Click for full-size.
Catch-22
by Heller, Joseph
- Used
- near fine
- first
- Condition
- Near Fine/Near Fine
- Seller
-
Portland, Oregon, United States
Payment Methods Accepted
About This Item
New York: Simon & Schuster, 1961. First Edition. Near Fine/Near Fine. First edition, first printing. Bound in publisher's original blue cloth with spine lettered in white, red topstain. Near Fine with slight toning to spine and top edges of boards, minor soiling to rear board and trivial rubbing to tips. In a Near Fine unclipped dust jacket with trivial creases, subtle fading to spine, several small faint stains, and small tape repair at crown on verso. A great copy of the author's best-known work, a satirical novel of the absurdity of war set in World War II.
Synopsis
Catch-22 is Joseph Heller’s first novel and his most acclaimed work. Set during World War II, the novel uses a distinctive non-chronological third-person omniscient narration, mainly focusing on the life of Captain John Yossarian, a U.S. Army Air Forces B-25 bombardier. Occasionally, the narrator also shows us how other characters, such as the chaplain or Hungry Joe, experience the world around them. As the novel’s events are described from the different points of view through separate out-of-sequence storylines, the timeline of Catch-22 develops along with the plot. The novel's title refers to a plot device that is repeatedly invoked in the story. Catch-22 starts as a set of paradoxical requirements whereby airmen mentally unfit to fly did not have to, but could not actually be excused. By the end of the novel, the phrase is invoked as the explanation for many unreasonable restrictions. “Catch-22” has since entered the English language and can be understood as an unsolvable logic puzzle, a difficult situation from which there is no escape. Upon publication, the book was not a best seller in the United States. It was merely a cult favorite until the publication of the paperback edition in 1962, which set record sales — most likely benefitting from a national debate about the pointlessness of the Vietnam War. Catch-22 has since been ranked as one of the 100 best English-language novels of the 20th century by the Modern Library, one of the 20th century's top 100 novels by the Radcliffe Publishing Course, and one of the 100 greatest novels of all time by The Observer.
Read More: Identifying first editions of Catch-22
Reviews
(Log in or Create an Account first!)
Details
- Bookseller
- Burnside Rare Books, ABAA
(US)
- Bookseller's Inventory #
- 140946272
- Title
- Catch-22
- Author
- Heller, Joseph
- Book Condition
- Used - Near Fine
- Jacket Condition
- Near Fine
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Edition
- First Edition
- Publisher
- Simon & Schuster
- Place of Publication
- New York
- Date Published
- 1961
- Bookseller catalogs
- Literature;
Terms of Sale
Burnside Rare Books, ABAA
30 day return guarantee, with full refund including shipping costs for up to 30 days after delivery if an item arrives misdescribed or damaged.
About the Seller
Burnside Rare Books, ABAA
Biblio member since 2010
Portland, Oregon
About Burnside Rare Books, ABAA
Burnside Rare Books specializes in literary first editions and works of cultural and historic significance. We are located in Portland, Oregon and welcome visitors by appointment.
Glossary
Some terminology that may be used in this description includes:
- Spine
- The outer portion of a book which covers the actual binding. The spine usually faces outward when a book is placed on a shelf....
- First Edition
- In book collecting, the first edition is the earliest published form of a book. A book may have more than one first edition in...
- Cloth
- "Cloth-bound" generally refers to a hardcover book with cloth covering the outside of the book covers. The cloth is stretched...
- Edges
- The collective of the top, fore and bottom edges of the text block of the book, being that part of the edges of the pages of a...
- Jacket
- Sometimes used as another term for dust jacket, a protective and often decorative wrapper, usually made of paper which wraps...
- Rubbing
- Abrasion or wear to the surface. Usually used in reference to a book's boards or dust-jacket.
- Fine
- A book in fine condition exhibits no flaws. A fine condition book closely approaches As New condition, but may lack the...
- Verso
- The page bound on the left side of a book, opposite to the recto page.
Frequently asked questions
This Book’s Categories
Collecting Vintage Valentine’s Day Cards
Exchanging Valentines can be an awkward process, especially when you consider “Vinegar Valentines” and other snarky sentiments - whatever your tastes, enjoy the sweet and sour cards alike in this gallery!
Cleaning and repairing leather books
Wondering how to take care of the leather books in your collection? Renowned book care expert Bern Marcowitz explains how and when to clean and repair leather books.
