A review by izasballad
Stoner by John Williams

4.0

This was such a remarkable poignant read. It is definitely a quiet and subtle novel. We follow Stoner as he lives his life, from his academic career, relationship with his wife and daughter, affair, and to his very last breathing moments. Stoner was such a flawed character which made him so much real. We were able to see the profound impacts of his actions and beliefs. This book is full of introspection as it explores love, loss, the meaning of life, and such. I found myself having an existential battle in my head. There were things in the book that I wished were delved into more, but since we are seeing things from Stoner's perspective, I'll let it pass. For such mundane and ordinary experiences, Williams was able to explore and reflect on the depth of human emotions. The prose was able to give life to these moments. It is a very simple read but with beautiful existential meanings.