altlovesbooks reviewed Stoner by John Williams
Review of 'Stoner' on 'Goodreads'
4 stars
This was an oddly compelling read about an unremarkable guy and his flawed life. I don't have a huge love of classics, and I likely would never have read this book if not for my book club friends reading it this month, but I'm actually glad I read this one.
Stoner could be anyone you come across, and you'd never know. He grew up dirt poor, went to college woefully unprepared, and managed to stumble on something he enjoyed much better than his family's farm in the process. Neither farmers nor scholars of that time period are known for their emotional development, so when he's confronted with the intense emotions that an infatuation can bring on a person, he conflates that with love, and mistakes are made. Stoner experiences low points, manages to make his way out of those low points, and finally manages to make his stumbling way towards the end of a life that, to anyone else may look unremarkable and boring, but to him he managed to find some contentment and peace(?) at the end.
I really like the idea that you don't have to lead a spectacular life to find a measure of contentment at the end. Maybe it wasn't a well-lived life and Stoner does experience regrets, but that's true of any one of us. Would I recommend this book to anyone and everyone? Maybe not, but I still greatly enjoyed it for what it made me think about.