Catch 22

OK, here goes...this book is a total mystery to me because I have been trying to read it for years.  I start each new attempt (four so far) full of good intentions, thinking that this time I will manage it. I hope each time  that I will finally see the light about why this book has been called  One of the greatest novels of the century. But I never manage it and by a third through I'm infuriated, bored, depressed and totally lacking any empathy for any of the characters.  They can all die in the war for all I care.
On Amazon this book gets 4.5 stars out of 5 and thousands rave about it.  I JUST DONT GET IT!! It's a conspiracy!
 It's badly written, confusing and lacking any narrative. It jumps around like crazy and new characters just appear every few lines. Yes, parts of it are funny but mostly it's just a deeply depressing rant. OK, Heller is good at playing with words and that's amusing and clever for a while but his 'humour' never seems to move on from this and it all becomes a bit embarrassing; like he's showing off in front of his Mum.
A friend of mine says I should stick with it and that I will be rewarded for my patience as it starts to make more sense half way through. But I can't be bothered now. I have lost the will to live with this book and even reading one page is a chore.  I just jump from the first line to the last on each page! I want a book to be good all the way through...is that too much to ask? I really don't want to be rewarded for having waded through crap for a week! (A week, yes, I have been stuck with this damn book for over a week!)
My response  does upset me because I really want to like it but I find it weak and dated. The reason this book is such a classic is just because it spawned a saying and was a catalyst  for  great series like M.A.S.H but apart from that it just infuriates me.
The last laugh is on Heller though...because with me he has created a perfect personal Catch 22. If so many people like it, I must be missing something so I have to read it again, but I think it's shit...what's going on?!!!  I'm sure I will have to return to  this irritating book one more time before I die!