This Story Was Written About You: Seeing Your Own Life in the Narrative
Reflecting on the common threads of everyday challenges
I just read the perfect novel.
The novel’s perfection lies in the fact that nothing particularly special happens, and the novel is written about your life.
It is the story of William Stoner, who was born in 1891 to a dirt-poor farming family in Missouri. His father wanted a better life for him, so he sent him to a distant college to study soil management. Stoner, however, hated farming and developed a passion for English literature, eventually becoming a college professor.
He later married, but a series of disappointments marked his life. He became distant from his parents, had a daughter, and his depressed wife kept him at a distance; meanwhile, his career stagnated due to his inability to navigate office politics. He also cheated on his wife, and his daughter went through her struggles, becoming pregnant and later losing her husband.
Throughout the story, Stoner is emotionally stunted to the point of ruin. He and his friends and family awkwardly maneuver through their lives, colliding like strangers in dreadful interactions.
In the end, William Stoner passed away, bringing the story to a close. Do you…
