What are other books like Stoner? I personally thought, along with it seems a lot of people on this shitty board, that it was a really beautiful, well-crafted, emotional book. It really was a rare gem in the sea of masturbatory, "pls notice that I'm educated and clever," soulless or bullshitty books that are out there.
A bit OOT, as I still have to read Stoner, but what you identify is exactly how I feel while skimming /lit/ critique threads goddammit. Why does everybody on here feels the need to write like that.
Kinda obvious but check out his other two novels.
>>7627969
I don't know what you mean by similar to stoner, but skylark (also published by nyrb) was very good in a simple way like stoner was. Besides some Hungarian history, which wasn't important to the plot, the book was simple to read while still very emotional.
I'm half-way through right and I fucking love it, OP. Feel like I've been missing out.
>>7628036
Because no one on this shitty board actually reads and knows what good writing is. The very very few semi good writers on this board don't post their stuff. I know these writers exist because they sometimes partake in the writing of the meme books.
Stoner is god tier btw. I hope that one fag who always shits on this book doesn't find this thread.
>>7627969
I loved pic related; read it last year immediately after finishing Stoner. It's hard to make a case for any great similarity between the two, but they both made me Feel.
Actually, now that I think about it, Gray's self-insert Bildungsroman in books 1 & 2 is actually a lot like 'Stoner', only set in post-war Glasgow instead of Missouri.
I have a couple close family-friends that are emigrants of that same generation, so Thaw's story really resonated with me.And Gray understands life as a autistic virginal NEET-dropout better than any other author I've read. Shit hit way too close to home.
>>7629219
Thanks Anon, I'll check it out.
>>7628854
>The very very few semi good writers on this board don't post their stuff.
Probably because they know that everyone here will shit on their work regardless of how good it actually is, but you already knew that.
I didn't find this book as depressing as most of /lit/ seemed to. His victories were more plentiful then his failures imo.
Pic related. Mostly because it's about the extreme evolution of one man based on bad circumstance. It's genre fiction, but good genre fiction.
>>7628854
What passage of which memebook has good writing? Legitimately curious.
Demian by Herman Hesse
Except it was a "please feel sorry for me I lived a more fulfilling life than most" book
hi anons.
Does stoner require any pre-reading?
OR can anyone just pick it up and give it a go?
>>7631157
Maybe a bit of early 20th century history to get you into context, but that would come across as general knowledge.
It's a very simple novel that goes straight to the point, you shouldn't have any problems with it.
>>7631141
This.
It's comedic how anyone could find this book tragic.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5-0kZ_jeIHI
>>7631141
normie 'depression': the book
>>7631157
just take it without any preparations, you will take it in the morning and will cry your guts out in the late night.
Finished this last night. Incredible. How has this flown under the radar for so long, it seems? Would have much preferred this in my sophomore American literature courses versus some of the bullshit I read.
>>7631141
more like it was "Academic life: the book"
>>7633616
Nice post.
>>7628854
I remember some guy posted a excerpt from a story about some NEET, I think the characters name was Jim Rollins or something like that. It was actually really good. The only thing I have ever seen in /lit/ that look publishable. Fuck I wish I saved it.
>>7631107
I would not suggest this if you are looking for a novel similar to Stoner. It's your typical Hesse novel except he has been reading about psychoanalysis so it's crammed full of that.
