Joseph Heller's second novel, Something Happened, appearing thirteen years after the publishing sensation Catch-22, turns the focus of the same jaundiced eye from life in the military to the work and home life of Corporate Man living the American Dream. (May 1, 1923 – December 12, 1999) was an American satirist best remembered for writing the satiric World War II classic Catch-22. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... A novel (from French nouvelle Italian novella, new) is an extended, generally fictional narrative in prose. ... Alfred A. Knopf ( September 12, 1892 – August 11, 1984) was a leading American publisher of the 20th century. ... A hardcover (or hardback or hardbound) book is bound with rigid protective covers (typically of cardboard covered with cloth or heavy paper) and a stitched spine. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article may require cleanup. ... Catch 22 can refer to: A book by Joseph Heller, or the movie based on the book; see Catch-22. ... Good as Gold is a 1979 novel by Joseph Heller, author of Catch-22. ... (May 1, 1923 – December 12, 1999) was an American satirist best remembered for writing the satiric World War II classic Catch-22. ... Catch 22 can refer to: A book by Joseph Heller, or the movie based on the book; see Catch-22. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

Something Happened is much darker than its more highly touted predecessor. While Catch-22 is a frenetically paced book with an omniscient narrator, the bulk of Something Happened consists of the deep, often repetitive, internal monologue of the narrator, Bob Slocum, who laments the passage of time, the departure of old friends and opportunities, the futility of his career, the stagnation of his marriage, and the impossibility of being a good parent. The book has a fair amount of humor: Slocum's character studies of those around him are conducted with sadistic glee, his self-analysis is wry and rueful, and his absurdist juxtapositions at times approach those of the narrator of Catch-22; but its predecessor's darkest moments set the emotional tone for most of the work.

The book is not entirely without a plot, as a major event does occur by the book's end; however the book's title refers more to the loss of optimism and hope.

Literary significance & criticism

Something Happened did not match its predecessor's level of commercial success, though it was well-regarded by critics. In its moments of humor among unsparing honest, despairing stretches of self-evaluation, it recalls the great works of Anton Chekhov, and prefigures much later works such as the film American Beauty, but without allowing the reader/viewer ironic emotional distance. Anton Pavlovich Chekhov (Russian: , Anton Pavlovič Čehov) (29 January 1860 [O.S. 17 January] – 15 July 1904 [O.S. 2 July]) was a physician, major Russian short story writer and playwright. ... American Beauty is a 1999 drama film that explores themes of love, freedom, family, and the American Dream. ...

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