meditations on old age, writer's block, and the despair of writers near the end of their lives. Heller wrestles with the challenges of creation, presenting a smart, funny, bittersweet, personal novel about writing novels as a farewell gift.
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The Political Satire in Joseph Heller's Good as Gold
(summary)
- Further Reading