This is a powerful book, with a simple yet melancholy flow. It reminds me of Midwestern church hymns. 
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FsNCOL... 
 Stoner is the novel of an ordinary life. As such, it's full of moments of quiet desperation and stoicism. William Stoner is a man defeated and beaten, and yet he survives with a sort of passive acceptance. He may be a 'loser', but you feel empathy for him. It's profoundly touching, and interesting on a personal level. I respect Stoner, although I think a lot of us here fear becoming him.