The closing of Closing Time

24Mar08

The attached note read:

Dear A,
Here you go…
Rediscover the Yossarian ways if at all they exist in this one.
Always a frn,
JR, 2007

Not only did I rediscover the Yossarian ways but also managed to get a glimpse of his life before and after the warring years. The only thing I haven’t figured out yet is where the hell am/was I supposed to go? And till this moment I had always read the frn as fan and prided myself on having a small yet loyal following.

Yossarian has become rather old, more talkative and less impulsive than his younger days. Seeing him this old, he’s almost seventy now, I couldn’t help feeling disappointed. The youthful exuberance has now been replaced with aged cynicism. Sammy Singer, Lew Rabinowitz and the Chaplain along with Milo Minderbinder are the only ones who make it here too. Singer recalls his days of repeated faintings in the cockpit of the fighter, Rabinowitz recounts his days as a POW with animated vigour, the Chaplain is as clueless as he had been and Milo is as scheming and profiting as ever.

Closing Time is certainly darker, less paradoxical and more terrifying than its predecessor. If wit, nonsense and absurdity had been the scoring points of Catch 22, materialism and insecurity are the central themes of Closing Time. Another book can’t attempt to capture the imagination of these works, not because its impossible but due to the fact that the time has passed, the moment is gone and the gruesome fatuity long dead.

 

I had chosen Chuck Palahniuk as the next read, but the fear of going insane made me put it back on the shelf. Maybe the next time, in saner moments.

Possibly related posts: (automatically generated)


Filed under: Books, Catch 22, Experiences, Friends, General, Insanity, Nostalgia, Uncategorized   |  
Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,

9 Responses to “The closing of Closing Time”  

Feed for this Entry Trackback Address
  1. 1 bApHoMEt on March 24, 2008 said:

    I’d never even heard of a Catch 22 sequel. “but the fear of going insane made me put it back on the shelf.” seems to me, its time you do some lighter reading.

  2. 2 kalafudra on March 24, 2008 said:

    and then you start Animal Farm? I would have gone with the Palahniuk (probably because G.O. can’t write, even if his stories are good).

  3. 3 indisch on March 25, 2008 said:

    @Baphomet:
    We often get to know about things a bit late… ;-) Light reading? Yeah, that’s exactly what I’m trying to do now.

    @Kalafudra:
    Ya, I did. And it lasted just for a couple of hours and a bit more. I won’t say that he can’t write, even though I agree that his stories are good. Animal Farm reminded me of 1984, the similarities are striking.

  4. 4 kalafudra on March 25, 2008 said:

    They are very striking.
    I liked 1984 a bit better than Animal Farm but both books are no books I want to read again…

  5. 5 bApHoMEt on March 25, 2008 said:

    You know, after The Prestidigitator emotionally blackmailed me to read comics, I am now proud to say, that I am addicted to The Sandman and Watchmen. Am now roaming the dark alleys of Barnes & Noble, Borders and The Public Library in search of others like it.

  6. 6 indisch on March 25, 2008 said:

    @Kalafudra:
    Hhmm… I’m not sure about 1984, the first time was depressing enough. But yeah, Animal Farm should be made compulsory reading.

    @Baphomet:
    Emotional blackmailing is an art mastered by Presti. Luckily, he flew away before I was converted.

  7. 7 kalafudra on March 25, 2008 said:

    @indisch:
    I had to read both books for school. so it already was compulsory for me. Maybe that shaped my view on them, too.

    @baph:
    You could read the Death comics (also Neil Gaiman, same universe as Sandman). And a comic I really love is Fables, though it’s different from Sandman, so you should have a look at it first. And another thing I love is Blacksad, which unfortunately came to a screeching halt after vol. 3. It’s a dectective story, in the style of the 50s noir movies, with all the “people” being animals.

  8. 8 bApHoMEt on March 26, 2008 said:

    @Kalafudra - You’re the second guy this week who suggested Death. Will give it a try.

  9. 9 leafless on March 27, 2008 said:

    I too think some lighter reading will be a nice change for you.

Leave a Reply