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Yossarian Slept Here: When Joseph Heller Was Dad, The Apthorp Was Home, And Life Was A Catch-22 (2011)

by Erica Heller(Favorite Author)
3.54 of 5 Votes: 1
ISBN
1439197687 (ISBN13: 9781439197684)
languge
English
publisher
Simon & Schuster
review 1: A well written and heartfelt memoir by the daughter of the author of Catch-22 describing life as it was with her father and family. In a twist which I find endearing she describes at one point a final college exam in which her Russian teacher of literature accuses her of plagiarizing a line from Tolstoy- (the preface to Anna Karenina,) "happy families are all alike, but each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.""Now how could I have come up with something like THAT?" she asks. The story of Joe and Shirley Heller's marriage is an incredibly sad one in which none concerned were left without remarkable and searing scars in its wake. She is herself a brave and courageous individual, and it shows.
review 2: Witty and wonderfully written, this walk through the g
... moreates of the Apthorp and into the life of Joseph Heller and his family is a jewel of a book. I expected a portrait of the famous man, but was even more enthralled with her tale of growing up in a place and time that has now vanished, as though Eloise were given a life outside the Plaza, a career and a pen. She recaptures the details of a New York childhood with a family of characters right out of Central Casting, and unbelievably her sense of humor has remained intact. I can only marvel at her generosity of spirit in regards to her difficult but brilliant father, and loved this insider's view served with love and panache. less
Reviews (see all)
jolteongeorgia
Absolutely superb. The best book I have ever read about Joseph Heller. And I have read widely.
vweat001
A nice read about an interesting relationship.
Kelter
Library book. Full review to come.
blossomgirl
Witty and insightful
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