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flappermyrtle 's review for:
The Opposite of Loneliness: Essays and Stories
by Marina Keegan
I barely ever give a book 5 stars, but I will wholeheartedly adorn this one with the highest rating.
The Opposite of Loneliness is a collection of short stories and essays by Marina Keegan. There is a tragedy within the covers of this book, since Marina died in a car accident several days after graduating from Yale - this book is a collection of the stuff she wrote during her studies there. The title essay, The Opposite of Loneliness, went viral after its publication on the New Yorker website.
But all that is not why you should read this book. The back story impressed me, but I picked it up in the first place because of its beautiful title. The Opposite of Loneliness promises something beautiful - which it definitely delivers. This first essay speaks of the feeling of connectedness, of community one has as a student, especially in a small student town like Yale (and, coincidentally, St Andrews, which is where I am studying right now). Keegan miraculously manages to put into words this feeling of joy at being together, and the fear of losing all this when leaving university. She combines this with a reminder of all the things we may accomplish once we venture out into the wide world, telling us we can do anything, we are still so young. Extra poignant, knowing she must have had so many plans herself, but in itself simply a spot-on reminder of the exciting possibilities out there for us.
Keegan's fiction is, to be honest, dark. Most stories have to do with death, or disability, but these things are written about so beautifully, so sympathetically and realistically, it is almost romantic in the original sense. The settings and characters, too, are very original and creative, and sketched with only a few brush strokes, though no less convincing for that. The story of a deep sea boat stuck in the ocean, pitch black, with food that slowly runs out and a crew that slowly goes mad is fantastic, as much as the relationships laid out in the story of a young man's death and the ex-girlfriend and not-really-girlfriend. Despite the darkness, and sometimes, it is true, lack of hope in these stories, they breathe humanity.
The non-fiction essays included in this book are very, very good too. Keegan speaks of her youth as a coeliac, and her mother's obsession to protect her from any poisonous gluten. The writing style is simple, it almost reads like fiction, so lovely are her sentences and thoughts phrased. The story of her former car, too, is wonderful in its reflection on the making of memories, the materializing of memories, and how we value things not for their monetary worth, but for the emotional response it calls up in us. I must admit to liking the article on Yale graduates opting for starter's jobs at banks and consultancy less, possibly because it was not as relatable for me, though it is a very clever way into discussing the waste of talent, the slow retreat into safety and normalcy, and the implicit fear of what one is really going to do next, after university - how one person can make a difference. This is true for all the non-fiction; the essays are personal, but the topics they touch upon are very identifiable for someone in the same stage of life as she was.
I honestly cannot recommend this book enough, especially for students. It makes you think, it makes you smile or weep, and it might even make you a better person.
The Opposite of Loneliness is a collection of short stories and essays by Marina Keegan. There is a tragedy within the covers of this book, since Marina died in a car accident several days after graduating from Yale - this book is a collection of the stuff she wrote during her studies there. The title essay, The Opposite of Loneliness, went viral after its publication on the New Yorker website.
But all that is not why you should read this book. The back story impressed me, but I picked it up in the first place because of its beautiful title. The Opposite of Loneliness promises something beautiful - which it definitely delivers. This first essay speaks of the feeling of connectedness, of community one has as a student, especially in a small student town like Yale (and, coincidentally, St Andrews, which is where I am studying right now). Keegan miraculously manages to put into words this feeling of joy at being together, and the fear of losing all this when leaving university. She combines this with a reminder of all the things we may accomplish once we venture out into the wide world, telling us we can do anything, we are still so young. Extra poignant, knowing she must have had so many plans herself, but in itself simply a spot-on reminder of the exciting possibilities out there for us.
Keegan's fiction is, to be honest, dark. Most stories have to do with death, or disability, but these things are written about so beautifully, so sympathetically and realistically, it is almost romantic in the original sense. The settings and characters, too, are very original and creative, and sketched with only a few brush strokes, though no less convincing for that. The story of a deep sea boat stuck in the ocean, pitch black, with food that slowly runs out and a crew that slowly goes mad is fantastic, as much as the relationships laid out in the story of a young man's death and the ex-girlfriend and not-really-girlfriend. Despite the darkness, and sometimes, it is true, lack of hope in these stories, they breathe humanity.
The non-fiction essays included in this book are very, very good too. Keegan speaks of her youth as a coeliac, and her mother's obsession to protect her from any poisonous gluten. The writing style is simple, it almost reads like fiction, so lovely are her sentences and thoughts phrased. The story of her former car, too, is wonderful in its reflection on the making of memories, the materializing of memories, and how we value things not for their monetary worth, but for the emotional response it calls up in us. I must admit to liking the article on Yale graduates opting for starter's jobs at banks and consultancy less, possibly because it was not as relatable for me, though it is a very clever way into discussing the waste of talent, the slow retreat into safety and normalcy, and the implicit fear of what one is really going to do next, after university - how one person can make a difference. This is true for all the non-fiction; the essays are personal, but the topics they touch upon are very identifiable for someone in the same stage of life as she was.
I honestly cannot recommend this book enough, especially for students. It makes you think, it makes you smile or weep, and it might even make you a better person.