Stoner

This campus novel surprised me—it's not about drugs but a gorgeous portrayal of William Stoner's life of failures, from a stifled career to a loveless marriage and lost friendships, yet he persists with stoic hope. I observed his entire life as a silent voyeur, from birth to an unremembered death, captivated by his four love affairs, especially with literature that reaffirmed why I adore reading. He switches from agriculture to literature after falling for Shakespeare's sonnets, nourishing himself in the library until the end, with quotes like chasing the true, good, and beautiful around the corner that hit deep. His electric affair with Katherine blew my mind, making the pages pulse. If you need a reminder of reading's joy amid miseries, this is it—pure artistry that changes how you see perseverance.