This is the Dutch cover you see here. I put it here or I’ll forget what the book was like. I judge by cover, I remember by cover.

I didn’t particularly want to read this hyped-up book. Yes, this 1965 novel is having a great time in 2014 Netherlands (see also Julian Barnes’ article about the revival of this book in Europe). I don’t particularly like the cover, although it was chosen as one of the (of not the) best covers of (some year, probably) 2012. I could not imagine how this boring story could be a good read. Nah!

But my book group wanted to read it, so I thought, well, okay then… Sigh.

Stoner: What it is about

The publisher says: “William Stoner enters the University of Missouri at nineteen to study agriculture. A seminar on English literature changes his life, and he never returns to work on…