Christopher Hitchens.

I discovered Christopher Hitchens about 2 months before his unfortunate death. He made such an impression that I was shocked when I heard he died. He has become someone I aspire to.

I was encouraged to read his autobiography 'Hitch-22'. Such an interesting life. It's a book filled with humour, irony, nostalgia and sophistication. It is both inspiring and disheartening to see how active he was: travelling across the world to the most dangerous parts of the world at a young age. He said that to be a writer you need to feel like you have to write, not just wanting to. Not sure about that.

Now, I don't agree with all his views. I am an atheist, but think he is possibly too aggressive in his approach. He can sometimes cross the line. I find this entertaining to watch or read and respect him for it, but probably wouldn't myself. Furthermore, I am unsure on the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq which he is in favour of. I used to think we should get out as fast as possible, but now I am less certain. Generally, I am interested in politics greatly but find it harder to reach conclusions since. Too much of an academic? Not reading into it enough?Either way, Hitchens has inspired me to find out more than I did.

Hitchens decided to try the experience of being water-boarded. I greatly admire his courage for this. He realised he couldn't progress the debate further without experiencing it himself. He concluded that it is a form of torture. Interestingly, he said that it was a misconception to say that it simulates drowning: it drowns you in slow motion.

Ultimately, what appeals is his atheism. I haven't got round to reading 'god Is Not Great' yet, but I'm aware of most of his views having seen endless lectures, blogs and debates etc. He described himself as an anti-theist. Not only did he think it is not true, but he thought it would be bad if it was. Christianity is the ultimate giving up of our personal freedom to a celestial dictatorship, to a God that commands us to love him. He "creates us sick and commands us to be well". Personally, I don't take such a harsh view, because if the Christian God exists, then He is good and and everything He does is good. Still, I greatly admire the strength of Hitchens' argument.

Hitch.

Catch 22

This book had potential to become one of my favourite novels of all time. It is hilariously written and very clever. However, I'm going to be honest and say that for such a long novel, too little happens. I can cope with length sometimes, if it is full of events and is engaging. Catch-22 on the other hand, has moments that are really gripping but too long sections where nothing happens. For a good section of it I was skimming.

That isn't to say that I don't realise it is totally genius and am glad I have read it, but I wanted more. Or less. Yes, that's it. I wanted all the good stuff without the waffle. So, it was good, but I wanted less of it. Sounds like something someone in Catch-22 would say.

Although, by the end, it really picks up the pace. Once some plot actually starts it became really engaging and my pace of reading multiplied rapidly. I really enjoyed the ending, absolutely fantastic.

---

There was only one catch and that was Catch-22, which specified that a concern for one's own safety in the face of dangers that were real and immediate was the process of a rational mind. Orr was crazy and could be grounded. All he had to do was ask; and as soon as he did, he would no longer be crazy and would have to fly more missions. Orr would be crazy to fly more missions and sane if he didn't, but if he was sane, he had to fly them. If he flew them, he was crazy and didn't have to; but if he didn't want to, he was sane and had to. Yossarian was moved very deeply by the absolute simplicity of this clause of Catch-22 and let out a respectful whistle.

"That's some catch, that Catch-22," he observed.

"It's the best there is," Doc Daneeka agreed.

"Of course you're dying. We're all dying. Where the devil else do you think you're heading?"