Joseph Heller

Joseph Heller (1923-1999) wrote Catch-22, a satirical novel published in 1961 and ranked #7 on Modern Library’s list the all-time greatest novels, ahead of even Grapes of Wrath and 1984.^[1] Heller served as a bomber for the United States in World War II in combat in Europe, which undoubtedly gave him rich experiences upon which to draw for the novel.

Heller’s later novels were less successful:

• Something Happened (1974)
• Good as Gold (1979) (satire about Washington, D.C.)
• God Knows (1984) (portraying a modern King David)
• Closing Time (1994) (sequel to Catch-22)
• Portrait of an Artist, as an Old Man (2000) (published posthumously)
• Catch As Catch Can: The Collected Stories and Other Writings (2003) (published posthumously)

His autobiography was Now and Then: From Coney Island to Here (1998), named after his New York roots.

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