Stoner
Stoner by John Williamsby John Williams
Shares rank 23 of 122 novels by recommenders
People recommend this novel for its beautiful writing, steady pacing, and the way it stays with readers long after finishing.
People recommend this novel for its beautiful writing, steady pacing, and the way it stays with readers long after finishing.
8 people gave an opinion
- recommend it
- 8
- criticize it
- 0
- approval share
- 100%
Recommended in 4 of 13 months
- November 2025: not recommended
- December 2025: recommended
- January 2026: not recommended
- February 2026: not recommended
- March 2026: not recommended
- April 2026: recommended
- May 2026: not recommended
- June 2026: not recommended
- July 2026: not recommended
- August 2026: not recommended
- September 2026: recommended
- October 2026: recommended
- November 2026: not recommended (month in progress)
Why it doesn’t carry the badge
- 8 people recommend itNeeds 10 or more, not met.
- Nobody criticizes itNeeds 2 to 1 or better, met.
- Recommended in 4 of 13 monthsNeeds 4 or more, met.
The same three rules apply to every product, and the badge can’t be bought. How the badge works
What people say about it
The reasons people give, with the number of comments that give each one. Open a reason to read what they said.
Why people recommend it
Each mark is one comment
Beautifully and well written
“a really well paced and beautifully written book”
Comment from 30 Sep 2026 in “Ask HN: What are you reading?” “Incredibly well written book”
Comment from 26 Dec 2025 in “Ask HN: What did you read in 2025?” Stays on your mind
“I'm halfway through Stoner right now and think about it quite a bit when I'm not reading it.”
Comment from 30 Sep 2026 in “Ask HN: What are you reading?” “It was excellent and if you let it, it would make you think.”
Comment from 30 Sep 2026 in “Ask HN: What are you reading?”
Other novels people recommend
The four most recommended other novels, with the same counts for each, so you can compare like for like. The tick on each bar marks the 2 to 1 line the badge needs.
| Product | Recommend | Criticize | Approval | Months | Owned | Badge |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime and Punishmentby Fyodor Dostoevsky | 39 | 9 | 81% | 6 | — | Approved |
| The Brothers Karamazovby Fyodor Dostoevsky | 28 | 8 | 78% | 5 | — | Approved |
| Infinite Jestby David Foster Wallace | 26 | 5 | 84% | 9 | 10 yrs6 owners | Approved |
| The Great Gatsbyby F. Scott Fitzgerald | 24 | 9 | 73% | 6 | — | Approved |
| Stonerby John WilliamsThis page | 8 | 0 | 100% | 4 | — | — |
What people said
5 of the 8 comments that mention it, newest first. Each links to the original comment.
“I think that's deliberate to portray a complex human that can be in the world in contradictory ways”
“It was excellent and if you let it, it would make you think.”
“a really well paced and beautifully written book”
“I'm halfway through Stoner right now and think about it quite a bit when I'm not reading it.”
“Incredibly well written book”
Counts come from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026. How we count. Report a mistake.