The Tartar Steppe - Dino Buzzati (Ad-Free/Patron Only)

Interesting parallel to Williams's Stoner! In that novel, Prof. Stoner at least had his great love of books to sustain him. But having *someone*—namely his passive-aggressive destroyer of a wife, and appalling colleagues and students—was worse than having no one at all!

You should also check out the film adaptation of The Tartar Steppe! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Desert_of_the_Tartars

You should read the book The Opposing Shore; very similar atmosphere to this one, but in a more baroque style.

Interesting. Your description makes it sound a bit like a more philosophical version of the movie Jarhead. Gyllenhaal's character (perhaps not so coincidentally) reads Camus in it.