.gif)
Closing Time (novel)
Encyclopedia
Closing Time is a 1994 novel
by Joseph Heller
, written as a sequel to the popular Catch-22
. It takes place in New York City
in the 1990s, and revisits some characters of the original, including Yossarian
, Milo Minderbinder
and Chaplain Tappman
.
The book has two stories that are interwoven throughout – that of Yossarian in the last stages of his life, and that of Sammy Singer and Lew Rabinowitz, two men from Coney Island
who also fought in World War II
(the Sammy Singer character makes a brief appearance in Catch-22 as the tailgunner aboard Yossarian's bomber who kept waking up and fainting when he saw Yossarian trying to attend to the wounds of Snowden).
As with Catch-22, the topic of death is omnipresent, only in this case from (usually) age-related illnesses, in particular cancer (rather than dying in battle, as with its predecessor).
One notable inconsistency in the book is that although Yossarian was 28 in Catch-22, which took place in 1944, in Closing Time, Yossarian is 68, and the time of Catch-22 is referred to as "50 years ago". When asked about the inconsistency in an interview with The New York Times, Heller replied, "I know, but I decided to ignore it."
There is a man mentioned by Lew named Vonnegut, whom he met while in Dresden. This is a reference to Kurt Vonnegut
's experiences in the Bombing of Dresden and his book Slaughterhouse-Five
. A character named Joey Heller is also mentioned who, like the author, was a bombardier during the second world war and suffers with Guillain-Barré syndrome
.
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
by Joseph Heller
Joseph Heller
Joseph Heller was a US satirical novelist, short story writer, and playwright. His best known work is Catch-22, a novel about US servicemen during World War II...
, written as a sequel to the popular Catch-22
Catch-22
Catch-22 is a satirical, historical novel by the American author Joseph Heller. He began writing it in 1953, and the novel was first published in 1961. It is set during World War II in 1943 and is frequently cited as one of the great literary works of the twentieth century...
. It takes place in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
in the 1990s, and revisits some characters of the original, including Yossarian
Yossarian
This article is about a "Catch-22" character. For the meerkat from "Meerkat Manor", see List of "Meerkat Manor" meerkats - Yossarian.Capt. John Joseph Yossarian is a fictional character and protagonist in Joseph Heller's novel Catch-22 and its sequel Closing Time...
, Milo Minderbinder
Milo Minderbinder
First Lieutenant Milo Minderbinder is a fictional character in Joseph Heller's most successful novel, Catch-22. As the mess officer of Yossarian's squadron, Minderbinder is a war profiteer during World War II, "perhaps the best known of all fictional profiteers" in American literature...
and Chaplain Tappman
Chaplain Tappman
Chaplain Captain Albert Taylor Tappman is a fictional character in Joseph Heller's novel Catch-22...
.
The book has two stories that are interwoven throughout – that of Yossarian in the last stages of his life, and that of Sammy Singer and Lew Rabinowitz, two men from Coney Island
Coney Island
Coney Island is a peninsula and beach on the Atlantic Ocean in southern Brooklyn, New York, United States. The site was formerly an outer barrier island, but became partially connected to the mainland by landfill....
who also fought in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
(the Sammy Singer character makes a brief appearance in Catch-22 as the tailgunner aboard Yossarian's bomber who kept waking up and fainting when he saw Yossarian trying to attend to the wounds of Snowden).
As with Catch-22, the topic of death is omnipresent, only in this case from (usually) age-related illnesses, in particular cancer (rather than dying in battle, as with its predecessor).
One notable inconsistency in the book is that although Yossarian was 28 in Catch-22, which took place in 1944, in Closing Time, Yossarian is 68, and the time of Catch-22 is referred to as "50 years ago". When asked about the inconsistency in an interview with The New York Times, Heller replied, "I know, but I decided to ignore it."
There is a man mentioned by Lew named Vonnegut, whom he met while in Dresden. This is a reference to Kurt Vonnegut
Kurt Vonnegut
Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. was a 20th century American writer. His works such as Cat's Cradle , Slaughterhouse-Five and Breakfast of Champions blend satire, gallows humor and science fiction. He was known for his humanist beliefs and was honorary president of the American Humanist Association.-Early...
's experiences in the Bombing of Dresden and his book Slaughterhouse-Five
Slaughterhouse-Five
Slaughterhouse-Five, or The Children's Crusade: A Duty-Dance with Death is a satirical novel by Kurt Vonnegut about World War II experiences and journeys through time of a soldier called Billy Pilgrim...
. A character named Joey Heller is also mentioned who, like the author, was a bombardier during the second world war and suffers with Guillain-Barré syndrome
Guillain-Barré syndrome
Guillain–Barré syndrome , sometimes called Landry's paralysis, is an acute inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy , a disorder affecting the peripheral nervous system. Ascending paralysis, weakness beginning in the feet and hands and migrating towards the trunk, is the most typical symptom...
.