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A review by slonkybeans
Stoner by John Williams

mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

As I am currently reading Butcher's Crossing, another Williams book, I am seeing why I already like it better than Stoner. I identify with the main character's wanderlust (minus the imperialist context of the time that Andrews is living, still early enough in the book where I don't know if that will be addressed and I kind of doubt it unfortunately) but I found Stoner so unlikeable from the moment he described his feelings for the woman who would become his wife which seemed baseless and shallow. Then he completely lost me when he
raped her. If you don't know what I'm talking about, I implore you to reread the section where "consummation" is described and he sees that she clearly does not want to engage with him and he does it anyway.
I think the reason the book didn't gel with me is because I think Stoner is a coward who never took control of his life
except for when he left the farm and forced himself upon his wife.
He instead keeps doing terrible thing after terrible thing without confrontation or standing up for himself and his daughter from his emotionally abusive wife and mother of his child. My favorite part of the story
is when Katherine Driscoll is introduced because you can finally see that he actually can care about something in his life. But what could've been a beautiful thing gets ruined because he cannot stand up for himself and take control of his life.
I just find him beyond cowardly and insufferable. I did think it was very well written, there's something about the way Williams describes the dull and mundane that makes it interesting and almost beautiful but I just can't go above 3 stars because of how much I detest most of the characters in the book. I cannot see why people like his character. Being a "normal guy" who is mostly passive except the times in which he does things that are terribly harmful is nothing to be applauded.
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