A review by merrrry
Stoner by John Williams

emotional sad

• Plot- or character-driven? Character

5.0

I can't remember the last time I connected with a character so deeply. Living in Stoner's head and watching life happen to him was both melancholy and uplifting somehow. His life was more challenging than breezy most of the time, but his ability to find a quiet contentment in little things made the novel feel a lot less heavy than it could've been. That being said, the inevitable pains that he worked through affect me in such a way that I found myself trying to rationalize situations for Stoner to alleviate the emotional impact. The loss of the peace and joy he had with Grace (and their family life's eventual effects on her) hurt me more than anything else. All of this was done in elegant and succinct prose. Stoner is going to sit with me for a while.

NYRBs are 2 for 2 so far. Highly recommend.