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ilman002's review against another edition
5.0
A brilliant examination of one man's life. One of the best books I've read this year. 5 stout stars.
hansje501's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-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
4.0
vishalancyrus's review against another edition
4.0
"What did you expect?" he asked himself.
The world turns around Stoner: war, hardship, love, and yet Stoner remains steadfast, rooted in his place and identity.
The world as it comes to Stoner is quiet. Stoner is a quiet novel. This book tells the story of a boy born from the soil of a farm, who lives his life quietly, head bowed, moving through time day by day. This quietness permeates every page of the book.
Stoner is about how we suffer, but it's also about how a man can overcome and endure through it all. More than anything, it is a story about life. He carved out an identity he could be content with. That's not to say there isn’t immense sadness in this book—it is a profoundly sad story. It's a kind of sadness you feel when flipping through an old school yearbook or hearing a song that reminds you of someone you once loved.
There are questions I would have liked to ask Stoner about the choices he made. But isn’t that what great novels do—leave us with questions, wanting to know the answers?
John Williams' “Stoner” is something rarer than a great novel. It strikes a chord very close to home. The heartbreak is subtle yet deeply affecting.
The world turns around Stoner: war, hardship, love, and yet Stoner remains steadfast, rooted in his place and identity.
The world as it comes to Stoner is quiet. Stoner is a quiet novel. This book tells the story of a boy born from the soil of a farm, who lives his life quietly, head bowed, moving through time day by day. This quietness permeates every page of the book.
Stoner is about how we suffer, but it's also about how a man can overcome and endure through it all. More than anything, it is a story about life. He carved out an identity he could be content with. That's not to say there isn’t immense sadness in this book—it is a profoundly sad story. It's a kind of sadness you feel when flipping through an old school yearbook or hearing a song that reminds you of someone you once loved.
There are questions I would have liked to ask Stoner about the choices he made. But isn’t that what great novels do—leave us with questions, wanting to know the answers?
John Williams' “Stoner” is something rarer than a great novel. It strikes a chord very close to home. The heartbreak is subtle yet deeply affecting.
domiurb's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
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? No
4.5
allisong82's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
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
4.75
yijinkang's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
flacko's review against another edition
reflective
medium-paced
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
lbykes's review against another edition
Took me forever to finish this, partly for brain reasons and partly because the sadness and the failures detailed are so deep and irrevocable and precise that reading was sometimes agonizing. But the joys are equally sensitive, and the whole thing is suffused with gentleness. Glad I got through it, glad to become acquainted with Stoner and consider his life, its value and its beauty.
marciomizuhara's review against another edition
5.0
5/5
After turning the last page, I was deeply moved and couldn’t quite pinpoint why the tears came: whether it was the haunting resonance of the final act, which mirrored moments from my own life; the bittersweet realization that, like Stoner, my life at 41 isn’t what I once imagined; the understated yet profoundly impactful beauty of the author's prose; or maybe the quiet anguish of knowing I may never read something as deeply true and beautiful again.
After turning the last page, I was deeply moved and couldn’t quite pinpoint why the tears came: whether it was the haunting resonance of the final act, which mirrored moments from my own life; the bittersweet realization that, like Stoner, my life at 41 isn’t what I once imagined; the understated yet profoundly impactful beauty of the author's prose; or maybe the quiet anguish of knowing I may never read something as deeply true and beautiful again.
pulsepageturner's review against another edition
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0