So this book arrives in the mail from Amazon; sent to me by my Dad. I open it up, read the back and begin to wonder why he sent me the "American Classic" written in 1965. I had never heard of it, nor had any of the English teachers at school. So, I called my Dad and inquired. He told me he had read in Rolling Stone that this was one of Jeff Bridges top 5 favorite books, and Jeff Bridges is in my Dad's top 5 actors of all time. This book, though written as a very simple narrative, is exceptionally powerful. As I started in to the book, I was drawn in by the story of William Stoner, a poor farmer who went off to University of Missouri to study agriculture but fell in love with his sophomore English class. What is incredible is the layers of depth in this book. Underlying the entire story is the history of our country throughout this man's life. The impacts of WWI, the great depression, WWII, and the aftermath of the war, as well as how sheltered he was from these things by being in a small mid-western town. The story also takes you through his professional career, the struggles to become a great teacher, and the politics of the university tenure system. All woven throughout is his marriage to Edith and their daughter Grace. We never really find out what is wrong with Edith, but here are some of my theories (totally made up): sexually abusive father, strict over-bearing mother, some form of autism, manic-depressant, the list goes on. Perhaps my Dad will read this book and be better able to give me insight into Edith. What is pitiful is that the circle of craziness continues with their daughter Grace who gets pregnant so she can escape their house and spends the remainder of her life drinking heavily. William Stoner lived a sad pitiful life, with the exception of a short love affair he had with a fellow professor, I don't think he ever lived life but rather succumbed to the daily routine. He only found happiness in his classroom, and only misery in his home. This would be an incredible book to read and discuss in the classroom. So many different directions a good teacher and a group of intelligent students could go in the discussion: history, struggle, heartbreak, love, and the power of circumstances. The author depicts some of the most trying times our country has ever faced, and in the end describes the perseverance of our soldiers who returned from war. All I could think was, they are truly "the greatest generation."
I just want to share some insight the author gives through Stoner during the long years of World War II. "He saw good men go down into a slow decline of hopelessness, broken as their vision of a decent life was broken; he saw them walking aimlessly upon the streets, their eyes empty like shards of broken glass; he saw them walk up to back doors, with the bitter pride of men who go to their executions, and beg for the bread that would allow them to beg again; and he saw men, who had once walked erect in their own identities, look at him with envy and hatred for the poor security he enjoyed as a tenured employee of an institution that somehow could not fail. He did not give voice to this awareness; but the knowledge of common misery touched him and changed him in ways that were hidden deep from the public view, and quiet sadness for the common plight was never far beneath any moment of his living."
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