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leonrascal's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
abhireadingnotes's review
5.0
In My Brilliant Life, Ae-ran Kim paints a human story about being young, about being in love, about becoming a parent and about losing someone you love.
Dae-soo and Mi-ra meet in the city of Daeho as teenagers. They fall in love against the wishes of their families and decide to get married and start a life together. At 17, they get married and soon give birth to their son, Areum. Unfortunately Areum has progeria which makes him age prematurely and rapidly. They justify this decision to be parents as teenagers by saying that “And we’ll finish raising the baby while everyone is still in school, so that when they are in the workforce all they have to do is hang out and have the kid support us” (Kim, 2021, pg. 22). They are naive and carefree like teenagers should be. But their world comes crashing down when their son is diagnosed with this life threatening condition. I believe a parent’s love for their child is one of the purest forms of human love there is. To see their child struggle and suffer was really hard for these young parents. But they are hopeful and decide to go ahead and believe that their love will pull them through. They take up additional jobs, learn how to manage the house, ask family members for financial support and lose a lot of the friends they went to school with as teenagers. But they have little Areum and that keeps them going through these tough times. This book is told from Areum’s perspective. So we hear him talking about his parents even before he is born. It is interesting that a female writer decided to tell this story from the perspective of a young boy. I wonder if this story would have changed had she told it from the perspective of the mother or the father. As Areum grows up, we see his parents relationship through his eyes. Parents try their best to hide their flaws from their children. But children often see through this. They notice when their parents are struggling. They feel the struggle themselves. As the book progresses you start seeing how Areum felt like his illness was causing his parents a lot of sadness. That was almost more painful than his actual physical struggles because of progeria. He knows he won’t be healthy for long. But he wants his parents to know that he loves them and really appreciates all their efforts to support him growing up. He writes a book about their relationship and as he crafts chapters we get a glimpse of Mi-ra and Dae-soo at their most vulnerable but also at their strongest. Read this book for Ae-ran Kim’s elegant prose and timeless characters. The emotions this story makes you feel will stay with you for a long time. And you slowly start missing the characters as you finish the book. Also special credit to the editing and publishing team for the beautiful cover design and high quality editing on this English translation.
Dae-soo and Mi-ra meet in the city of Daeho as teenagers. They fall in love against the wishes of their families and decide to get married and start a life together. At 17, they get married and soon give birth to their son, Areum. Unfortunately Areum has progeria which makes him age prematurely and rapidly. They justify this decision to be parents as teenagers by saying that “And we’ll finish raising the baby while everyone is still in school, so that when they are in the workforce all they have to do is hang out and have the kid support us” (Kim, 2021, pg. 22). They are naive and carefree like teenagers should be. But their world comes crashing down when their son is diagnosed with this life threatening condition. I believe a parent’s love for their child is one of the purest forms of human love there is. To see their child struggle and suffer was really hard for these young parents. But they are hopeful and decide to go ahead and believe that their love will pull them through. They take up additional jobs, learn how to manage the house, ask family members for financial support and lose a lot of the friends they went to school with as teenagers. But they have little Areum and that keeps them going through these tough times. This book is told from Areum’s perspective. So we hear him talking about his parents even before he is born. It is interesting that a female writer decided to tell this story from the perspective of a young boy. I wonder if this story would have changed had she told it from the perspective of the mother or the father. As Areum grows up, we see his parents relationship through his eyes. Parents try their best to hide their flaws from their children. But children often see through this. They notice when their parents are struggling. They feel the struggle themselves. As the book progresses you start seeing how Areum felt like his illness was causing his parents a lot of sadness. That was almost more painful than his actual physical struggles because of progeria. He knows he won’t be healthy for long. But he wants his parents to know that he loves them and really appreciates all their efforts to support him growing up. He writes a book about their relationship and as he crafts chapters we get a glimpse of Mi-ra and Dae-soo at their most vulnerable but also at their strongest. Read this book for Ae-ran Kim’s elegant prose and timeless characters. The emotions this story makes you feel will stay with you for a long time. And you slowly start missing the characters as you finish the book. Also special credit to the editing and publishing team for the beautiful cover design and high quality editing on this English translation.
yaporfavor's review
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
mimosaeyes's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Such a bittersweet tale. Sometimes while reading, I found myself smiling wryly at the funny moments - which were often funny in a way that made your mouth twist a little - and the end had me crying in bed a little past midnight.
zellreads's review
4.0
Sad and sweet - maybe a little too sweet. But charming, thought-provoking, and lovely. The characters were interesting and the plot was really well executed.
lleullawgyffes's review
lighthearted
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
naharobed's review
3.0
Translated from Korean, this melancholic novel follows a small family dealing with the son’s rare disease. Areum is only 16, but he is aging rapidly and his body is that of an 80-year old’s. It’s a story of seeing your child dying, of seeing your parents be consumed with worry and fear, of not being able to enjoy the things in life that people take for granted. Despite the sad subject matter, the story is not overly sentimental. Areum has accepted that this is his life and he knows what is coming. He’s never angry or sad about his circumstances, instead he’s more concerned with his parents. The novel is deceptively simple and the sorrow kind of creeps up on you.
louise_rosendal_von_essen's review
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5