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wisewise's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, and Pregnancy
alicewolfe's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Child abuse, Death, Infidelity, Racial slurs, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Terminal illness
Moderate: Alcoholism, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Medical content, and Pregnancy
Minor: Death of parent, Alcohol, and War
qstew's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
what a beautifully tragic summation of one man's life with all its pursuits, failures, and resultant indifferences.
the book's rhythm was consistent and speedy - it reads as though it is, in its entirety, an epilogue tying off the loose ends of a series of characters with whom the reader has a long-established, familiar, and loving rapport.
very glad to have stumbled upon this book while simultaneously saddened that i hadn't heard of it sooner.
the book's rhythm was consistent and speedy - it reads as though it is, in its entirety, an epilogue tying off the loose ends of a series of characters with whom the reader has a long-established, familiar, and loving rapport.
very glad to have stumbled upon this book while simultaneously saddened that i hadn't heard of it sooner.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Suicide, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, and War
Minor: Cancer, Chronic illness, and Terminal illness
butchingdyke's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
its wonderful how one book with such a simple theme, a common mans life, ends up immersing the reader in the complicated days of a university professor.
ive read this both in my mother tongue and in english and i just cant get tired of it. the emotion always seems to lock me in.
ive read this both in my mother tongue and in english and i just cant get tired of it. the emotion always seems to lock me in.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity
stalfos's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Infidelity, Terminal illness, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Child abuse, Death, and Death of parent
Minor: Alcoholism, Alcohol, War, and Classism
jayisreading's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
4.5
I was pleasantly surprised by this novel and its quietly intense world. The novel follows the relatively mundane life of William Stoner, though Williams reveals how complicated things can get for his protagonist through a masterful demonstration of “show, don’t tell.” It was fascinating to see the ripple effects of Stoner’s choices in his personal life as well as professional, and how the two are not easily separable. Williams also presented a more accurate depiction of academia than I expected, particularly the intensity of departmental politics and the love/hate relationship that comes with being an academic.
The protagonist isn’t a likable character, in my opinion, though he isn’t the absolute worst either. If anything, Stoner is a very honest reflection of what it means to be human and contend with one’s imperfections (some more egregious than others). Relatedly, the other characters in this novel, particularly his wife, Edith, demonstrate similar levels of introspection on the complexities of being human.
Stoner is a bittersweet novel, leaning far more towards the bitter rather than sweet. It really helped set the novel up to capture an existential solitude that will potentially leave the reader thinking about their own life. I should note that this is by no means a perfect novel, and there were certainly moments when I raised my eyebrows (such as the early stages of the Stoners’ marriage), but overall, I found it to be a compelling read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Infidelity, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Chronic illness, Emotional abuse, Rape, and War
Minor: Alcoholism and Suicide
strrygo's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
the decline is so gradual i almost forgot i was watching it happen until those small moments of irreversible change .. marking a loss of a past that could never be retrieved even while we r still even in it(wanted to climb into the book n get it back it for them,, especially for grace), felt like i saw his life divide into moments of befores and afters..the way it all ,falls away, just feels so completely insignificant in the end...but there is so much tranquility and reassurance in it all, love love love
intro to the book has a quote from Williams calling stoner a hero(whole intro conflicted with my experience of the book rly whsgdhwhw). i don't think i pity him despite wishing everyone involved had a chance at something Better, or more, but i think it's so interesting how his endurance and firmness to himself—which i think is felt most with how he never seems to outgrow himself, he's just always the stoner thinking of the university as a thing beyond himself, masters, his Love, the dirt—is considered heroic, love and a desire to live, do something meaningful, to work, described as heroism when they feel like they are the most natural part of human nature make this feel so much more depressing for me. his life was not particularly difficult but that doesn't mean it was not sad, despite it's normalcy or the fact that it repeats itself in every other 'stoner'. if stoner is a hero What is there but to sacrifice and endure
♡ rec from adri
intro to the book has a quote from Williams calling stoner a hero(whole intro conflicted with my experience of the book rly whsgdhwhw). i don't think i pity him despite wishing everyone involved had a chance at something Better, or more, but i think it's so interesting how his endurance and firmness to himself—which i think is felt most with how he never seems to outgrow himself, he's just always the stoner thinking of the university as a thing beyond himself, masters, his Love, the dirt—is considered heroic, love and a desire to live, do something meaningful, to work, described as heroism when they feel like they are the most natural part of human nature make this feel so much more depressing for me. his life was not particularly difficult but that doesn't mean it was not sad, despite it's normalcy or the fact that it repeats itself in every other 'stoner'. if stoner is a hero What is there but to sacrifice and endure
♡ rec from adri
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity
Moderate: Rape, Death of parent, and War
Minor: Racism and Pregnancy
maresuju's review against another edition
TLDR; Mediocre white man in the 1920s who feels entitled to other people
<CW: marital rape>
I understand that this is supposed to be a representation of the monotony/mediocrity that life can be, but I almost feel like this was the opposite. The MC is selfish, refused to make decisions or take any action, and only acts out of his own immediate interests. He essentially forces his wife to marry him despite her making it clear that she has no romantic interest in him, and he rapes her regularly (the author makes it very clear that she’s either asleep or wake up and is tense/unmoving). And then he wonders why his life is shitty, why his wife hates him and keeps her daughter from him.
Truly he is a mediocre (at best) man who feels like he’s entitled to a job, friends, a wife, a family, everything just because he’s there, but puts no effort into any of his relationships. I really tried to stick it out, and made it almost 70% of the way through, but I was just so annoyed and angered by the MC that I couldn’t find a single reason to care about what happens.
<CW: marital rape>
I understand that this is supposed to be a representation of the monotony/mediocrity that life can be, but I almost feel like this was the opposite. The MC is selfish, refused to make decisions or take any action, and only acts out of his own immediate interests. He essentially forces his wife to marry him despite her making it clear that she has no romantic interest in him, and he rapes her regularly (the author makes it very clear that she’s either asleep or wake up and is tense/unmoving). And then he wonders why his life is shitty, why his wife hates him and keeps her daughter from him.
Truly he is a mediocre (at best) man who feels like he’s entitled to a job, friends, a wife, a family, everything just because he’s there, but puts no effort into any of his relationships. I really tried to stick it out, and made it almost 70% of the way through, but I was just so annoyed and angered by the MC that I couldn’t find a single reason to care about what happens.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Ableism, Death, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Rape, Sexual assault, and War
Minor: Infidelity, Racism, Sexual content, Death of parent, and Pregnancy
apthompson's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Ableism, Alcoholism, Cancer, Death, Infidelity, Mental illness, Sexual content, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and War
babelfish's review against another edition
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Damn.... it's not the perfect book...but it's bloody good one.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity
Moderate: Cancer and Gaslighting
Minor: Death and Emotional abuse