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Something Happened

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457:, but are countered with praise for the novel's prose and the meticulous patience Heller took in the creation of the novel, stating, "Is this book any good? Yes. It is splendidly put together and hypnotic to read. It is as clear and hard-edged as a cut diamond. Mr. Heller's concentration and patience are so evident on every page that one can only say that 'Something Happened' is at all points precisely what he hoped it would be." In a contemporary write-up for 73: 175: 32: 469:
has since garnered a small base of devoted fans. In 2015, Carmen Petaccio referred to it as the "most criminally overlooked great novel of the past half century one of the most pleasurable, engrossing, and in retrospect moving American novels ever written." Naturi Thomas-Millard called it the "best
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While there is an ongoing plot about Slocum preparing for a promotion at work, most of the book focuses on detailing various events from his life, ranging from early childhood to his predictions for the future, often in non-chronological order and with little if anything to connect one anecdote to
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the next. Near the end of the book, Slocum starts worrying about the state of his own sanity as he finds himself hallucinating or remembering events incorrectly, suggesting that some or all of the novel might be the product of his imagination, making him an
463:, the reviewer stated that "there is none of the rogue absurdism or imaginative verve" of Heller's previous novel, but praised the book's "bravura, expertise and cumulative hook". 823: 453:
has frequently been criticized as overlong, rambling, and deeply unhappy. These sentiments are echoed in a review of the novel by fellow writer and humorist
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book you've never read"; while agreeing that it is overlong, she billed it as "an invaluable study in how to portray the horror of everyday life." Novelist
621: 675:"I happily lost most of my hope after reading Heller's, "Something Happened" and watched the 1973 French film, "The Mother and the Whore"" 928: 923: 596: 414: 885: 731: 137: 109: 521: 933: 804: 116: 90: 45: 20: 657: 344: 236: 218: 156: 59: 200: 123: 913: 938: 918: 703: 570: 483: 185: 105: 94: 908: 366: 506: 724: 417:
narrative about his job, his family, his childhood, his sexual escapades, and his own psyche. Although
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claims he "happily lost most of hope" after reading the novel.
622:"Reading Jonathan Franzen's 'Freedom' With Oprah's Book Club" 400: 352: 824:
Catch as Catch Can: The Collected Stories and Other Writings
522:"What Happened: A Look at Joseph Heller's Forgotten Novel" 378: 429:, with some considering it one of Heller's finest works. 486:
referred to the work as "dark and brilliant". Comedian
97:. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. 900: 528:. The Los Angeles Review of Books. May 15, 2015 413:is Bob Slocum, a businessman who engages in a 725: 547:"Kurt Vonnegut Jr. on 'Something Happened'" 421:failed to achieve the level of renown that 60:Learn how and when to remove these messages 739: 732: 718: 255: 403:(published in 1974, thirteen years after 237:Learn how and when to remove this message 219:Learn how and when to remove this message 157:Learn how and when to remove this message 619: 886:Now and Then: From Coney Island to Here 645: 507:Modern first editions - a set on Flickr 901: 516: 514: 713: 700:Kurt Vonnegut on 'Something Happened' 672: 620:Wiedeman, Reeves (December 5, 2010). 571:"Something Happened by Joseph Heller" 805:Portrait of an Artist, as an Old Man 168: 95:adding citations to reliable sources 66: 25: 652:. Simon and Schuster. p. 260. 511: 21:Something Happened (disambiguation) 13: 929:Books with cover art by Paul Bacon 14: 950: 924:Fiction with unreliable narrators 693: 41:This article has multiple issues. 673:Lewis, Richard (Aug 21, 2013). 173: 71: 30: 82:needs additional citations for 49:or discuss these issues on the 704:The New York Times Book Review 666: 639: 613: 589: 563: 539: 500: 425:did, it has since developed a 1: 646:Buckley, Christopher (2015). 493: 649:But Enough About You: Essays 445: 7: 934:Novels about businesspeople 199:the claims made and adding 16:1974 novel by Joseph Heller 10: 955: 409:). Its main character and 18: 869: 834: 815: 748: 384:PZ4.H47665 So PS3558.E476 376: 364: 350: 338: 322: 314: 304: 294: 286: 276: 266: 254: 914:Novels by Joseph Heller 816:Short story collections 432: 415:stream of consciousness 939:Bureaucracy in fiction 843:We Bombed in New Haven 919:Alfred A. Knopf books 909:1974 American novels 106:"Something Happened" 91:improve this article 19:For other uses, see 526:lareviewofbooks.org 484:Christopher Buckley 440:unreliable narrator 251: 250:Something Happened 878:No Laughing Matter 765:Something Happened 476:Something Happened 467:Something Happened 451:Something Happened 419:Something Happened 392:Something Happened 249: 184:possibly contains 896: 895: 859:Clevinger's Trial 577:. October 1, 1974 388: 387: 315:Publication place 277:Cover artist 247: 246: 239: 229: 228: 221: 186:original research 167: 166: 159: 141: 64: 946: 734: 727: 720: 711: 710: 687: 686: 670: 664: 663: 643: 637: 636: 634: 632: 617: 611: 610: 608: 607: 593: 587: 586: 584: 582: 567: 561: 560: 558: 557: 543: 537: 536: 534: 533: 518: 509: 504: 472:Jonathan Franzen 380: 354: 306:Publication date 259: 252: 248: 242: 235: 224: 217: 213: 210: 204: 201:inline citations 177: 176: 169: 162: 155: 151: 148: 142: 140: 99: 75: 67: 56: 34: 33: 26: 954: 953: 949: 948: 947: 945: 944: 943: 899: 898: 897: 892: 870:Autobiographies 865: 830: 811: 744: 738: 696: 691: 690: 671: 667: 660: 644: 640: 630: 628: 618: 614: 605: 603: 595: 594: 590: 580: 578: 569: 568: 564: 555: 553: 551:www.nytimes.com 545: 544: 540: 531: 529: 520: 519: 512: 505: 501: 496: 448: 435: 369: 323:Media type 307: 299:Alfred A. 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Joseph Heller
Paul Bacon
Alfred A. Knopf
Hardback
Paperback
ISBN
0-394-46568-7
OCLC

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