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A review by emmareadstoomuch
Stoner by John Williams
4.0
welcome to...STON(OVEMB)ER.
it's a new month, i'm reading a classic, i'm doing a bad pun: it's another installment of project long classics, in which i read old intimidating books in small chunks over several weeks in order to assuage my fears.
this one is not really all that long, but i just finished oliver twist and therefore deserve only ease in my life.
let's get into it.
CHAPTER 1
i would read anything published by the new york review of books, which is honestly my main reason for picking this one up. other than that i have no idea what this is about, but i'm guessing A Guy.
i'm happy to inform you that thus far, i love it.
CHAPTER 2
well, if i wasn't already pretty anti-war already, that would do it. it got me on the futility of life, though!
CHAPTER 3
what's so striking about this book is that it's about a person who is ostensibly an adult, and yet is learning how to live completely on his own. he's somehow made himself so separate from social expectations that he is creating something completely new for himself.
in other words he's now engaged to someone who seems to not care if he lives or dies.
CHAPTER 4
well, let me just say i hope that stoner is supposed to cut a pretty unlikable figure at this juncture. at the beginning it was hard to imagine a character i could feel for more, but those days are gone and i'm mostly #FreeEdith right now.
CHAPTER 5
edith was simply born in the wrong generation. sorry edith you would've loved bed rotting and psych meds.
CHAPTER 6
took a day off of reading to scream cry throw up at the state of the world yesterday. you know, my own personal version of skipping the wwi draft to go to grad school. but now let's get back into it.
i'm back in on stoner and his meager expectations for happiness and his self-constructed dream library. it seems again like there's never been a more sympathetic character.
CHAPTER 7
well, stoner has just discovered love — of his daughter and of his work — and his tentative and grateful learning of things we take for granted is convincing me this book is going to ruin my life.
CHAPTER 8
oh my god. stoner. DO SOMETHING!!!!
CHAPTER 9
well, at least my guy's pathological passiveness doesn't extend to his teaching. but it seems like that will be yet another way that the world plots his specific downfall.
CHAPTER 10
i'm just lashing out because never have i immediately felt so fond of a character i knew was destined simply for suffering. i feel in some ways like this book holds itself to spare style and plot in order to not get caught for reaching almost soapy fever-pitch emotion.
over a pass / fail oral exam!
CHAPTER 11
things only get better in order to get worse than before.
CHAPTER 12
i'm happy for my man but i just know that edith has something up her sleeve that will absolutely ruin this semblance of contentment, as with all the others. i pride myself on being a hater but i have nothing on edith.
CHAPTER 13
damn. i underestimated edith and overestimated that creep lomax.
you should always fear a blond man.
CHAPTER 14
stoner heard "dress for the job you want, not the job you have" and changed it to "make the job you have the one you want." king of taking manifesting into his own hands.
take that, lomax.
CHAPTER 15
the real sympathetic character here is grace. hard to feel much for either side of literature's worst marriage when there's a 12 year old girl having her life permanently ruined by her parents' status as freaks of nature.
CHAPTER 16
my guy really does love life in his way.
CHAPTER 17
sheesh.
OVERALL
this book is called a lot of things like "an unassuming classic" and "a quiet masterpiece," but it only seems to be a simple story. the emotions contained within this book are so large-scale, so grand and consuming, it rivals a soap opera. stoner's series of disappointments and essential solitude in spite of his wishes are trivial compared to some literary tragedies, and yet, with deft writing and thoughtfulness, become almost too painful to bear reading.
haunting stuff.
rating: 4
it's a new month, i'm reading a classic, i'm doing a bad pun: it's another installment of project long classics, in which i read old intimidating books in small chunks over several weeks in order to assuage my fears.
this one is not really all that long, but i just finished oliver twist and therefore deserve only ease in my life.
let's get into it.
CHAPTER 1
i would read anything published by the new york review of books, which is honestly my main reason for picking this one up. other than that i have no idea what this is about, but i'm guessing A Guy.
i'm happy to inform you that thus far, i love it.
CHAPTER 2
well, if i wasn't already pretty anti-war already, that would do it. it got me on the futility of life, though!
CHAPTER 3
what's so striking about this book is that it's about a person who is ostensibly an adult, and yet is learning how to live completely on his own. he's somehow made himself so separate from social expectations that he is creating something completely new for himself.
in other words he's now engaged to someone who seems to not care if he lives or dies.
CHAPTER 4
well, let me just say i hope that stoner is supposed to cut a pretty unlikable figure at this juncture. at the beginning it was hard to imagine a character i could feel for more, but those days are gone and i'm mostly #FreeEdith right now.
CHAPTER 5
edith was simply born in the wrong generation. sorry edith you would've loved bed rotting and psych meds.
CHAPTER 6
took a day off of reading to scream cry throw up at the state of the world yesterday. you know, my own personal version of skipping the wwi draft to go to grad school. but now let's get back into it.
i'm back in on stoner and his meager expectations for happiness and his self-constructed dream library. it seems again like there's never been a more sympathetic character.
CHAPTER 7
well, stoner has just discovered love — of his daughter and of his work — and his tentative and grateful learning of things we take for granted is convincing me this book is going to ruin my life.
CHAPTER 8
oh my god. stoner. DO SOMETHING!!!!
CHAPTER 9
well, at least my guy's pathological passiveness doesn't extend to his teaching. but it seems like that will be yet another way that the world plots his specific downfall.
CHAPTER 10
i'm just lashing out because never have i immediately felt so fond of a character i knew was destined simply for suffering. i feel in some ways like this book holds itself to spare style and plot in order to not get caught for reaching almost soapy fever-pitch emotion.
over a pass / fail oral exam!
CHAPTER 11
things only get better in order to get worse than before.
CHAPTER 12
i'm happy for my man but i just know that edith has something up her sleeve that will absolutely ruin this semblance of contentment, as with all the others. i pride myself on being a hater but i have nothing on edith.
CHAPTER 13
damn. i underestimated edith and overestimated that creep lomax.
you should always fear a blond man.
CHAPTER 14
stoner heard "dress for the job you want, not the job you have" and changed it to "make the job you have the one you want." king of taking manifesting into his own hands.
take that, lomax.
CHAPTER 15
the real sympathetic character here is grace. hard to feel much for either side of literature's worst marriage when there's a 12 year old girl having her life permanently ruined by her parents' status as freaks of nature.
CHAPTER 16
my guy really does love life in his way.
CHAPTER 17
sheesh.
OVERALL
this book is called a lot of things like "an unassuming classic" and "a quiet masterpiece," but it only seems to be a simple story. the emotions contained within this book are so large-scale, so grand and consuming, it rivals a soap opera. stoner's series of disappointments and essential solitude in spite of his wishes are trivial compared to some literary tragedies, and yet, with deft writing and thoughtfulness, become almost too painful to bear reading.
haunting stuff.
rating: 4