{"id":7078648,"date":"2026-10-06T23:06:56","date_gmt":"2026-10-06T23:06:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=7078648"},"modified":"2026-10-06T23:06:56","modified_gmt":"2026-10-06T23:06:56","slug":"book-review-stoner-neverimitate","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=7078648","title":{"rendered":"Book Review: Stoner \u2013 neverimitate"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/neverimitate.wordpress.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/stoner.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"49871\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/neverimitate.wordpress.com\/2026\/10\/06\/book-review-stoner\/stoner\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/neverimitate.wordpress.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/stoner.png\" data-orig-size=\"186,280\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-title=\"Stoner\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/neverimitate.wordpress.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/stoner.png?w=186\" width=\"186\" height=\"280\" src=\"https:\/\/neverimitate.wordpress.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/stoner.png?w=186\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-49871\" srcset=\"https:\/\/neverimitate.wordpress.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/stoner.png 186w, https:\/\/neverimitate.wordpress.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/stoner.png?w=100 100w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 186px) 100vw, 186px\"\/><\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Stoner<\/strong>, by John Williams, tells the story of an academic who was destined to be a farmer before he was seduced by literature when his parents decided to send him to university to learn the science of the soil he was expected to tend for his remaining life. The titular protagonist lived through numerous wars, international and personal, always staying close to the campus where he lived and worked from the age of nineteen. His life may be regarded by some as a slow moving tragedy, but the power of this story is its everyman quality. Few may recognise or even acknowledge how little power an individual has over the trajectory of their years that can only be looked back upon. <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">William Stoner was born and raised on a small farm in rural Missouri. He was an only child and, from the age of six, fulfilled the duties assigned him by his parents. These increased alongside his capabilities. Although the land sustained the family, days were long and filled with endless toil required for survival. Stoner attended a school eight miles away from his home, finishing high school in the spring of 1910.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When his father told him he was to attend a new College of Agriculture at the University of Columbia, the reasoning was explained in the longest conversation they had ever had. Stoner was to board with an aunt and uncle, working on their farm for his keep while he studied. His willingness to work for this couple was taken advantage of but he had long learned stoicism, a trait that kept him going but also prevented him seeking possible alternatives. <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The story follows Stoner through his years of study and then how he found the opportunity to become a teacher at the university. He had few friends but did not regard himself as lonely and only occasionally unhappy. He fulfilled his obligations and worked hard, seeking only what he needed to survive as he had always done. When he met his future wife the emotions engendered led him to rush into a disastrous marriage.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And yet disastrous may be too strong a word as few couples truly know each other well before committing to such a union. Edith was beautiful if damaged but had long been taught to hide how she felt, as was not unusual at the time. Some of the saddest sections of the book are those when Edith deliberately punishes her husband. Why she does this is only ever hinted at but what is clear is the pair\u2019s inability to communicate.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The couple have a child, Grace, who for a time brings joy to Stoner\u2019s life. Eventually she too is damaged, also learning the quiet stoicism that her father never loses. Although work is his escape it is not a harbour in which to rest. He makes an enemy of a colleague who has the power to damage any fledgling ambition however slight or diverse.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cHe seldom thought of the past or the future, or of the disappointments and joys of either; he concentrated all the energies of which he was capable upon the moment of his work and hoped that he was at least defined by what he did.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The first page of the book summarises Stoner\u2019s life so there are few surprises. What tension exists is in the emotions engendered when Stoner\u2019s potential for contentment is again thwarted. He enjoys some small successes, a few moments of joy, and these lift the tale from what could otherwise be too bleak to bear. The reader will care deeply for this man and wish his life had not been subject to so many conflicts \u2013 and yet it is these that give his story its universality.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The time and place in which the tale is set add resonance. There are world wars divided by a stock market crash and economic depression. Living on a university campus shields Stoner from the worst effects but he is still touched. As he gets older and yet another war is entered he understands better the wasted potential, but such knowledge cannot affect how others behave or their outcomes.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The denouement is poignant yet fitting given all that has gone before. There is still sadness that he could do so little to give Grace a better outcome. There is much to ponder over his unwillingness to ever fully confront Edith. And yet this fits with the character developed which is so coloured by his unremitting upbringing. Stoner is of his time, honourable in so many ways yet seemingly incapable of instigating change.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A beautifully written and deeply reflective story that offers much to consider. As a man Stoner may be forgotten, but so are many who once lived in hope of something better.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Stoner is published by <a href=\"https:\/\/shop.penguin.co.uk\/products\/stoner-by-john-williams-1?variant=40914541346891\">Vintage<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><span id=\"wordads-inline-marker\" style=\"display: none;\"\/>\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Stoner, by John Williams, tells the story of an academic who was destined to be a farmer before he was seduced by literature when his parents decided to send him to university to learn the science of the soil he was expected to tend for his remaining life. The titular protagonist lived through numerous wars, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":7078649,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[101],"tags":[2268,3888,3749,239333],"dealstore":[],"offerexpiration":[],"class_list":["post-7078648","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-books","tag-book","tag-neverimitate","tag-review","tag-stoner"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Book Review: Stoner \u2013 neverimitate - Som2ny Network<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Stoner, by John Williams, tells the story of an academic who was destined to be a farmer before he was seduced by literature when his parents decided to send him to university to learn the science of the soil he was expected to tend for his remaining life. 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