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.

129

Comments

You must log in or register to comment.

libreidy t1_jebpw89 wrote

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

1

McGilla_Gorilla t1_jebvt89 wrote

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

24

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.

2

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.

4

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.

15

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!

2

tvqueen t1_jeccjwi wrote

Favorite book of all-time.

9

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.

3

khaab_00 t1_jecuhaq wrote

I read it and I am in love with it.

1

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.

5

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.

3

KoeiNL t1_jeduamm wrote

One of my favourite books.

2

ITCareerProgression t1_jedwcmw wrote

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

Also whats NYRB?

4

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.

2

adteag t1_jeehi24 wrote

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

5

BroncoAccountant OP t1_jeekete wrote

Replying to ITCareerProgression (#2,521,026)

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.

3

BroncoAccountant OP t1_jeelwih wrote

Replying to darkasassin97 (#2,526,906)

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.

1

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.

0

GrandMagnificent t1_jefl1cg wrote

Replying to BroncoAccountant (#2,505,770)

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.

2

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)

1

Liskasoo t1_jegivhy wrote

Stunning book. Broke my heart.

1

ConneryLazenby t1_jegphus wrote

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

1