Stoner: A Novel - by John Williams

I enjoyed reading this book. It reads somewhat like a biography in that it tells the story of Stoner's life, which, in itself is not that exciting; there are no dramatic incidents or thrilling adventures which can make a book unputdownable. But I was always happy to return to reading and found the pace just right. I quickly engaged with the characters - even if I did not necessarily like or empathize with them - and I wanted to know how things turned out for him.

Some of the descriptive writing I found to be really skilled and evocative. The ending of the book - the ending of Stoner's life - was particularly well handled; it was neither rushed nor drawn out. I was intrigued [and, I suppose, amused] by the way Stoner started out thinking that his English lecturer [Archer Sloane] was weird and eccentric, but, later in life, he was almost exactly the same.