Stoner novel by Williams Written by Urnesha Bhattacherjee Associate Editor, Britannica India Urnesha Bhattacherjee Fact-checked by Britannica Editors Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree.... Britannica Editors Last updated May 8, 2026 •History Stoner, a campus novel by 20th-century American writer John Williams. First published in 1965, it chronicles the unremarkable yet deeply moving life of William Stoner, a Missouri farm boy who becomes an English professor. The narrative follows his life through major events such as World War I and the Great Depression and into the mid-20th century, unfolding in the insular world of academia, where Stoner faces personal and professional struggles with quiet resilience. The Quiet...

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