Caught in the net

I finished reading Catch 22 yesterday night and if I put forth to my myself the daunting task of scribbling my perspective of it, i am afraid i might end up being like one of those motley eccentric characters that the story unravels. Each of them is bizzare in his own peculiar way. The most funny ones being Hungry Joe, Colonel Cathcart, General Schieskoff and the ones that are paradoxically supposed to be less funnier and end up on the contrary, or is it the contrary.
The Protagonist of the story is Captain Yossarian, the lead bombardier of an American sqadron stationed in Italy. The era, concluding months of world war II. he has flown over more than sixty missions and wants them nomore. But he cannot be grounded becuase he is not crazy. This is the greatest irony of the story. One would be crazy to be flying missions and the mere understanding of it reveals he is sane enough and hence fit to fly more nissions. This is catch 22 and the superiors in the squadron use it fool their subordinates into perpetually flying more and more missions.
Yossarin is baffled and livid about the strange fact that strangers all around keep plotting to kill him. He is not sure if the enemy is within or without. As is revealed in one of his conversations: anyone who tries to get you killed is an enemy. The story brings out the conflict between the instinct to survive and subordination to the so called virtues as judged by the societal norms. Are virtues always virtuous? Is there a relative order in case of a conflict? The story evinces emotions ranging between the extremes of pity and laughter.
The penultimate and the concluding chapter bring out the essence of the story in the conversation between Yossarian and Major Danby. My favourite being the one when Danby remarks, "What if everyone thinks that way?". Yossarian replies:"Then wouldn't I be a fool if i were the only one thinking otherwise".
A compelling read bordering on insanity and raises nagging issues pertaining to morality and order. One of the best of its genre along with Animal Farm.