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lea_elisa's review against another edition
reflective
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
4.0
lolrie's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This might be the best book Ive ever read
alghesny's review against another edition
5.0
Arguably my favorite read of the year so far. A manifestation of life, literary obsessions, and the tranquility of being. A story for all book lovers to appreciate. Williams took eloquence of delivery and portrayal of wisdom within literature to a whole new level.
lucyismyname's review against another edition
5.0
This is one of the best novels I’ve ever read. However, the introduction gave the entire story away. I can’t fathom what more of a delight this book would have been if my experience hadn’t been injured by the introductory chapter.
I've encountered this with so many books and it just baffles me - why would you not stick this text at the end of the book where it belongs and call it an afterword.
I've encountered this with so many books and it just baffles me - why would you not stick this text at the end of the book where it belongs and call it an afterword.
nonijapier's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
5.0
hyunc456's review against another edition
5.0
William Stoner lives a quiet life. After his death, he's hardly remembered; during his life, he moves from his family's farm to the University of Missouri, where he becomes a teacher. He falls in love with literature and teaching, but never rises above the rank of an assistant professor; he marries, almost hastily, only to find the love that could've been. He lives a mediocre life and dies a mediocre death.
Yet John Williams writes Stoner's life in such a profound, moving way. In just under 300 pages, he delivered a masterpiece brimming with the themes of life, death, failure, relationships, integrity, and, most of all, love. Stoner is a powerful, bittersweet exploration of love.
“In his forty-third year William Stoner learned what others, much younger, had learned before him: that the person one loves at first is not the person one loves at last, and that love is not an end but a process through which one person attempts to know another.”
“The love of literature, of language, of the mystery of the mind and heart showing themselves in the minute, strange, and unexpected combinations of letters and words, in the blackest and coldest print—the love which he had hidden as if it were illicit and dangerous, he began to display, tentatively at first, and then boldly, and then proudly.”
There is love for a person, and there is love for a way of life. From the outside perspective, Stoner's life may be devastating. But he had experienced love three times: one fueled by one-sided passion, one a reminder of what could've been, and finally, one for his job. He found solace and a never-ending passion in literature.
Stoner is a quiet yet intense character. He treats life with stoicism and a certain humility. He welcomes his failures with open arms, like things predetermined by life. He doesn't fight what life has in store for him; instead, he learns from it. He follows his integrity to the very end.
In the end, he knows that his life's work is useless. But to him, it's a symbol of his accomplishments, his defeats, his victories. They'll never be recorded in history, but he understands the significance of his life. Stoner is a powerful reminder of individual life, a reclamation of the significance and gift of each.
“He had, in odd ways, given [love] to every moment of his life, and had perhaps given it most fully when he was unaware of his giving. It was a passion neither of the mind nor of the flesh; rather, it was a force that comprehended them both, as if they were but the matter of love, its specific substance. To a woman or to a poem, it said simply: Look! I am alive.”
~ 5 stars.
Yet John Williams writes Stoner's life in such a profound, moving way. In just under 300 pages, he delivered a masterpiece brimming with the themes of life, death, failure, relationships, integrity, and, most of all, love. Stoner is a powerful, bittersweet exploration of love.
“In his forty-third year William Stoner learned what others, much younger, had learned before him: that the person one loves at first is not the person one loves at last, and that love is not an end but a process through which one person attempts to know another.”
“The love of literature, of language, of the mystery of the mind and heart showing themselves in the minute, strange, and unexpected combinations of letters and words, in the blackest and coldest print—the love which he had hidden as if it were illicit and dangerous, he began to display, tentatively at first, and then boldly, and then proudly.”
There is love for a person, and there is love for a way of life. From the outside perspective, Stoner's life may be devastating. But he had experienced love three times: one fueled by one-sided passion, one a reminder of what could've been, and finally, one for his job. He found solace and a never-ending passion in literature.
Stoner is a quiet yet intense character. He treats life with stoicism and a certain humility. He welcomes his failures with open arms, like things predetermined by life. He doesn't fight what life has in store for him; instead, he learns from it. He follows his integrity to the very end.
In the end, he knows that his life's work is useless. But to him, it's a symbol of his accomplishments, his defeats, his victories. They'll never be recorded in history, but he understands the significance of his life. Stoner is a powerful reminder of individual life, a reclamation of the significance and gift of each.
“He had, in odd ways, given [love] to every moment of his life, and had perhaps given it most fully when he was unaware of his giving. It was a passion neither of the mind nor of the flesh; rather, it was a force that comprehended them both, as if they were but the matter of love, its specific substance. To a woman or to a poem, it said simply: Look! I am alive.”
~ 5 stars.
jupitervivienne's review against another edition
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
3.5
I’m really not sure where I stand with this book. At times I hated it and didn’t want to continue, other times I felt it was very emotional and moving. I think I would have felt more impacted if the story was about Edith. Her character was so perplexing and heartbreaking and I was so curious about her inner world. The part of the book that briefly switched to her perspective was incredibly engaging. Overall, it’s an interesting exploration of the period and the life of an average man, but I don’t think it was for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape
Moderate: Racism, Death, and War
Minor: Fatphobia and Alcoholism
laurenjwong's review against another edition
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
g3cian's review against another edition
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Very well written although I did find it difficult to get through the reflective/descriptive sections of the book. The story is profusely sad, with any sign of light quickly consumed by the seemingly inevitable tragic event.The words “Fair” and “Life” rarely go hand in hand, this books certainly follows that premise. Overall, very good, but to me, not one I would be overly optimistic of picking it up again, maybe my view will change later in life.