My Brilliant Life

My Brilliant Life

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  • Create Date：2021-01-29 04:19:36
  • Update Date：2025-09-06
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  • Author：Ae-ran Kim
  • ISBN：9781250750556
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Summary

“A moving， earnest， and deeply-felt exploration of a unique family in all its joys and disappointments 。 。 。 an utter delight。” —Claire Lombardo， New York Times bestselling author of The Most Fun We Ever Had

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。

“This novel snuck up on me and captured my heart。” —Margarita Montimore， USA Today bestselling author of Oona Out of Order

Editor Reviews

This novel snuck up on me and captured my heart。”
—Margarita Montimore， USA Today bestselling author of Oona Out of Order

“Poetic 。 。 。 the humor， wisdom， and grace of this family carry us through a touching story of the hardest of times。”
—Laurie Frankel， New York Times bestselling author of This Is How It Always Is

“A moving， earnest， and deeply-felt exploration of a unique family in all its joys and disappointments。”
—Claire Lombardo， New York Times bestselling author of The Most Fun We Ever Had

“This is one of those novels where the characters seem to have immortal souls。 They’re so real to me I feel like adding them to my Christmas card list。 When you read this book， give them my regards。 Let them know I still think about them。”
—Jamie Ford， New York Times bestselling author of Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet

“Stylish and engaging， this eloquent book encompasses with compassion and discernment the ordinary miracles of birth and death and everything in between。”
—Kathleen Rooney， national bestselling author of Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk

“Areum discovers more wisdom， humor， and insight in seventeen years of life than many of us find in a lifetime。”
—Heather Harpham， award-winning playwright and author of Happiness: The Crooked Little Road to Semi-Ever After

“To read Ae-ran Kim is to fall in love with her。”
—Kyung-sook Shin， New York Times bestselling and Man Asian Prize winning author of Please Look After Mom

“Compounding moments of insight and joy resonate deeply， with heartwarming results。”
—Booklist

“Areum’s reckoning with his fate makes for a wrenching story。 This slim book has so much heart， packing quite an emotional investment into its 208 pages。 As fleeting as Areum’s fictional life may be， he will not be a character easily forgotten。”
—Bookpage

“This quirky， bighearted book crackles with life on every page。”
—Asymptote Journal

“It's a flawless book 。 。 。 I loved My Brilliant Life。”
—Books and Bao

From the Publisher

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Reviews

Chinara ，

3。5 out of 5 stars A heart-warming story with a surprising twist and real characters that I'd remember for some time。 Areum is a sixteen year old teenager who has a very rare sickness which makes his body and organs age from 4 to 10 times faster than normal person so he has 80 years old body and emotionally thinks he's older than his parents。 He tells a story of his parents when they met， how their younger years went by， how much their lives changed when they learnt about their kid's illness at the age of 2 and how he is waiting for his death。 Areum's story-telling evolves from his parents' life to his own current world which becomes deeper， more sad， and heart-breaking。 He wasn't dreaming much about future （except first kiss and soju） not to make himself and his parents suffer more， continuing to hang around with his 80-year old grandpa "friend"， even made a face on TV。 I wish it were more meaty with deeper emotional reflections as the story is about ending life， fading light， and heart full of hope。 I'll miss you， Areum！

Chinara Ahmadova ，

*This book has been provided to me by the publisher via NetGalley for an honest review of mine*3。5 out of 5 starsA heart-warming story with a surprising twist and real characters that I'd remember for some time。 Areum is a sixteen year old teenager who has a very rare sickness which makes his body and organs age from 4 to 10 times faster than normal person so he has 80 years old body and emotionally thinks he's older than his parents。 He tells a story of his parents when they met， how their youn *This book has been provided to me by the publisher via NetGalley for an honest review of mine*3。5 out of 5 starsA heart-warming story with a surprising twist and real characters that I'd remember for some time。 Areum is a sixteen year old teenager who has a very rare sickness which makes his body and organs age from 4 to 10 times faster than normal person so he has 80 years old body and emotionally thinks he's older than his parents。 He tells a story of his parents when they met， how their younger years went by， how much their lives changed when they learnt about their kid's illness at the age of 2 and how he is waiting for his death。Areum's story-telling evolves from his parents' life to his own current world which becomes deeper， more sad， and heart-breaking。 He wasn't dreaming much about future （except first kiss and soju） not to make himself and his parents suffer more， continuing to hang around with his 80-year old grandpa "friend"， even made a face on TV。I wish it were more meaty with deeper emotional reflections as the story is about ending life， fading light， and heart full of hope。 I'll miss you， Areum！ 。。。more

