Catch-22 Situation

I recently spent a weekend in Brighton. Being reet into books and that, I bought a Catch-22 poster from a gift shop. It should have looked like this:

Imagine my surprise when I got home and unwrapped it, only to discover that I had actually been given a poster for Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe:

Not being the sort to let such affronts go unchecked, I wrote an email to the shop. The fact that I had a week off from work and was a bit bored may have also played a part:

Hi,

Whilst down in Brighton for the weekend, I popped into your shop. It was a very nice shop. I saw a very cool poster forCatch-22. Being very much a fan of Catch-22, I decided to buy it.

As I live in London, I decided not to take the poster from its wrapping until I arrived home. I thought the label saying ‘Catch 22Poster’, as well as the receipt– which also says Catch-22– was sufficient evidence.

O-ho. I was wrong.

So, safely back in the beachless slums of London, I decided to liberate my coveted Catch-22 poster from its cellophane prison. Imagine my horror when I discovered it was not a poster for Catch-22, but one for Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe.

Now, it’s a very cool looking poster, don’t get me wrong. But putting it up may lead to my friends asking the awkward question: ‘so, what’s that book like?’, pointing to my poster. Then, shuffling my feet awkwardly, I’d be forced to explain that I haven’t actually read it. Once you look like a pseudo-intellectual poser in your friends’ eyes, no amount of reading or perceptive comment can remedy this. It would be social suicide. I’d forever be that bloke. That one who when you conjure up an image of them, they’re always wearing tweed– even though they’ve never worn tweed in their lives.

Of course, I could read it. But my to-read list currently has about a year’s backlog. Personally, I blame Dickens for not hiring a more ruthless editor.

Anyhow, I won’t be coming to Brighton for quite a while. And the poster was £15. That’s a lorra lorra money for a poster.

I see on your website that you deliver posters. As evidence, I have included a photo of said Achebe poster, and a close-up of the receipt. I’d be really grateful if you could send the correct poster to my address.

Best wishes,

Liam

I then received this reply:

A couple of days passed and no poster. I emailed Mike again:

Hi Mike,

Today’s post has come and gone, and alas! No Catch-22 poster. It’s still early days though.

To keep me going in the mean time, I have made my own Catch-22 poster. I have included it for your reference.

Warm Regards,

Liam

The real poster arrived a few days later. A testament to the power of pencil crayons.