# Stoner by John Williams

8 Hacker News commenters recommended Stoner by John Williams and 0 criticized it, November 2025 to November 2026. It was recommended in 4 of 13 months.

**Verdict:** People recommend this novel for its beautiful writing, steady pacing, and the way it stays with readers long after finishing.

## Why people recommend it

- Beautifully and well written (2 comments): "a really well paced and beautifully written book" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49909371)) "Incredibly well written book" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46397495))
- Stays on your mind (2 comments): "I'm halfway through Stoner right now and think about it quite a bit when I'm not reading it." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49908902)) "It was excellent and if you let it, it would make you think." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49912852))

## Alternatives hackers recommend

- [Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky](https://hackerapproved.com/p/crime-and-punishment.md): 39 recommend
- [The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky](https://hackerapproved.com/p/brothers-karamazov.md): 28 recommend
- [Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace](https://hackerapproved.com/p/infinite-jest.md): 26 recommend
- [The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://hackerapproved.com/p/great-gatsby.md): 24 recommend
- [Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand](https://hackerapproved.com/p/atlas-shrugged.md): 23 recommend

## Where to get it

- [See price on Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/dp/0099595796?tag=hackerapprove-20) (affiliate link)
- [Bookshop.org](https://bookshop.org/a/130825/9780099595793) (affiliate link)

## Cite as

Hacker Approved, "Stoner by John Williams", https://hackerapproved.com/p/stoner/ (counts from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026).