Kim Fox ，

What an interesting story！ Areum tells the story of his parents and ultimately himself。 He is diagnosed with a rare disease that causes him to age prematurely and is fatal and because of this he decides he wants to learn as much as he can about everything。 He starts writing and he tells the story of his parents meeting， and becoming pregnant with him at the age of 16。 They are children themselves and then they find out their child has this rate disease。 I enjoyed this book， it was an easy read， What an interesting story！ Areum tells the story of his parents and ultimately himself。 He is diagnosed with a rare disease that causes him to age prematurely and is fatal and because of this he decides he wants to learn as much as he can about everything。 He starts writing and he tells the story of his parents meeting， and becoming pregnant with him at the age of 16。 They are children themselves and then they find out their child has this rate disease。 I enjoyed this book， it was an easy read， but very sad。 Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Tor/Forge for the eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review。 。。。more

Carol ，

When I read this book， I thought about the characters and then about the author。 Some things written are brilliantly funny。 I want so much to quote from the book but I cannot because it is not a finished we see things differently。 Ae-ran Kim turns things on their side and the results are that we see things differently。 That is why I was so often stopping and starting reading。 The story is of a 16-year-old boy whose parents were only 16 when he was born， they had no job， left school， and they str When I read this book， I thought about the characters and then about the author。 Some things written are brilliantly funny。 I want so much to quote from the book but I cannot because it is not a finished we see things differently。 Ae-ran Kim turns things on their side and the results are that we see things differently。 That is why I was so often stopping and starting reading。 The story is of a 16-year-old boy whose parents were only 16 when he was born， they had no job， left school， and they struggled to take care of him。 But even worse， he had a very rare disease which caused him to age very quickly， By the time that he was 16， and they were 32， he had the body of an 80-year old。 His greatest hope was to live to 17 and give his parents a book that he had written about them。 He wanted to save his parents from working themselves to death in their very menial jobs。 He decides to agree to having a documentary about him to solicit funds for his care。This short book captures your attention quickly and will not let you go。 I was up to the wee hours of the morning， reading and pausing and thinking。 I tried to go to sleep but kept thinking about the boy until the story ended。 It is written with humor， sadness and joy。 It leaves you with the huge depth of how much people need people。I received this Advanced Copy of this book from Forge Publishers as a win in the FirstReads contest。 My thoughts and feelings in this review are entirely my own。 。。。more

Carin ，

Boy， this book is really hard to describe， so this will be a short review。Areum has the opposite of the Benjamin Button disease。 He's one of those little kids you see who looks like a tiny， really old man。 Because essentially， he is。 His body is aging at an astonishing rate， causing stress and havoc on his whole family。 His parents， who are very young and had fewer resources and experience when they had him， have had to grow up fast and muster help。 He decides to give his parents the ultimate gi Boy， this book is really hard to describe， so this will be a short review。Areum has the opposite of the Benjamin Button disease。 He's one of those little kids you see who looks like a tiny， really old man。 Because essentially， he is。 His body is aging at an astonishing rate， causing stress and havoc on his whole family。 His parents， who are very young and had fewer resources and experience when they had him， have had to grow up fast and muster help。 He decides to give his parents the ultimate gift: he is writing their love story as a novel， even though their young pregnancy with him was not a welcome event。 But he is shifting the focus of the story to their love for each other。Then his family's story is filmed and shown on a national show that solicits donations for families in need。 Through that exposure， Areum makes a new friend online who seems to truly understand him。 And since he likely will never meet her in person， she's not put off by his sickliness and appearance。 Even though there is no magic in this book， it had a very magical， unreal feel to it。 It's about family and unconditional love。 It's about sacrifice and responsibility。 It's about facing down uncomfortable truths you can't avoid。 It is beautiful and tragic。 It was a unique reading experience。 。。。more

Helen | readwithneleh ，

Areum Han is a 16-year-old with an 80-year-old's body。 Knowing that this rare accelerated-aging disorder will soon take his life， Areum decides to write about his parents， their childhood and how they fell in love — a final farewell present for his parents on his 17th birthday。 As the story progresses， we move from his parents to Areum's own experiences and as expected， it is sad but not tragic。Though Areum experiences a unique kind of loneliness that we can't possibly imagine， he accepts his fa Areum Han is a 16-year-old with an 80-year-old's body。 Knowing that this rare accelerated-aging disorder will soon take his life， Areum decides to write about his parents， their childhood and how they fell in love — a final farewell present for his parents on his 17th birthday。 As the story progresses， we move from his parents to Areum's own experiences and as expected， it is sad but not tragic。Though Areum experiences a unique kind of loneliness that we can't possibly imagine， he accepts his fate and exudes an empathy that we can all learn from。 The plot strayed a bit in the middle for me when he's at the hospital exchanging emails with a new friend， but I understand this was done to show the wide spectrum of human emotions Areum felt。 And in turn， through Areum， we also feel the love， hope， grief and shame he went through。I'd recommend for anyone looking for a reminder to live your life to the fullest。 。。。more

