Scan barcode
rachd24's review against another edition
4.0
Check out my full review here: https://confessionsofabookgeek.com/2016/09/19/review-the-opposite-of-loneliness/
I was drawn to this book because of the title – call me a millennial, but it SPOKE to me. When I discovered that the author was only 22, and that she tragically died just 5 days after graduating, I had to know what was so special about her writing. Not only that, but a part of me felt I almost had to pay my respects to her in some way by acknowledging her work.
This book presents a selection of Marina’s essays, as well as some fictional short stories. I sway more towards enjoying her non-fiction, but overall I felt this was a very insightful, often raw, and well written collection of work. The girl had talent, and lots of it. I think she would have had a great career ahead of her. It’s impossible to read this book without a lingering sense of sadness throughout – to hear Marina’s distinct voice in her work, and know that there will never be any more of it, that we will never see her writing progress – it was both depressing, and yet at times oddly uplifting. Her life being cut short is a stark reminder to us all that tomorrow is not guaranteed.
Marina writes with a certain honesty, and manages to capture, for me, the feelings of a 20-something in today’s world. It can be a confusing, frightening, and tiresome world, as much as it can be overwhelming, fun, an frivolous. Interestingly, Marina doesn’t write how I’d imagined her to – based on her image on the cover, and the college she attended, I had a stereotypical idea of how she would write, and what she would write about. It was very interesting to me that she was much more gritty than I expected.
I was drawn to this book because of the title – call me a millennial, but it SPOKE to me. When I discovered that the author was only 22, and that she tragically died just 5 days after graduating, I had to know what was so special about her writing. Not only that, but a part of me felt I almost had to pay my respects to her in some way by acknowledging her work.
This book presents a selection of Marina’s essays, as well as some fictional short stories. I sway more towards enjoying her non-fiction, but overall I felt this was a very insightful, often raw, and well written collection of work. The girl had talent, and lots of it. I think she would have had a great career ahead of her. It’s impossible to read this book without a lingering sense of sadness throughout – to hear Marina’s distinct voice in her work, and know that there will never be any more of it, that we will never see her writing progress – it was both depressing, and yet at times oddly uplifting. Her life being cut short is a stark reminder to us all that tomorrow is not guaranteed.
Marina writes with a certain honesty, and manages to capture, for me, the feelings of a 20-something in today’s world. It can be a confusing, frightening, and tiresome world, as much as it can be overwhelming, fun, an frivolous. Interestingly, Marina doesn’t write how I’d imagined her to – based on her image on the cover, and the college she attended, I had a stereotypical idea of how she would write, and what she would write about. It was very interesting to me that she was much more gritty than I expected.
inconsiderate's review against another edition
1.0
Although the eponymous essay resonates with a certain valedictorian profundity, the rest of the book felt tacked on, almost as if the author was writing to meet a deadline, and wasn't given enough time to really solidify the ideas she was trying to establish. Which makes obvious sense, as this book was cobbled together from rambling essays and half-realized stories which were gathered up after her death. I am confident that if Marina hadn't died when she did, these stories could have been refined into something truly brilliant. On the other hand, one could argue that without an early death, these stories would have never reached us at all. But would that have been so bad?
mimimilaa's review against another edition
3.0
*3.5 stars
Marina Keegan is obviously an amazing author; it was amazing how easily I was drawn into her stories even though they were all short. I truly enjoyed reading them so much, it is so sad to me that she didn't get the chance to continue her writing because I would have loved to read a novel by her.
That being said, I do wish that not all of her short stories were so negative. I feel like they were often very pessimistic and it would've been nice to see a little bit of optimism added in, but I still really did enjoy them. Her writing was truly magical.
Marina Keegan is obviously an amazing author; it was amazing how easily I was drawn into her stories even though they were all short. I truly enjoyed reading them so much, it is so sad to me that she didn't get the chance to continue her writing because I would have loved to read a novel by her.
That being said, I do wish that not all of her short stories were so negative. I feel like they were often very pessimistic and it would've been nice to see a little bit of optimism added in, but I still really did enjoy them. Her writing was truly magical.
snikkidee's review against another edition
4.0
I am greatly saddened that this talented writer, Marina Keegan, died at such a young age. The title essay "The Opposite of Loneliness" made me cry. Some of the short stories and essays were worthy of 5 stars while others fell a bit short. However, this was one of the best collections I've read.
zoefruitcake's review against another edition
3.0
I read this as part of the 2018 Read Harder Challenge (a book published posthumously and a book of essays). Aspiring writer Marina Keegan was tragically killed in a car accident shortly after graduating. She was so young this is very much a snapshot of the start of a life. I don't wish to speak ill of the dead however I'm not sure she would have made it as a writer. I enjoyed the non-fiction parts more than the fiction, especially the title piece and also her experience of being a celiac. As I have a serious dairy allergy I found myself agreeing with her at every turn.
neshasurya's review against another edition
2.5
an intriguing collection of essays and short stories, but it wasn't nearly as impactful or life-changing as some reviewers had suggested. i like the essay better than the short stories.