- Paperback: 288 pages
- Publisher: Vintage Classics; New Ed edition (6 Feb 2003)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0099445093
- ISBN-13: 978-0099445098
- Product Dimensions: 13.2 x 2.3 x 19.9 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 279,276 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Description
New Yorker
'A masterly portrait of a truly virtuous and dedicated man’
C.P. Snow
‘Very few novels in English, or literary productions of any kind, have come anywhere near its level for human wisdom or as a work of art’
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
24 of 24 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
It's appropriate somehow that this American novel is in-print in England, because it's so unlike most fiction America produces: it's quiet, somber, compact and gracefully written, thoroughly unhip and un-modern. It is a simple tale about a somewhat banal English professor in the midwest whose life just sort of floats by him. The prose is rich and terse, never ostentatious, and for a novel whose setpieces occur mostly in an academic setting, it's utterly engrossing. Williams writes with humanity and insight about relatively normal people we would pass by in the street, and in being so faithful to their aches and appetites, he convinces you -- like all good fiction from Homer to Tolstoi -- that these are real human beings you're reading about. Nothing less than extraordinary. Please buy this book!
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I will admit to some trepidation when reading this - it was recommended to me and I thought it sounded pretty dull and uninspiring. But everything the other reviewers have said is correct. This is a truly outstanding book. Williams is a truly great writer. To take a relatively ordinary life and make it a gripping read is a real feat. His language is elegant and there is not an extra word or phrase anywhere in the book. He puts many other modern novelists to shame.
The story of William Stoner resonates and as a reader you won't be able to help reflecting back on your own life and wonder whether you are maximising your potential impact. It is a novel that will stay with you forever. I agree that it should be more famous and well known. I don't give 5 stars very often but this book really deserves it - you won't be disappointed in this book.
The story of William Stoner resonates and as a reader you won't be able to help reflecting back on your own life and wonder whether you are maximising your potential impact. It is a novel that will stay with you forever. I agree that it should be more famous and well known. I don't give 5 stars very often but this book really deserves it - you won't be disappointed in this book.
15 of 16 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
It's great to have Stoner back in print in the UK, along with Augustus, both with wonderful new introductions. It's been 30 years since I first read Stoner and reading it again for the third or fourth time I can only confirm that the novel more than stands the test of time. It is a story of an honest man, of personal integrity in the face of considerable obstacles. Very few contemporary novels have moved me to the same extent or depth as this one. C.P. Snow in a review of the first British edition asked the question, "Why is this novel not famous?" Why not, indeed.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Stone Cold Brilliant
Simply put, this is one of the most moving novels I have ever read, and frankly, I am really rather surprised that it is not much better known. Read more
Published 28 days ago by REB
Stunning
This was the first book I read last year, and as I closed it I knew it would be the best book I read that year, even though I had about another 50 to go. Read more
Published 3 months ago by A-M Davis
A quiet man
Stoner is the story of an inconsequential man, the author tells us so right at the start, then proceeds to prove himself wrong. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Maree Hall
Brilliant writing
I ordered "Stoner" after reading John Williams' masterful book, "Augustus". The books could have been produced by two different authors--the writing is so different. Read more
Published 7 months ago by Blue in Washington
wonderful discovery
This was a new writer for me I found the book in a small American bookshop where the staff had written a little tag of recommendation ...so I ordered it from Amazon on my return. Read more
Published 12 months ago by daphne
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