I am going to have to get through this book here pretty soon. Project over. I have no more excuses. Maybe it's one of those things where you slog through a novel and like it by what it teaches you in the end. Wonderland by Joyce Carol Oates is an example for me.
Good luck, and have fun! As I mention in this video, I really _enjoy_ reading the book, I think it is beautifully written and compelling, I just don't know that I feel the same way about the main character and the overall "message" of the story as many others do... But more on that in the final video in our series, a wrap-up having finished the book, which will probably be released next week some time...
Spoilers in here....I have read the entire book... You need to do more of these. I was done with Stoner and ready to listen to what you all had to say. I'll look for part three, but I thought this was the last one I saw. I was ready to jump through the screen to get into this conversation and I am going to give you my full breakdown on my thoughts. later Liek this... I brushed the part off about them being crippled. I forgot all about Lomax's hump until after the confrontation. Walker was the first time the author used the word cripple. I am pretty sure of that. I am certain that this novel is not the case of one choosing the disabled people as the antagonists. I also thought that there could have been soemthing going on with Lomax and Walker like it was with Driscoll and Stoner. Flannery O'Conner is suave and debonaire. If I were to make a lofty comparison of my style with a famous author, it would be her, indeed. About the Lomax/Walker-Stoner debacle, I thought it was a really great portrayal of modern cancel culture nonsense. Surely, Stoner's anger at Walker was him being over-protected of the girl he eventually had an affair with. The novel is masterful because I noticed this when he definitely disproportionately picked on Walker for slighting Driscoll---and for it to be noted, when Stoner pointed this out to her, she was like "whatever" like she didn't see it or if she did she didn't care. So Stoner picks on Walker because he has a thing for Katherine and not because he was a cripple, While Lomax has a thing for Walker because of the shared disability bond, or maybe there is something more? Other than Walker's confidence and knack for winging the oral dissertation thing (which Stoner admits the guy had talent for impromptu stuff) I give the book a 4. Not that I liked it that much, however. This is a very powerful well-written story, but one that doesn't interest me. The protagonist is weak. The only good thing he did was break out on his own and decide to study English. Carl is right. Stoner is a loser character. He lets his wife walk all over him. He takes care of Grace in the beginning when it's all diapers and raising, then when it's party time with the kids his weak wife steps in. She spoils the child, all while the narrarator makes it clear Stoner is aware of his dying bond with his child. He doesn't do anything great in his life. He complains to his wife that he might want to leave the University after the confrontation, because there wasn't much future for him, after he denies a promotion to department chair. When he refuses the title both he and the dept. head act like it was obvious he didn't want the title. if Sloan killed himself, as is suggested that he slowed his heart to die, couldn't it be symbolically that Stoner created and nurtured his own cancer tumor and death. I like this novel, that's why the solid four. I like it because it is good and literary, but I don't see the lessons, more than that I don't understand why this is the BookTube darling that it is. As you know more about me, Lekden, you know why I would suggest that this is a BookTube darling because Stoner is a great literary story of a weak straight white male character. I am fine in not liking the main character or protagonists in a novel, but if they are bad I prefer them not to be weak. I kept on calling the guy a cuck the hole time. (sic?) Then he has an affair, which is nothing more than the product of his own weakness. Not only that, but the people that get over on him seem to be worse people than him, his wife and Lomax. Katherine even calls herself a slut, Lomax says guys are in her house day and night like she actally was. I think she was from this. 4 stars. I'm still thinking about it, for days I probably will, trying to figure out what the novel means. It's a good literary novel in that. I just feel this novel is not special enough to be the Booktube darling that it is, and that's why I hate it more. Not a novel I want to read, but one that I don't complain about when I do. I still don't see why this is a Booktube darling. It's truly suspect that all of the genre platforms (primarily fantasy, sci-fi platforms) choose this to be the modern underapperciated literary novel.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts! The novel definitely gives a lot to think about, whether you get on with the characters or not. Our final video is posted on Carl's channel, not mine. I will edit the description of this video to include the link...
Wow, thanks for the extensive comments. You could have stopped at "Carl is right." Lol. I agree with your points, especially your take on the character of Stoner. I was and continue to be puzzled at why people gush over this book. Fingers crossed, we'll be doing more of these later this winter. Thanks again for watching and sharing your thoughts, we both really appreciate it.
I am glad you enjoyed it! We didn't feel _quite_ the same as you, and we talk a little about that in this video. We have a final video coming out soon, having finished the book, and that one discusses our overall thoughts.
Thanks for the fun and interesting conversation about Stoner, looking forward to the next installment🎉
Me too! It has definitely made the book more interesting!
