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butchingdyke's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
its wonderful how one book with such a simple theme, a common mans life, ends up immersing the reader in the complicated days of a university professor.
ive read this both in my mother tongue and in english and i just cant get tired of it. the emotion always seems to lock me in.
ive read this both in my mother tongue and in english and i just cant get tired of it. the emotion always seems to lock me in.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity
stalfos's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Terminal illness, Infidelity, Cancer, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Death, Death of parent, and Child abuse
Minor: Alcohol, Alcoholism, War, and Classism
jayisreading's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
4.5
I was pleasantly surprised by this novel and its quietly intense world. The novel follows the relatively mundane life of William Stoner, though Williams reveals how complicated things can get for his protagonist through a masterful demonstration of “show, don’t tell.” It was fascinating to see the ripple effects of Stoner’s choices in his personal life as well as professional, and how the two are not easily separable. Williams also presented a more accurate depiction of academia than I expected, particularly the intensity of departmental politics and the love/hate relationship that comes with being an academic.
The protagonist isn’t a likable character, in my opinion, though he isn’t the absolute worst either. If anything, Stoner is a very honest reflection of what it means to be human and contend with one’s imperfections (some more egregious than others). Relatedly, the other characters in this novel, particularly his wife, Edith, demonstrate similar levels of introspection on the complexities of being human.
Stoner is a bittersweet novel, leaning far more towards the bitter rather than sweet. It really helped set the novel up to capture an existential solitude that will potentially leave the reader thinking about their own life. I should note that this is by no means a perfect novel, and there were certainly moments when I raised my eyebrows (such as the early stages of the Stoners’ marriage), but overall, I found it to be a compelling read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Toxic relationship, and Infidelity
Moderate: Emotional abuse, War, Rape, and Chronic illness
Minor: Alcoholism and Suicide
strrygo's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
the decline is so gradual i almost forgot i was watching it happen until those small moments of irreversible change .. marking a loss of a past that could never be retrieved even while we r still even in it(wanted to climb into the book n get it back it for them,, especially for grace), felt like i saw his life divide into moments of befores and afters..the way it all ,falls away, just feels so completely insignificant in the end...but there is so much tranquility and reassurance in it all, love love love
intro to the book has a quote from Williams calling stoner a hero(whole intro conflicted with my experience of the book rly whsgdhwhw). i don't think i pity him despite wishing everyone involved had a chance at something Better, or more, but i think it's so interesting how his endurance and firmness to himself—which i think is felt most with how he never seems to outgrow himself, he's just always the stoner thinking of the university as a thing beyond himself, masters, his Love, the dirt—is considered heroic, love and a desire to live, do something meaningful, to work, described as heroism when they feel like they are the most natural part of human nature make this feel so much more depressing for me. his life was not particularly difficult but that doesn't mean it was not sad, despite it's normalcy or the fact that it repeats itself in every other 'stoner'. if stoner is a hero What is there but to sacrifice and endure
♡ rec from adri
intro to the book has a quote from Williams calling stoner a hero(whole intro conflicted with my experience of the book rly whsgdhwhw). i don't think i pity him despite wishing everyone involved had a chance at something Better, or more, but i think it's so interesting how his endurance and firmness to himself—which i think is felt most with how he never seems to outgrow himself, he's just always the stoner thinking of the university as a thing beyond himself, masters, his Love, the dirt—is considered heroic, love and a desire to live, do something meaningful, to work, described as heroism when they feel like they are the most natural part of human nature make this feel so much more depressing for me. his life was not particularly difficult but that doesn't mean it was not sad, despite it's normalcy or the fact that it repeats itself in every other 'stoner'. if stoner is a hero What is there but to sacrifice and endure
♡ rec from adri
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity
Moderate: Rape, Death of parent, and War
Minor: Pregnancy and Racism
maresuju's review against another edition
TLDR; Mediocre white man in the 1920s who feels entitled to other people
<CW: marital rape>
I understand that this is supposed to be a representation of the monotony/mediocrity that life can be, but I almost feel like this was the opposite. The MC is selfish, refused to make decisions or take any action, and only acts out of his own immediate interests. He essentially forces his wife to marry him despite her making it clear that she has no romantic interest in him, and he rapes her regularly (the author makes it very clear that she’s either asleep or wake up and is tense/unmoving). And then he wonders why his life is shitty, why his wife hates him and keeps her daughter from him.
