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That time a retired librarian in Boise changed how I read fiction
I was at a used book sale in Boise three years ago and this older lady named Margaret saw me pick up a popular thriller. She leaned over and said 'you know, that one's fine, but if you want a book that actually changes you, try this one' and handed me a worn copy of Stoner by John Williams. I almost put it back because the cover was boring, but I bought it for 50 cents and it ended up being one of the most meaningful reads of my life. Has anyone else had a stranger's book recommendation just totally stick with them years later?
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masonbell3d ago
Oh man, Margaret sounds like a legend. But I gotta gently push back on something - calling Stoner's cover boring is kinda missing the point. That book is the literary equivalent of plain brown wrapping paper hiding a diamond inside. The whole story is about how a quiet, unassuming life can be just as powerful and painful as any big dramatic adventure. I read it a few years back and it wrecked me in the best way, made me rethink what makes a life worth living. So yeah, the cover might not scream excitement, but that's the trick - it's not trying to sell you flash, it's trying to sell you truth.
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mila_perry134d ago
Friend of mine got told to read 'The Left Hand of Darkness' by a stranger at a bus stop, still talks about it ten years later.
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