I am going to have to get through this book here pretty soon. Project over. I have no more excuses. Maybe it's one of those things where you slog through a novel and like it by what it teaches you in the end. Wonderland by Joyce Carol Oates is an example for me.
Good luck, and have fun! As I mention in this video, I really _enjoy_ reading the book, I think it is beautifully written and compelling, I just don't know that I feel the same way about the main character and the overall "message" of the story as many others do... But more on that in the final video in our series, a wrap-up having finished the book, which will probably be released next week some time...
Spoilers in here....I have read the entire book...
You need to do more of these. I was done with Stoner and ready to listen to what you all had to say. I'll look for part three, but I thought this was the last one I saw. I was ready to jump through the screen to get into this conversation and I am going to give you my full breakdown on my thoughts. later
Liek this... I brushed the part off about them being crippled. I forgot all about Lomax's hump until after the confrontation. Walker was the first time the author used the word cripple. I am pretty sure of that. I am certain that this novel is not the case of one choosing the disabled people as the antagonists.
I also thought that there could have been soemthing going on with Lomax and Walker like it was with Driscoll and Stoner.
Flannery O'Conner is suave and debonaire. If I were to make a lofty comparison of my style with a famous author, it would be her, indeed.
About the Lomax/Walker-Stoner debacle, I thought it was a really great portrayal of modern cancel culture nonsense. Surely, Stoner's anger at Walker was him being over-protected of the girl he eventually had an affair with. The novel is masterful because I noticed this when he definitely disproportionately picked on Walker for slighting Driscoll---and for it to be noted, when Stoner pointed this out to her, she was like "whatever" like she didn't see it or if she did she didn't care. So Stoner picks on Walker because he has a thing for Katherine and not because he was a cripple, While Lomax has a thing for Walker because of the shared disability bond, or maybe there is something more? Other than Walker's confidence and knack for winging the oral dissertation thing (which Stoner admits the guy had talent for impromptu stuff)
I give the book a 4. Not that I liked it that much, however. This is a very powerful well-written story, but one that doesn't interest me. The protagonist is weak. The only good thing he did was break out on his own and decide to study English.
Carl is right. Stoner is a loser character. He lets his wife walk all over him. He takes care of Grace in the beginning when it's all diapers and raising, then when it's party time with the kids his weak wife steps in. She spoils the child, all while the narrarator makes it clear Stoner is aware of his dying bond with his child. He doesn't do anything great in his life. He complains to his wife that he might want to leave the University after the confrontation, because there wasn't much future for him, after he denies a promotion to department chair. When he refuses the title both he and the dept. head act like it was obvious he didn't want the title.
if Sloan killed himself, as is suggested that he slowed his heart to die, couldn't it be symbolically that Stoner created and nurtured his own cancer tumor and death.
I like this novel, that's why the solid four. I like it because it is good and literary, but I don't see the lessons, more than that I don't understand why this is the BookTube darling that it is. As you know more about me, Lekden, you know why I would suggest that this is a BookTube darling because Stoner is a great literary story of a weak straight white male character. I am fine in not liking the main character or protagonists in a novel, but if they are bad I prefer them not to be weak. I kept on calling the guy a cuck the hole time. (sic?) Then he has an affair, which is nothing more than the product of his own weakness. Not only that, but the people that get over on him seem to be worse people than him, his wife and Lomax. Katherine even calls herself a slut, Lomax says guys are in her house day and night like she actally was. I think she was from this.
4 stars. I'm still thinking about it, for days I probably will, trying to figure out what the novel means. It's a good literary novel in that. I just feel this novel is not special enough to be the Booktube darling that it is, and that's why I hate it more.
Not a novel I want to read, but one that I don't complain about when I do. I still don't see why this is a Booktube darling. It's truly suspect that all of the genre platforms (primarily fantasy, sci-fi platforms) choose this to be the modern underapperciated literary novel.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts! The novel definitely gives a lot to think about, whether you get on with the characters or not. Our final video is posted on Carl's channel, not mine. I will edit the description of this video to include the link...
Wow, thanks for the extensive comments. You could have stopped at "Carl is right." Lol. I agree with your points, especially your take on the character of Stoner. I was and continue to be puzzled at why people gush over this book. Fingers crossed, we'll be doing more of these later this winter. Thanks again for watching and sharing your thoughts, we both really appreciate it.
I think Stoner is the closest thing to a perfect novel.
I am glad you enjoyed it! We didn't feel _quite_ the same as you, and we talk a little about that in this video. We have a final video coming out soon, having finished the book, and that one discusses our overall thoughts.