Truly he is a mediocre (at best) man who feels like he’s entitled to a job, friends, a wife, a family, everything just because he’s there, but puts no effort into any of his relationships. I really tried to stick it out, and made it almost 70% of the way through, but I was just so annoyed and angered by the MC that I couldn’t find a single reason to care about what happens.
<CW: marital rape>
I understand that this is supposed to be a representation of the monotony/mediocrity that life can be, but I almost feel like this was the opposite. The MC is selfish, refused to make decisions or take any action, and only acts out of his own immediate interests. He essentially forces his wife to marry him despite her making it clear that she has no romantic interest in him, and he rapes her regularly (the author makes it very clear that she’s either asleep or wake up and is tense/unmoving). And then he wonders why his life is shitty, why his wife hates him and keeps her daughter from him.
Truly he is a mediocre (at best) man who feels like he’s entitled to a job, friends, a wife, a family, everything just because he’s there, but puts no effort into any of his relationships. I really tried to stick it out, and made it almost 70% of the way through, but I was just so annoyed and angered by the MC that I couldn’t find a single reason to care about what happens.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Mental illness, Rape, War, Ableism, Death, Emotional abuse, and Sexual assault
Minor: Racism, Death of parent, Infidelity, Pregnancy, and Sexual content
apthompson's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Ableism, Death, War, Pregnancy, Sexual content, Alcoholism, Cancer, Infidelity, Mental illness, Death of parent, Grief, and Medical content
babelfish's review against another edition
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Damn.... it's not the perfect book...but it's bloody good one.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity
Moderate: Cancer and Gaslighting
Minor: Death and Emotional abuse
serendipitysbooks's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Stoner follows the life of William Stoner, a farmer’s son who goes to college, switches his agricultural course to English, has a middling academic career, marries, becomes a father, and, like all of us eventually, dies. This was such a melancholic read. The writing was beautiful in a quiet, understated way, but overall I found it a very depressing read, one that often made me angry. Stoner was (mostly) so detached and passive. His felt like a sad waste of a life, one with so little joy and happiness. I really wished I had the power to send him and his wife and daughter to therapy - individual, couples and family therapy. That and possibly some medication could have gone a long way. At the very least I wanted to give him a good slap, to tell him to stand up to his wife, that staying in the family unit would not help his daughter if he didn’t protect her, and that sometimes it is okay to put yourself first. I did appreciate the book for highlighting a fairly unremarkable life of a relatively ordinary man. The academic rivalries and politicking within his department amused me, possibly because I’m married to an academic. If the aim of this novel was to be a salutary lesson in how not to live, a warning to make the most of the life we have because all too quickly it will be over, then I’d call it a success. I’m glad to have read it, even though I frequently found the (in)actions of Stoner frustrating, which didn’t always make for an enjoyable reading experience.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Death, War, and Infidelity
stuckduck's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Child abuse, and Death
Minor: War
floatinthevoid's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
After reading about 60% of the book, I was very sure , this would be my new favorite. Until, the cheating plot came in. God damn it immediately made me gone to a reading slump. Like I could endure cheating in fiction if it's not romanticized. That part of the book is sooo annoying. I think John Williams is a very talented writer. He could write mundane things to be somethinh to have a very deep and long conversation. But if I had to sum up this book briefly, I'm just gonna say, this book is perfect for all of you who likes to suffer reading a depressing book. That's it. Oh, maybe some of you who study English Lit will also like this too.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity
Moderate: War and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Alcoholism