Spring RA Book Club: The Opposite of Loneliness

The Opposite of Loneliness

by Marina Keegan

Gisel's review:

The Opposite of Loneliness is a composition of essays and short stories written by Marina Keegan, a Yale graduate who sadly passed away in a car accident shortly after graduating. Many people spend their lives trying to figure out what the meaning of life is and where their individual purpose fits within that context. Marina accomplished this at a much younger age than most. Artists give meaning to life and that's exactly what Marina did with her fiction and non-fiction stories. Marina continues to live through the stories she wrote and through the profound insights we get as readers from this book.

Bobbi's review:

Whether you’re a fan of short stories, or you’ve never read a story shorter than 100 pages, Marina Keegan’s The Opposite of Loneliness has something that nearly everyone can enjoy. The stories vary in content and could appeal to many readers, though Keegan does present her stories with a younger voice. I finished the works in a total of two nights because each one captivated my attention to the point that I barely noticed the passing of time. While I preferred the fiction works, her nonfiction works were just as fascinating. The collection feels even more impressive after learning that Keegan wrote these stories at such a young age, and it’s quite unfortunate to know that her life ended so abruptly. After finishing the book, I immediately lent it to my sister, which I do only with select books, as I know she will only read something that she can truly engage with. It almost goes without saying that I would recommend this collection of stories to anyone who enjoys reading.

Colin's review:

Marina Keegan's The Opposite of Loneliness is a collection of short stories that ultimately acts as Keegan's memoir. Though most of the pieces are fictional, each one is dressed in a theme that serves to explore the soft and more difficult sides of human nature. To say that her work is beautiful is an understatement, the craftsmanship compares to works by more experienced writers, but where Keegan truly stands out is her ability to write at a contemporary level that speaks volumes to all audiences. We've all been in situations as described in her stories and can feel what each character is going through. Though she has moved on, her works are lasting.

Nanako's review:

I really enjoyed reading The Opposite of Loneliness. The fact that the author had passed really made me appreciate what she had to say about life and taking advantage of every single day in her stories. I also loved that she was a college student when she wrote these stories because I found them very relatable, and they spoke to me in ways that other books have not. The fact that the book was a compilation of short stories instead of one long story itself was fascinating and different for me, as I often don’t read books like that. I find that I enjoyed this more because I was left pondering on possibilities after the story had ended. This mimics what happens in real life when we meet people and hear about their stories; we are left wondering what they are going to make of themselves in the world, especially for young people like ourselves, and I appreciated getting to know her fictional character stories and her own stories as well.