Keith ，

Pretty good thoughts from a young boy with a condition that makes him old fast。 From his point of view。

Laura ，

I wanted to give this one a 5， but in my heart I can’t。 It’s a beautiful story。 The ending is achingly good。 But， ultimately， it felt like the driving force of the story wavered too much for me to give it 5。 We start by Aerum discussing his parents’ story。 Then the book moves into Areum’s talks with Seoha。 I think the lack of cohesive melding of these two points in Aerum’s life left me wanting more than the book was giving me。 It could be possible that the translation here may leave the reader s I wanted to give this one a 5， but in my heart I can’t。 It’s a beautiful story。 The ending is achingly good。 But， ultimately， it felt like the driving force of the story wavered too much for me to give it 5。 We start by Aerum discussing his parents’ story。 Then the book moves into Areum’s talks with Seoha。 I think the lack of cohesive melding of these two points in Aerum’s life left me wanting more than the book was giving me。 It could be possible that the translation here may leave the reader slightly disappointed。 But it’s a great read！ Aerum’s parents are funny and doting。 Little Grandpa Jang is endearing。 And at just around 200 pages it’s short enough that it’s not intimidating and perfect for a weekend read。 Thanks to Forge for an ARC！ 。。。more

RyReads ，

I was not prepared for this to be just as hopeful and poetic as it is sad。 This will make you grateful- grateful for your life and grateful for every single day。 Areum is wise beyond his years。 I loved him。 I loved this book。 Thank you to Goodreads for a free copy of this book。 More in-depth review to come

Diane Bateman ，

I loved this story and how it got emotional for me I could not put it down 。

Anoka County Library ，

Translated from Korean， this story is about a boy and his parents。 Young Areum has an accelerated aging disorder and through his short life experience， reminds us how truly brilliant our lives are。”You were able to see yourself in a way you were unable to before。 You became a child again by becoming a parent。 That had to be why people had children。”In its short pages， this story is full of real poignant & heartbreaking moments。 How life is really so fleeting， how the mundane can be extraordinary Translated from Korean， this story is about a boy and his parents。 Young Areum has an accelerated aging disorder and through his short life experience， reminds us how truly brilliant our lives are。”You were able to see yourself in a way you were unable to before。 You became a child again by becoming a parent。 That had to be why people had children。”In its short pages， this story is full of real poignant & heartbreaking moments。 How life is really so fleeting， how the mundane can be extraordinary， and the absolute heartbreak that can be parenting。But those short pages。。。it’s too short。 Just 200 pages， and I missed the depth in the characters。 There just wasn’t time。 Still， it’s a touching story and by the end， I was in tears。 I will not forget that ending。 。。。more

Swati ，

#qotd: I read somewhere that you can age but you need not grow old and I believe it’s absolutely possible and true。 Do you？ My Brilliant Life by Kim Ae-ran is “the story of the youngest parents and oldest child in the world。” Sixteen-year-old Areum is born to teenage parents and is soon diagnosed with the rare disease of progeria。 Although Areum knows he is rapidly fading he chooses to live in the moment。 In the time he has left， he spends his days putting together the story of how his parents m #qotd: I read somewhere that you can age but you need not grow old and I believe it’s absolutely possible and true。 Do you？ My Brilliant Life by Kim Ae-ran is “the story of the youngest parents and oldest child in the world。” Sixteen-year-old Areum is born to teenage parents and is soon diagnosed with the rare disease of progeria。 Although Areum knows he is rapidly fading he chooses to live in the moment。 In the time he has left， he spends his days putting together the story of how his parents met， writing emails to a girl he met online， and cracking jokes with his 60-year-old neighbour and best friend Little Grandpa Jang。 Areum keeps the reality at bay most times but it’s not long before some truths become too hard to bear。Areum seems to be wise beyond his years， perhaps a result of being aware of how short his time is。 He has a wicked sense of humour but is also given to reflection。 He is given some of the best lines in the book and I loved the depth and simplicity in them“I didn’t read for the love of knowledge but rather with the anxiety of someone who would be the sole survivor when the world ended。”“Why does a child always look like a child， no matter how old he is？A sudden thought flashed through my head。 Maybe that was why people had children。To relive the life they don’t remember。That made sense。 Nobody remembered their early years。 You couldn’t remember anything that happened to you from before you were three or four， so you wanted to experience it through your child。”The first half of the book was charming and delightful。 You almost forget that Areum is special。 The latter half of the book falters a little bit with the email exchanges between Areum and his online friend。 This section felt more apt as a tv series screenplay where I could visualise the scene very vividly。 Somehow， the momentum gets disrupted here。 That apart， My Brilliant Life is a tender and poignant read。 In some ways， it reminded me of Flowers for Algernon， a book that really moved me。 Aeran’s sensitivity to the passage of time， his celebration of quotidian events， and his quiet acceptance of life as it is， are some of the reminders he leaves behind for us readers even after he is gone。 Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan-Tor/Forge for the ARC！PS: There’s a movie based on the book and has got good reviews。 Curious to see how it has been adapted！ 。。。more

