Catch-22

这部小说的英文名字“Catch-22”已经进入英语词典之中，成为新的英语词汇。它代表了统治者对于民众的愚弄，也代表了民众对于统治者的抨击。另外，这个词在英语中也象征人们处在一种荒谬的两难之中。如：一个人因为没有工作经验而不能得到一个工作，但是他又因为没有一个工作而得不到工作经验。

The novel is set during World War II, from 1942 to 1944. It mainly follows the life of Captain John Yossarian, a U.S. Army Air Forces B-25 bombardier. Most of the events in the book occur while the fictional 256th Squadron is based on the island of Pianosa, in the Mediterranean Sea, west of Italy. The novel looks into the experiences of Yossarian and the other airmen in the camp, who attempt to maintain their sanity while fulfilling their service requirements so that they may return home.