Talk:Closing Time (novel)

message: I think the article should be a bit less revealing. I haven't finished reading this, and I was just looking at the article for other information like on the Catch-22 wiki, and I found the ending in the second paragraph. I would do this, but again, I haven't finished the book.-TheChrisParker (talk) 04:13, 2 April 2008 (UTC)
thread_title:  Spoiler? 

message: The person who wrote this article has no idea what he is talking about: "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" that is not true. the tailgunner's name was Huple. Sammy Singer is never mentioned in Catch-22.  —Preceding unsigned comment added by 71.207.245.71 (talk) 02:28, 6 February 2009 (UTC)
replies: text: No, Huple was the co-pilot (he was fifteen, lied about his age to join the army, and pulled the plane out the dive when Dobbs went nuts).  The nameless, fainting tail gunner did appear in Catch 22.  We learn his name in closing time (he mentions seeing Yossarian trying to help the dying Snowden). Czolgolz (talk) 03:37, 6 February 2009 (UTC)
thread_title:  What?!? 

message: I'm not sure that I agree that Yossarian's age is inconsistent with Catch-22. Heller does not reveal exactly when during WWII the events of Catch-22 took place. Though that could only affect Yossarian's age by a year or two it's somewhat significant. More significantly, remember that Yossarian frequently would exaggerate, stretch the truth, and outright lie. He claims to be twenty-eight at an ambiguous time of Catch-22 but he very well might not be. Based on the more reliable comments on the ages of younger men is his squad (like the eight-teen or twenty year old roommates he eventually gets), it is reasonable to assume that Yossarian is older than many of the other squad members. However, given the literalist conversational (and thought) style that Yossarian uses, his mental maturity may factor into the impression that he is older.
During Closing Time, I believe Yossarian initially says that he is in his late sixties (perhaps sixty-eight?). I don't quite remember all of the factors that made me think so, but I imagine that Closing Time is set around 1990 or earlier--which would qualify as "about a half-century later". Thus, given the unreliability of Yossarian's stated age in Catch-22 and (to the best of my memory), the uncertain time setting of Closing Time, Yossarian's age may very well be consistent. And, even if he was twenty-eight in Catch-22, based on his age in Closing Time (about seventy), I'd say that those fourty-two years are near enough to "about half a century". One final minor point: US involvement in WW2 was nearly halfway though the twentieth century; Closing Time is obliviously set near to the end of the century;they need not be equidistant from their reference points to be called about a half-century apart. 
I'll try to correct or update my points with actual facts from the texts soon. Korbnep (talk) 05:49, 2 April 2010 (UTC)
thread_title:  Yossarian's Age 

message: I've quite surprised about this not being in the article already. Sex, Death, old age, circular logic are all greatly represented in the book but have NO mention. The chaplain's heavy water, the wedding in the bus terminal, the expansion of Sammy's character, Michael Yossarian are are roughly untouched despite the book being around for a whole 16 years. 173.70.194.24 (talk) 23:42, 6 October 2010 (UTC)
thread_title:  Themes and Character changes (Beware of spoilers) 

message: So what is the actual PLOT? Not really described much at all. Can someone please add two or three lines? Thanks Ingolfson (talk) 12:56, 19 January 2011 (UTC)
thread_title:  What is the plot? 

message: Referring to: “This is similar to the anachronisms in the first novel, such as the computer that promotes Major Major Major Major.” --    
This is not an inconsistency. A “Computer” during WWII referred to a position rather than a machine. In fact, the computers of today are named after their human predecessors. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Ron g (talk • contribs) 20 April 2006
:Sorry, it's a mechanical computer. Of IBM make, even. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 24.168.57.47 (talk • contribs) 25 April 2006
Wasn't the IBM machine mechanical and electrical? I can't remember...
Also, I removed a statement saying that the book is very "Jewish" in viewpoint. TaylorSAllen 00:39, 12 April 2007 (UTC)
replies: text: Well, it is. The fact that several of the characters are Jewish is mentioned all the time throughout the book. Saying that it is "Jewish in viewpoint" might not be the best way of putting it, but it is information one might certainly argue belongs in the article. Any suggestions on how to phrase it?  —Preceding unsigned comment added by 88.68.210.118 (talk) 21:23, 27 March 2008 (UTC)
thread_title: Anachronisms

message: I recognise the silhouette on the first edition cover that is pictured in the article as the Danse Macabre from The Seventh Seal. This is obviously a reference to the theme of death in the novel, but would mentioning it here be considered original research? --37.157.52.71 (talk) 13:10, 8 January 2024 (UTC)
thread_title: Cover