Becky ，

3。5 stars Translated from Korean， this story is about a boy and his parents。 Young Areum has an accelerated aging disorder and through his short life experience， reminds us how truly brilliant our lives are。 “You were able to see yourself in a way you were unable to before。 You became a child again by becoming a parent。 That had to be why people had children。” In its short pages， this story is full of real poignant & heartbreaking moments。 How life is really so fleeting， how the mundane can be e 3。5 stars Translated from Korean， this story is about a boy and his parents。 Young Areum has an accelerated aging disorder and through his short life experience， reminds us how truly brilliant our lives are。 “You were able to see yourself in a way you were unable to before。 You became a child again by becoming a parent。 That had to be why people had children。” In its short pages， this story is full of real poignant & heartbreaking moments。 How life is really so fleeting， how the mundane can be extraordinary， and the absolute heartbreak that can be parenting。 But those short pages。。。it’s too short。 Just 200 pages， and I missed the depth in the characters。 There just wasn’t time。 Still， it’s a touching story and by the end， I was in tears。 I will not forget that ending。 。。。more

Sharon Rose ，

3。5 stars。 A quieter， more introspective story。 I liked the first half， dealing with the main character's parents and their teen pregnancy， a little better than the second half as the MC's condition worsened in the present， but all in all it was a bittersweet and quick read。 3。5 stars。 A quieter， more introspective story。 I liked the first half， dealing with the main character's parents and their teen pregnancy， a little better than the second half as the MC's condition worsened in the present， but all in all it was a bittersweet and quick read。 。。。more

Carol ，

Areum's parents were teenagers when he was born， age 16。 His story is told by him when he is 16。 Reading it makes you think about how difficult it is to be a teenage parent。 At age 2 Areum develops progeria， an early aging disorder where his speed of aging is far beyond normal。 His parents are totally devoted to him。 He spends most of his life in his home with his parents or else he is going for doctor/hospital visits with his parents。 One happy memory which recurs in Areum's dreams is when he j Areum's parents were teenagers when he was born， age 16。 His story is told by him when he is 16。 Reading it makes you think about how difficult it is to be a teenage parent。 At age 2 Areum develops progeria， an early aging disorder where his speed of aging is far beyond normal。 His parents are totally devoted to him。 He spends most of his life in his home with his parents or else he is going for doctor/hospital visits with his parents。 One happy memory which recurs in Areum's dreams is when he jumps on a trampoline joyfully with his Dad。 Another joyful event in his life is his friendship with Grandpa Jang， his elderly neighbor。Areum asks his parents for a computer and they obtain a used one for him。 This is a source of entertainment for him while playing computer games。 He also loves to read although warned by his physicians that the reading and computer use can adversely affect his vision he doesn't want to give up these sources of joy in his life。 His parents both have to work to keep up with their many bills from his illness。 Areum comes up with the idea of being on a tv show， Hope for our Neighbors， which tells your story and then people often donate funds to make your life easier。 His parents are at first horrified by the idea and then agree to do it and sure enough the public donates enough money so that his hospitalizations are not a huge financial drain on his family and his mother is able to quit work and stay home to take care of him。。As a result of the tv show Areum is contacted by a girl， Lee Seoha who is also sixteen and she has a long term illness。 In the process of communicating with her Areum falls in love。They have never met each other and Areum has never seen her although she saw him on the tv show。 The relationship developes over time。 Areum tells the producer of the show about Lee and suggests that she could also be on the show。 The producer arranges a meeting with Lee and returns to the hospital very upset。 He simply tells Areum that she is very ill and the show can't help her。 But Areum overhears what the producer tells his mom， that Lee is not what she presents herself to be to Areum。Areum has to go to the hospital to live。Towards the end of his illness Areum becomes blind which is dreadful for him because reading was one of his favorite activities。 Yet his parents are faithfully there for him。 And at the very end when he is despondent Grandpa Jang comes for a visit which cheers Areum up。 The main thing Areum has been doing with his time is writing the history of his parents and their love。 He finishes this and gives it to his parents near his end。 And he hugs them goodbye and tells them that he loves them。 So the story is one of committed love in a family and also very sad。 。。。more

