The kite runner by khaled hosseini discussion questions. The loveliest book group in london reads john greens stoner. Stoner by john williams essay by morris dickstein book. Our live discussion has now finished, but you can reread the. The greatest rediscovered classic of recent years, stoner is a literary legend. It is a good idea to plan on finishing the book a little earlier than you might otherwise so that you have time to think about it and prepare before your book club meets. One problem many book clubs run into is that discussions always seem to get off track, just like they did in the reality tv show tuesday night book club.
Stoner by john williams this month, were discussing john williams rediscovered, wordofmouth bestseller. Here is where we will be discussing the january pick for the nyrb classics bookclub. Buy our new discussion guide to john williams stoner. Stoner tells of the conflicts, defeats and victories of the human race that pass unrecorded by history, and. Content includes books from bestselling, midlist and debut authors. How to plan a zoom book club from the comfort of your cozy. Stoner is undeniably a great book, but i can also understand why it isnt a sentimental favorite in its native land. Its time for another month of our online book club and this months pick is the award winning new york times bestseller ordinary grace by william kent krueger. This bookclubinabox pdf discussion guide 50 pages for john williams novel stoner includes. With truthfulness, compassion and intense power, this novel uncovers a story of universal value. We discussed the fact that many people thus see stoners life as sad. The kite runner by khaled hosseini is a powerful novel that explores sin, redemption, love, friendship, and suffering. Tara westovers educated is a great book club book idea to inspire discussion use these questions as a guide. William stoner, we learn in the book s first paragraph, was a lifelong academic, who entered the university of missouri as a student in 1910, and went on to teach there until his death in 1956.
Stoner tells of the conflicts, defeats and victories of the human race that pass unrecorded by history, and reclaims the significance of an individual life. Superintendents book club discussionoutliers part 1. A quick internet search reveals that john williams novel stoner has become something of a literary phenomenon since its rerelease by nyrb. Many books have premade book club discussion guides online. Lets give it a whirl and open up our first discussion with a few questions.
Finding the right book club book is easy when you follow these helpful tips. Stoner is a 1965 novel by the american writer john williams. Today is the official launch of the new bookclubinabox guide to john williams 1965 novel stoner, which has seen a sudden resurgence in popularity in recent years. This is the story of an ordinary man, seemingly thwarted at every turn, but also of the knotty integrity he preserves, the deep. If you get to pick the book, here are some recommendations for engaging books that are likely to promote discussion. Stoner is a wonderful novel, rich and sombre, a record of pain and loss but also of moments of vision and tenderness.
Log in or sign up to leave a comment log in sign up. In this guide, youll find a city of girls summary, ten city of girls book club questions. With truthfulness, compassion and intense power, this novel uncovers a. A site dedicated to book lovers providing a forum to discover and share commentary about the books and authors they enjoy. If youre ready to start a book club, heres 40 of the best book club questions, for fiction and nonfiction alike. Another book very much liked and admired by everyone present at the. It follows the lives of two best friends as global politics and family drama come together to shape their destiny. In a pivotal scene in john williams novel, stoner 1965 three young graduate students are discussing the nature of university education over their cups. Keep the mood of the club in mind when selecting the book. The seventh meeting of moiras seattle times book club took place earlier this afternoon, with a farranging and enjoyable discussion of kathleen rooneys novel lillian boxfish takes a walk.
Youll also find printable book club questions at the end of this post to bring to your meeting. You should seriously read stoner right now the new. It is the type of discussion that doubtless has happened many times. The other book that cheered me up this year was stoner by john williamsreemerging this year rather triumphantly and permanently this time, i think. The first page of the book gives away the whole story, in a way, and yet it also draws you in. The honey bus begins with a swarmcatching expedition gone wrong, and grandpa has to rescue meredith from stinging. For those willing to continue reading, my discussion touches on only a few of the many themes within the book and leaves out several areas all together. Im super excited for our book club discussion and have some thought provoking ordinary grace book club questions to get us started. The participants are william stoner, the protagonist of the book, and his friends gordon finch and david masters. Recently, i hosted a welllubricated book group for stoner. Ive found that the best book club discussion questions are ones that are openended and that get people to share their personal opinions.
Many books have reading guides at the end of the book that are perfect to use for your book club. Whether you define a stoner book as a novel about the delights of cannabis, or a nonfiction work about the history of weed, weve got you covered. How a 1965 book with a mundane plot became the little novel that. Eddie undergoes such hardship with the loss of his father, and then mother within the same year. Will schwalbe, author of the end of your life book club beyond the humor and the pathos, the quotidian and the bizarre, there remain profound lessons about life and love that i will carry away. Recommended for book clubs by author, all with discussion guides. Learn more if you would like more tips on holding a book club discussion, check out our book club discussion guide. Stoner s deeply ingrained reticence is a keystone of the novel. Stoner has been categorized under the genre of the academic novel, or the campus novel. I hope youll join us and use these discussion questions for your book club too. Keemstar vs domislive live debate recorded monetization news debate. Which is why were providing you with this list of top book club questions that will generate general discussion whether youre focused on nonfiction, a selfhelp book, a juicy historical romance novel, or one of reeses, jenna bush hagers or, of course, oprahs favorites. This city of girls book club questions and reading guide has you covered for all your book group needs to have a fun and thoughtful discussion about gilberts novel.
I just finished stoner by john williams, described as the best. Sent to the state university to study agronomy, he instead falls in love with english literature and embraces a scholars life. The book also explores the changes in afganistan from the fall of the monarchy to the fall of the taliban. Our book club thought that this book was outstanding and exceptionally well written. The best book club questions for every kind of discussion. You should seriously read stoner right now the new york times. William stoner is born into a farming family in rural missouri in the late 1800s. Read moiras book clubs online discussion of lillian. Or, is the team struggling with the last few books youve read.
Book club discussion notes for stoner by john williams. This study guide consists of approximately 39 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of stoner. Stoner is the first novel i read for pleasure after 4 years of an english literature degree. At one point an elderly gentleman stood to address the room. It made for an outstanding discussion with varied opinions regarding stoner s happiness. Stoner topics for discussion john williams this study guide consists of approximately 39 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of stoner. Is the group on a roll and ready to tackle that long thick book youve been talking about for months. Stoner is a stick figure who, over the course of the book, gets to interact with other stick figures the resentful wife, the condescending academic colleagues, the college friend with a lust for life who gets mowed down before his prime in the great war, etc etc ad. George hodgman has created an unforgettable book about mothers and sons, and about the challenges that come with growing older and growing up. William stoner emerges from it not only as an archetypal american, but as an unlikely existential hero, standing, like a figure in a painting by edward hopper, in stark relief against an unforgiving world.