The incredibly well-respected website The Browser just published an interview on five books I think are essential to political satire. Please check it out, and let me know if you like the same books or which other ones you would pick. If I get a chance (and some good recommendations) I will post an updated list with your selections.
I picked up a copy of Catch 22 at a rummage sale for a quarter, when I was a teen in the early 1980’s, and remember being completely blown away by how damn funny it was.
I knew Catch-22 was satire, and I was expecting it to have a droll theme and end with a punch line, but C’-22 had me in stitches all the way through, like almost every paragraph is fucking hilarious.
I later watched the well respected movie, and it’s good, but holy fuck, that book is so much better.
Catch 22 is like if you took my Dad’s soul crushing Vietnam war stories, and the resulting cynicism the conflict left him with, and made it funny.
I’ve been telling people for years to read Catch-22, I’m like, I swear it’s really funny”, but alack, I kind of suspect that not one of the people I’ve recommend that fine book to read it.
Catch 22 is the only one of the five books on Lee’s list that have read, and I have the greatest respect for Bill Hicks and would be happy to read that book, but Jon Steward is a stupid shill, and a dirty old whore, and will not be getting any of my money, and neither will his older brother Larry the C.O.O..