Stoner by John Williams blew me away

Submitted by BroncoAccountant t3_126z3ky in books

Has anyone else read it? I had bought it probably a few years ago now because I had heard that a lot of writers really liked it, but I had put off reading it because NYRBs can be intimidating at times.

This book should not be intimidating! I could not put it down. The prose is very straightforward and still felt somewhat modern despite being about 60 years old now. The story takes place at a university between the 1910s -1950s, and was more of a page turner than I thought it would be. I think it would be accurate to say that it can be kind of depressing book, even a little existential, but very worth it.

After reading it I looked up more about the original reception and the later success of the novel. It is always a little sad when a book takes off after an authors death, but I'm glad to see its starting to become more well known. The New Yorker called it the greatest American novel you've never heard of. I really think it deserves the praise.

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McGilla_Gorilla t1_jebvt89 wrote

Great book! Highly recommend Butcher’s Crossing as well. Totally different subject matter, but that same fantastic prose style.

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BroncoAccountant OP t1_jebxbs2 wrote

I own that one as well. It definitely moved up on the TBR pile after finishing Stoner.

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GrandMagnificent t1_jec3mb7 wrote

One of my favourite novels! I see what people mean about it hitting harder if you're a little older, but when I first read it in my early twenties I must've sat in silence with tears running down my face for a good ten to fifteen minutes after finishing it. I wasn't sobbing or anything, just spontaneous tears and a total lack of will to do anything but let the whole thing sink in, as though I were recalling my own life rather than the plot of a novel. Very few works have transported me so completely, before or since.

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BroncoAccountant OP t1_jec9man wrote

Did you think the main character Stoner was too passive? At times it drove me crazy, especially when it came to his daughter and wife. He had little small moments of triumph but man I wish he had more of a spine at times

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GrandMagnificent t1_jefl1cg wrote

I think that's what makes it so affecting. In some ways he's a man who'll pursue his own happiness at any cost, defying social expectations to pursue his passions both in academia and in his brief love affair. But he's also a kind man, in a way that's equal radical; he's surrounded by all kinds of devious, dissolute jerk-offs who take advantage of him, but there's a sense that he feels like a failure in so many ways. He's neither a dutiful child or a prestigious scholar, doesn't die heroically in war. He's as good of a husband as he can be, but never truly understands his wife and allows his child to become estranged from him - because whenever he pursues his own happiness the world throws it back in his face, and inertia begins to set in. By many measures he lives a full and happy life, but as readers we see all the missed opportunities for joy - and by association think about all the lives lived that never achieve their fill potential.

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BroncoAccountant OP t1_jefwhqe wrote

Very well said! I kept thinking of how many people I know who seem to fit the bill on the outside. Most of us will not achieve great things, but have to learn to be happy pursuing what we love.

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tvqueen t1_jeccjwi wrote

Favorite book of all-time.

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JanBowen t1_jedbbq6 wrote

I read Stoner years ago and, like you, was utterly absorbed by the story. You might want to read “Augustus,” also by John Williams, completely different as it concerns Augustus, Emperor of Rome. The novel is composed entirely of fictional correspondence, I.e. letters.

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adteag t1_jeehi24 wrote

I read that book probably 40 years ago and still remember it...stunning

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SenorKaboom t1_jec2ip0 wrote

I haven’t gotten to Stoner yet, but Butcher’s Crossing is high on my list of personal favorites. A truly great novel.

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BroncoAccountant OP t1_jec980f wrote

Seems like everybody on here holds that book in equally high regards so I'm really excited to read it

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ITCareerProgression t1_jedwcmw wrote

Read it last week for the first time. Brilliant book! It’s in my top 10.

Also whats NYRB?

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BroncoAccountant OP t1_jeekete wrote

NYRB is New York Review Books, the most recent publisher. They're known for finding old forgotten gems and re-releasing them. They really do find great old stories and I loved almost everything from them that I've read, but sometimes they're less accessible which is what fear was with Stoner.

