Stoner

Classic and underrated

1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

A moving and impactful book! The narrator was outstanding.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

A funny yet moving book that spans a lifetime. You feel for the protagonist and every side character is memorable. Robin Field makes the characters feel alive and diverse. Excellent! One of my favorite books of all time!

1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

A slow, slow read about a protagonist's life. I had a hard time feeling sympathy for Stoner because he was so passive. He allowed a lot of the early things to happen in his life with his wife and daughter. A lot of his problems stem from the early ones, mainly his family. He lives a miserable life and the book is a little depressing.

It has been my experience to let my mind wander when i am listening to an audio book. Rewinds inevitably follow. But not with 'Stoner'. The superb narration clutches you and you are hooked....what a treat!

I am torn about this book. The writing style is very good and reminds a lot of Wallace Stegner. It is hard to go through the first quarter of the book that is very slow, but it improves later on. But the story itself left me quite unsatisfied. Stoner lives a life of misery, of acceptance, most of the time even of a victim. He lets his wife ruin his life, his relationship with his daughter and his daughter's life. He's just there, passive, as if he can't move his little finger. In the rare cases that he does rebel, it is rather a passive-aggresive sad protest. Maybe I have more of an issue with passive people that let their life crumble in front of their eyes, maybe it is because I wanted something to happen and not enough did. So 3.5 stars. So no question that Stegner is a few levels above this, especially with Stegner's engaging plots.

This book is a great work of art. The narrator does it justice.