There is an argument to be made that this is the greatest American novel, full stop - there's a very, very strong argument to be made that it is the greatest American war novel ever written, though my man Kurt certainly did his part.
"Set in Italy during World War II, this is the story of the incomparable, malingering bombardier, Yossarian, a hero who is furious because thousands of people he has never met are trying to kill him. But his real problem is not the enemy—it is his own army, which keeps increasing the number of missions the men must fly to complete their service. Yet if Yossarian makes any attempt to excuse himself from the perilous missions he’s assigned, he’ll be in violation of Catch-22, a hilariously sinister bureaucratic rule: a man is considered insane if he willingly continues to fly dangerous combat missions, but if he makes a formal request to be removed from duty, he is proven sane and therefore ineligible to be relieved."
The perfect encapsulation of the ridiculousness of both war and the bureaucracy of the military, it boasts the richest cast of characters in American literature. There are far too many to name, but when Chief White Halfoat told the story of his family having to move because the government kept finding oil under them, I had to put the book down for 10 minutes because I was cry-laughing too hard to see the words.
Endlessly re-readable and flawless. It's perfect for the Quackverse.
Team Book II - Catch-22
@BigToe