Mild show and book spoilers ahead.
I read the book a few years ago and loved it, so when I saw this while browsing hulu I couldn't resist. I went in not expecting much, but was pleasantly surprised. Before I say more I want to make two things clear. First, this is one of maybe a handful of novels where I do not see a need for an adaptation to be faithful to the letter of the novel, just the spirit. Second, I dont believe that there could be a great adaptation of Catch-22. It would necessarily sacrifice the humor or the depth. This adaptation errors on the side of humor, which I respect.
Now that we have that out of the way, I think this did a pretty darn good job of adapting both letter and spirit. I dont remember the book super well (time for a reread), but many of the plot points I do remember were there (a notable exception is the man who was presumed dead while still wandering around the base insisting on his continued health). The plot points that were there were as funny and as horrifying as I remember. The ones that did not ring a bell were as ridiculous and irreverent as I would expect and did not disappoint. I was thankful also to see that the show was just as happy to show the horrific moments of death as the ridiculous moments of incompetence.
As for acting, the actors you'll recognizing are as excellent as you would expect, if a bit over the top. The ones you dont know did just as well, though I am not so sure of Yossarian. He was good for the most part, but felt a bit wooden at times. I am not entirely sure whether this was a good character choice or the actors limitation.
In short, if you are looking for a slice of the humor you love from the book, but dont expect perfection, then check out this excellent limited series.
Now that we have that out of the way, I think this did a pretty darn good job of adapting both letter and spirit. I dont remember the book super well (time for a reread), but many of the plot points I do remember were there (a notable exception is the man who was presumed dead while still wandering around the base insisting on his continued health). The plot points that were there were as funny and as horrifying as I remember. The ones that did not ring a bell were as ridiculous and irreverent as I would expect and did not disappoint. I was thankful also to see that the show was just as happy to show the horrific moments of death as the ridiculous moments of incompetence.
As for acting, the actors you'll recognizing are as excellent as you would expect, if a bit over the top. The ones you dont know did just as well, though I am not so sure of Yossarian. He was good for the most part, but felt a bit wooden at times. I am not entirely sure whether this was a good character choice or the actors limitation.
In short, if you are looking for a slice of the humor you love from the book, but dont expect perfection, then check out this excellent limited series.