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laurenseeto's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
soljordan's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
4.0
classiccarissa's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
relaxing
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? Yes
4.25
kwmathias's review against another edition
4.0
Not bad! There’s this oddly dreamlike quality to the prose, where someone is always saying or doing “something,” but we don’t always get exactly what it is. I wasn’t ready for the final two chapters when he gets diagnosed with cancer—that hit a bit close to home for me right now.
via1's review against another edition
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.75
real and beautiful, made me teary on the train as I finished it lol
hannahmcg01's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
tinlizzyd08's review against another edition
5.0
This book was really impactful. I felt depressed and upset at the end, this is no child’s fairy tale or happy American dream come true. But it was also a story that made me think about what was important in life and the scope of life and its brevity.
William Stoner is a guy I understand. He loves books and literature and being ensconced in a university where the goal of every day is to learn and explore. He wasn’t born into a life of learning. His upbringing was in a hardscrabble farm with honest and kind parents who worked themselves to the bone and into early graves. Their love, kindness and sacrifice for their son touched my heart. As a parent, I know what it is like to give up dreams and your own personal desires so that your child may have their dreams and desires. His parents dreamed of having their only son go to college and learn agriculture and come back and make all their lives better. But even more, they dreamed that he would have a better life than they and that he would have the luxury of pursuing what makes him happy.
Stoner is able to go on and become a man of learning and an assistant professor at a prestigious college as he dreamed. But I found that he is very much the same as his parents, self sacrificing and unable to fight for his own needs. When he marries a well bred society girl he finds himself giving in to her whims and demands, not just at his expense but his daughter’s. And when the university puts pressure on him to leave the relationship that makes him happy, he also gives in and goes on to live a loveless existence for the remainder of his life. Heartbreaking!
There’s so much more I felt about this book and much to be discussed. This would be a great book club book. I think I will need to reread this one another time or two to absorb it fully. Definitely worth the read!
William Stoner is a guy I understand. He loves books and literature and being ensconced in a university where the goal of every day is to learn and explore. He wasn’t born into a life of learning. His upbringing was in a hardscrabble farm with honest and kind parents who worked themselves to the bone and into early graves. Their love, kindness and sacrifice for their son touched my heart. As a parent, I know what it is like to give up dreams and your own personal desires so that your child may have their dreams and desires. His parents dreamed of having their only son go to college and learn agriculture and come back and make all their lives better. But even more, they dreamed that he would have a better life than they and that he would have the luxury of pursuing what makes him happy.
Stoner is able to go on and become a man of learning and an assistant professor at a prestigious college as he dreamed. But I found that he is very much the same as his parents, self sacrificing and unable to fight for his own needs. When he marries a well bred society girl he finds himself giving in to her whims and demands, not just at his expense but his daughter’s. And when the university puts pressure on him to leave the relationship that makes him happy, he also gives in and goes on to live a loveless existence for the remainder of his life. Heartbreaking!
There’s so much more I felt about this book and much to be discussed. This would be a great book club book. I think I will need to reread this one another time or two to absorb it fully. Definitely worth the read!
emmaprins's review against another edition
challenging
dark
inspiring
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75