Do You Even Lit?

John Williams' sleeper hit Stoner: Finding perfection in mediocrity

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Full transcript for this episode is available at doyouevenlit.com — sort by ideas, authors, and more.

Our critical consensus on John William's sleeper bestseller Stoner:

  • There is almost no plot
  • The main character doesn't get the girl, or really succeed at anything
  • Gigantic violation of 'show don't tell', starting on literally page one
  • WE FUCKING LOVE THIS BOOK

    • could it be...a perfect novel?

    we try figure out why we relate so hard to Mr William Stoner, the great shining exemplar of principled mediocrity.

    CHAPTERS

    • 00:00:00 - the perfect novel
    • 00:06:23 - synopsis
    • 00:10:20 - why each of us loved this book
    • 00:17:02 - Mediocrity as the modal outcome
    • 00:22:26 - Is Stoner a good stoic or too passive?
    • 00:33:24 - Edith and toxic femininity
    • 00:42:36 - Subverting the hero/saviour trope
    • 00:48:00 - The Lomax/Walker feud
    • 00:58:30 - Academia as an asylum for misfits
    • 01:03:00 - Lust and learning with Katherine Driscoll
    • 01:07:30 - Dying with dignity
    • 01:10:32 - Where does this stand in the canon?
    • 01:17:18 - Ignoring ’show don’t tell’, plain sincere prose
    • 01:20:40 - assorted culture war stuff
    • 01:28:35 - choosing next book
      • ...more
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      Do You Even Lit?By cam and benny feat. rich