A review by serendipitysbooks
Stoner by John Williams

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

3.75

 Stoner follows the life of William Stoner, a farmer’s son who goes to college, switches his agricultural course to English, has a middling academic career, marries, becomes a father, and, like all of us eventually, dies. This was such a melancholic read. The writing was beautiful in a quiet, understated way, but overall I found it a very depressing read, one that often made me angry. Stoner was (mostly) so detached and passive. His felt like a sad waste of a life, one with so little joy and happiness. I really wished I had the power to send him and his wife and daughter to therapy - individual, couples and family therapy. That and possibly some medication could have gone a long way. At the very least I wanted to give him a good slap, to tell him to stand up to his wife, that staying in the family unit would not help his daughter if he didn’t protect her, and that sometimes it is okay to put yourself first. I did appreciate the book for highlighting a fairly unremarkable life of a relatively ordinary man. The academic rivalries and politicking within his department amused me, possibly because I’m married to an academic. If the aim of this novel was to be a salutary lesson in how not to live, a warning to make the most of the life we have because all too quickly it will be over, then I’d call it a success. I’m glad to have read it, even though I frequently found the (in)actions of Stoner frustrating, which didn’t always make for an enjoyable reading experience. 
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