I didn't like Catch-22. After reading Gravity's Rainbow and being caught up in the brilliance of that infernal machine, Catch-22 seemed too staid and sober. I like it when my books are 'on' something, you know. If a book can be described as 'x on [drug],' then I'm pretty much on board immediately. Probably a result of doing lots of drugs and knowing how good a time they can be. Gravity's Rainbow is on acid for sure, and one could argue that many of Pynchon's other books were 'on weed.' Some novels are 'on wine' or 'on whiskey,' but Catch-22 didn't seem to be on anything. This didn't sit right with me, so after I got 100 pages in I had to put it down. Luckily Gravity's Rainbow was nearby (as I always make sure it is), so I opened that up to compare, but the difference was apparent immediately. I serendipitously opened it to the part where the man goes down the toilet, and within seconds of reading I was hooting and hollering and howling as only Pynchon can make ya do.