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Eratticus t1_jee43zu wrote

NYRB = New York Review Books it's a publishing house that specializes in out of print books and new translations, mostly literary fiction.

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ITCareerProgression t1_jeego5x wrote

Thanks for that Eratticus, that’s really helpful. Looks like I have some browsing to do.

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ITCareerProgression t1_jeeh1fs wrote

Thanks for that Eratticus, that’s really helpful. Looks like I have some browsing to do.

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bhbhbhhh t1_jecmi3f wrote

I read Truman by David McCullough around the same time. It was an odd contrast, seeing the other path in life a Missouri farm boy could take.

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Paper_G t1_jedeqrm wrote

I feel cruel for saying this, but by the time I was done, the scope of his miserable circumstances made me laugh. I remember closing it and thinking, "This story was really about a chill dude surrounded by insufferable people." Like what if the "yes, dear" meme was a book and encompassed every facet of someone's life.

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darkasassin97 t1_jeegwx6 wrote

what did you expect....

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BroncoAccountant OP t1_jeelwih wrote

I'm not usually a fan of academia novels, and I wondered if it would resonate with me. I thought there was a chance it would be too pretentious. I read Rachel Cusk's book Outline because a lot of writers recommended it, and it was good but I didn't love it. That was what I expected.

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darkasassin97 t1_jeemt0n wrote

i just quoted the phrase that was used continuously in the final chapter

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BroncoAccountant OP t1_jeenuub wrote

I'm slow haha. Was reading through a bunch of comments in a row and answering people so it went over my head. The last chapter was really good. Anxiety inducing but so good.

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musical_froot_loop t1_jeby987 wrote

I loved that book so much. I agree that it will probably be more impactful on older people. I also read Butchers Crossing and was just amazed by the writing and the story. I had never even heard of John Williams before someone mentioned him on her a couple weeks ago but that book had a major impact on me.

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APwilliams88 t1_jec9i24 wrote

Yeah, it's one of the best books I've ever read. This is one book that I saw hyped up on Reddit that actually turned out to be as good as everyone said it was. Williams' prose is straight forward, but undeniably beautiful. The last 20 pages or so absolutely gutted me. Great book!

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KoeiNL t1_jeduamm wrote

One of my favourite books.

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Haselrig t1_jee9tv7 wrote

Great book. For something that left me with a similar feeling, check out The Time it Never Rained by Elmer Kelton.

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libreidy t1_jebpw89 wrote

I second this but it should be read by people in their late 30’s or later.

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khaab_00 t1_jecuhaq wrote

I read it and I am in love with it.

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Lonely_Substance_115 t1_jefbk1i wrote

So, is this not a story about a guy likes to smoke a lot of weed...?

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BroncoAccountant OP t1_jefwsei wrote

No joke my coworker asked what I was reading and I was like, it's a book called Stoner but no it's not about what you think it is

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Good-Yoghurt99 t1_jefnazt wrote

Restart the counter - as people say in other subs :)

Always happy to see it mentioned though, it is of my favorite books of recent years.

(and read it after seeing it mentioned often here in r/books)

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Liskasoo t1_jegivhy wrote

Stunning book. Broke my heart.

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Avhumboldt-pup0902 t1_jegmbyo wrote

If your wife reads it, what book will you read in return?

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ConneryLazenby t1_jegphus wrote

Book is 🔥. I'm a sucker for books about miserable pricks!

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LinIsStrong t1_jefk1s5 wrote

I dunno. Certainly the prose is clean and elegant, but it was hard for me to care about any of the characters, as Stoner seemed so passive. No “captain of my soul, master of my fate” stuff here. He came across to me more like a man seeking refuge and solace in his own dreamworld and the ideas of others, to the detriment of his own life. I did not walk away from that book with any deep insights or feelings beyond an inchoate sadness.

Well-written and beautifully crafted, yes. A place on my own personal top-ten list, no.

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BroncoAccountant OP t1_jefwolk wrote

I can see that. At times he made me want to pull out my hair, especially with his wife and daughter. I don't relate to him that way at all, but I couldn't stop reading to see what was going to happen to him

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