Book Review: Catch 22

I recently wanted to read this novel once I heard it's supposed to be the funniest book written in the English language. Until now, the funniest satire I've read was either Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy or Wild at Heart. Of course only the first one was intentionally funny, so I can't count the second. Still.

Catch 22's blurb was not an exaggeration. It uses satire, slapstick, verbal mahem, over the top bad behavior (including visiting prostitutes and such so yes that counts as a warning to sensitive readers)and even a Road Runner style chase scene. Yes, I said Road Runner. But even that is used to good effect, once you catch the theme.

Yossarian is either the only sane man in a group of lunatics, or the least crazy person, mostly due to the fact that he doesn't want to die. The book argues with a brilliant ripple-effect style that the world we live in is insane, and that much of it is our choice yet somehow out of our control. Or is it? If you don't like the way things are, you can walk away any time you want to. Only you can't. Can you?

This and Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver were extremely well-timed reads for me. PB helped me rethink cross-cultural teaching/ministry and how it should be done, while Catch 22 helps me think through why we (people) do anything at all. I don't want to give anything away just in case, but if you're taking a stand or asking why you even try the end (of C 22) can come in handy. It worked for me,anyway.

Of course, if you don't enjoy fiction you can skip this review entirely. Of course, you just read it so you really can't. Or can you?

My Name is Earl

Recently Beka and I started watching the first season of My Name is Earl and laughing quite a bit. It's no Office, but it was a lot less lame than I expected it to be. In the midst of the dumb Raising Arizona meets Me Myself and Irene humor, I was surprised by some hints of insight. Pure coincidence I'm sure, but appreciated nonetheless.

Earl is a petty thief who somehow wins the Lottery one day. Shortly after he's hit by a car. In the hospital, he discovers that Carson Daley came up with this thing called karma. He buys into it, makes a list of everything he did wrong, and proceeds to go about making things right, so he can cross stuff off the list and be a good person.

This is legalism, right? But it also equates to a sort of conversion experience. He realizes he can't hang out with the same people he used to, gets called nasty names and endures whining that he was so much more fun before. Of course, he's still entertaining, or Beka and I wouldn't laugh so much.

He also constantly adds to his list as he realizes things he did wrong that he never even thought about before. Hmmm.

At least in any of the episodes we watched, Christianity is mentioned in passing but not bad mouthed. Earl has to confess to an ex-con how he had wronged him. Fresh out of prison, the guy still has the wild-eyed look until he mentions that he became a Christian. However, he seems ready to return to the old ways when Earl confesses. Quickly Earl asks "What Would Jesus Do?"

The other man pauses, then consults the tatoo of Jesus on his chest.

Here it comes, I thought. Token hypocrisy.

"I forgive you," he states. Later on, we see a much saner looking version of him waving at Earl. In the midst of bizarre tattoo humor, we see a Christian practicing forgiveness on TV. And that makes me smile.