John Williams - Stoner

Reviewed live on bookshow by Corinna Christopher 27th March 2014.  This was her review: 

William Stoner was born in 1891 on a small farm in Missouri.  Persuaded  to take an Agricultural course at the local  University he was conscientious receiving  average grades after 1 year.  He was introduced to English literature and in his second year changed courses to Philosophy, History and Literature.  Initially he had no friends and lived in his books learning Greek and Latin as well.

He was in due course persuaded to carry on at the University and become a teacher there.  He developed a friendship with Gordon Finch and David Masters but when his two friends decided to enlist for the war Stoner stayed on and eventually obtained his doctorate.  Sadly Masters was killed.

Stoner met and fell in love with Edith at a university function .  She was a strange quiet lady, cold and repressed.  They were married and within a month Stoner knew that his marriage was a failure.. She was unable to love him until she decided that she wanted a child.  Daughter Grace was born in 1923 and then Edith took to her bed for a year so that Stoner became