John Williams' Stoner has found a new audience in the 21st Century
John Williams' Stoner has become a rediscovered classic, after being championed by fans in the 21st Century, and many Tyneside Book Club members found a lot to admire and enjoy in this tale of a life.
Supporters of the novel found it a compelling character study that really got under the skin of William Stoner. Although this was an account of a seemingly unremarkable academic career, its strength was its deep dive into an ordinary life.
The writing was admired for its tight and economic style, but also for its ability to mine the emotional life of a man who was largely a closed book to his colleagues and even his family.
Although not heavy on plot, members found the battle Stoner fought in his academic life the most compelling aspect. The novel though resisted a straightforward depiction of heroes and villains, adding nuance to Stoner's antagonists.
For some Stoner's wife Edith was a villain, but members appreciated that Williams had tried to give her enough depth to explain her behaviour. Some members though found it hard to understand and forgive Stoner's retreat from his relationship with his daughter and the damage it did.
There were members though who struggled to engage with the characters and found it hard to find much that was empathetic or interesting about Stoner and his life. There was some frustration with his passivity in parts of his life.
Overall though members understood why there had been a revival of interest in a novel that could easily have been forgotten, although it was noted that its melancholic tone seemed to have made it more of a success in the UK and Europe than the US.
Supporters of the novel found it a compelling character study that really got under the skin of William Stoner. Although this was an account of a seemingly unremarkable academic career, its strength was its deep dive into an ordinary life.
The writing was admired for its tight and economic style, but also for its ability to mine the emotional life of a man who was largely a closed book to his colleagues and even his family.
Although not heavy on plot, members found the battle Stoner fought in his academic life the most compelling aspect. The novel though resisted a straightforward depiction of heroes and villains, adding nuance to Stoner's antagonists.
For some Stoner's wife Edith was a villain, but members appreciated that Williams had tried to give her enough depth to explain her behaviour. Some members though found it hard to understand and forgive Stoner's retreat from his relationship with his daughter and the damage it did.
There were members though who struggled to engage with the characters and found it hard to find much that was empathetic or interesting about Stoner and his life. There was some frustration with his passivity in parts of his life.
Overall though members understood why there had been a revival of interest in a novel that could easily have been forgotten, although it was noted that its melancholic tone seemed to have made it more of a success in the UK and Europe than the US.
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