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| Paperback Edition |
Ae-ran Kim's My Brilliant Life explores
family bonds and out-of-the-ordinary friendships, interweaving the past
and present of a tight-knit family, finding joy and happiness in even
the most difficult times.
Areum lives life to its fullest,
vicariously through the stories of his parents, conversations with
Little Grandpa Jang―his sixty-year-old neighbor and best friend―and
through the books he reads to visit the places he would otherwise never
see.
For several months, Areum has been working on a manuscript,
piecing together his parents’ often embellished stories about his family
and childhood. He hopes to present it on his birthday, as a final gift
to his mom and dad; their own falling-in-love story.
Through it all, Areum and his family will have you laughing and crying, for all the right reasons.
***
Before I came back from South Korea last year, I purchased many Korean Author books in case they will be difficult to find overseas. Then, it took time for me to read one by one. I picked this book, without reading the blurbs, assuming it will be the best companion during my short vacation at the beach. Long story short, I read it on the airplane, and tears ran down my eyes along the trip. It was a short read, took about 2.5 hours of intermittent reading.
Well, from the beginning, I was enchanted by the way Aerum- 16 years old boy- told the stories about his parents. Though still young, Areum's vocabulary is rich, and his mind is beyond an adult man, moreover like a middle man or a wise man. All his life, Areum learned everything from the books. This is how he describes books:
"Books were everything to be - a grandmother who told me stories all night long, a teacher who imparted all the knowledge in the world, a friend who shared their secrets and problems. Philosophy was difficult and I still don't understand many parts of those books, but I thought of them as a long, elegant poems. I figured the parts that didn't make sense to me would someday walk toward me and say hi, the way important lessons usually sink in later in life. They made my heart race without having to physically run."-Page 33.
As someone who grow up accompanied by books, those words were like a treasure that was just found inside my heart. That's how exactly how I felt about books, and the author delivers it very well.
Areum is sick since he was 2 years old, therefore he cannot attend school and didn't have same-age friends. His friend is little Grandpa Jang, the eccentric senior neighbor that lives together with his father, Grandpa Jang.
Areum is a good boy that understands very well about his circumstances. His parents, his parent's financial condition, and very perceiving whenever he talks with other people. He loves his parents the most and would do anything to lessen his parent's burden. He wants them to be happy because there is nothing that crushes a parent's heart anything more than their child's death.
For his upcoming birthday, Areum plans to write a beloved story about how his parent met and fell in love and then decide to have Areum. Even breaking Areum's heart, he bravely asked a laptop to write his story. His parent, never been asked anything in particular by Areum, of course, grant his wish.
But during his process, in his routine check-up, Areum and his mother learned that Areum's sight was deteriorating. Not long, Areum will be blind. And his heart is in bad condition and Areum needs to be hospitalized. But his parent has no money.
One day, Areum overheard his parent being offered to be on a television show to gather the nation's attention to donate money for Areum's hospitalization bill. Areum, decide to do that and take a side of his project.
When the producer and his crew met Areum, they realized how unique Areum-not only his condition but also his personality. The way he talks, his witty personality, and his vast knowledge. There is a conversation between Areum and Mr.Cha the producer before he decided to continue the program.
"What do you like to read?"
"All kinds of books."
"Oh?"
"My body is aging faster than my mind, so I have to make sure my mind matures as quickly as possible if I want to keep up,"
"Tell me about one of the books you've read recently,"
"Hm, let's see. Oh, there was a book of poetry I read recently. This line is great: "It's wonderful to become someone at once."
"It is."
"I also like this: 'It's a little sad not to become someone at once."
"Do you know what that means?"
"I just like the phrase. You know how when a leaf falls on a lake, the surface of the water ripples silently? That happened in my heart when I read this."
Aw! How can you not fall in love with Areum's character? How he is wiser beyond his age and most of all he always trying to be stronger than anyone else that loves him.
I love everything about this book. Everyone's character distinction, his hardworking and jock father, his beautiful, loving mother, and the mischievous little Grandpa Jang. Even the antagonist that will come later, you cannot fall into the personality. Then I love how the author (and translator of course) describes nature, the heart, the sound, the mind, and anything in this book. Her diction is so melancholic yet imprints the words in my heart. Just like when a leaf falls on a lake. My heart shakes every other page whenever I found how generous Areum is towards misfortune in his life.
This book teaches me many things, not only sorrow that breaks my heart but how a son loves towards parents, how to not be angry about the situation, and make the best of a misfortune.
I recommend this book to be a must-read at least once in your life. Even if you dislike reading, maybe you can watch the movie version (but I haven't watched it hahaha) that was released in 2014.
It was such a treat finding a great book like this. Thank you Ae-ran Kim Jjjakanim! And yes, it ripped my heart apart!
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