Over the past couple of weeks, Readers United read The Opposite of Loneliness by Marina Keegan.
January 30, 2017
Status: Midway through collection of short stories and essays
Introduction: Story of author and her tragic death right after graduating Yale
Discussion:
Cold Pastoral—short fiction
- What do you think of Lauren? Did you pity her? Was she realistic?
- Was Brian and Claire’s relationship even real? After all, Claire had to get the notes from Lauren.
Stability in Motion—personal essay
- Explores the author’s relationship with her car and the memories she has there.
- Nostalgic tone
February 13, 2017
Status: Finished the collection
Discussion:
Baggage Claim—short fiction
- What was the point of the story?
- An exploration of one man’s decision; the conflict seems to come from his internal tension.
- What drove the character’s decision to leave and go back for the ring?
Against The Grain—personal essay
- Story on multiple levels, exploring both author’s Celiac disease and relationship with mother.
Challenger Deep—short fiction
- Everyone dies? How were the characters developed?
- This story confused some people—but we all figured it out by the end.
Overall: How does the author’s death affect the way we
read her work? Would this work have been published, or would it have been so widely read and
acclaimed, if not for the circumstances?
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