[alphaBetaGamma]

Stoner, by John Williams

The story of an average, not very successful literary professor, told with great humanity and tenderness. This does not seem much of a story line, yet I believe this book is so good it will still be read in one hundred years.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stoner_%28novel%29

[michaelvkpdx]

Thank you for this. I am going to search this one out.

[alphaBetaGamma]

I tend to think that the average fiction book is less interesting that the average non-fiction book, but that the best fiction books are much, much better than the best non-fiction ones (and teach you more, and deeper things).

This one is up there with the very best. It is exquisitely well written (John Williams was a literature professor, directing a creative writing program), and despite the plainness of the plot(or maybe because of it?) it offers a remarkable view of what gives meaning to life (IMHO of course. Your millage may vary).