Phoebe E ，

This was a book that definitely grew on me the more I read it。 I really liked Areum and his family， and the moments shared between them。 I also loved the way the author played with the idea of time and of aging， and the way that the roles of old and young， parent and child， were twisted around。 It's ultimately a story of family and the ways our stories unfold in life， woven between myth and reality。 This was a book that definitely grew on me the more I read it。 I really liked Areum and his family， and the moments shared between them。 I also loved the way the author played with the idea of time and of aging， and the way that the roles of old and young， parent and child， were twisted around。 It's ultimately a story of family and the ways our stories unfold in life， woven between myth and reality。 。。。more

Alan ，

'This is the story of the youngest parents with the oldest child。'This is the charming， bittersweet tale of Areum， a 16-year-old boy with an incurable disease which is ageing his body prematurely。 His parents only had him when they were also 16 years old， and the novel unfolds as Areum approaches his next birthday， hoping that he will remain alive that long in order to complete his 'gift' for his parents， a story he is writing based on their lives and memories。From raising money agreeing to a TV 'This is the story of the youngest parents with the oldest child。'This is the charming， bittersweet tale of Areum， a 16-year-old boy with an incurable disease which is ageing his body prematurely。 His parents only had him when they were also 16 years old， and the novel unfolds as Areum approaches his next birthday， hoping that he will remain alive that long in order to complete his 'gift' for his parents， a story he is writing based on their lives and memories。From raising money agreeing to a TV documentary being made， to Areum falling in love for the first time， the book progresses as his condition worsens and he gradually starts to lose his sight。 As the family struggles to face the future， with the inevitable hanging over them， the book somehow manages to remain upbeat despite the dark themes at play。 Another reviewer wondered whether this might be a YA novel， although I've not seen it marketed as such。 It's the fact that it is written from Areum's perspective that makes it so real， a young man trapped in an ageing body， never growing up and never truly being a child。This is one of those books that just draws you in， makes you care about the characters and leaves you with lots of questions about your own life and family by the end of it。 Moving without being overly cloying， the story is told with compassion and humour。 A gentle and thoughtful book， definitely recommended。 。。。more

Jade ，

This book is so beautiful。 A breath of fresh air， a reminder or message to us all that life is fleeting but that we all matter。 It slowly winds its way around your heart and you probably won’t realize how much it has gripped you until you read the last sentence and burst into tears。Areum was born with a very rare condition that makes his body age much faster that it would normally。 By the time he reaches the age of 16， his body is that of an elderly man （estimated around 80 years old）， with all This book is so beautiful。 A breath of fresh air， a reminder or message to us all that life is fleeting but that we all matter。 It slowly winds its way around your heart and you probably won’t realize how much it has gripped you until you read the last sentence and burst into tears。Areum was born with a very rare condition that makes his body age much faster that it would normally。 By the time he reaches the age of 16， his body is that of an elderly man （estimated around 80 years old）， with all of the conditions that that comes with （potential heart failure， looming blindness， etc）。 Knowing that he may not have much longer to live， Areum decides to write his parents’ story， as a gift to them on his 17th birthday。 But as time goes on this story ends up being more of a documentation of the stories he has heard of how his parents met and fell in love， Areum’s own childhood， and the last year of his life。 Through Areum’s thoughts we learn about the discovery of his illness at the age of two， his life growing up with his condition， his loneliness， his deepest thoughts and feelings， his friendships， his hopes， and his dreams…My Brilliant Life is so delicate， gentle， but all the same extremely powerful: you can’t help but think about your own life and about ways to make it more meaningful。 I highlighted quite a few phrases while reading， words that I want to keep close to me to remind me to live， no matter how dire the outside might seem right now。Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more

Paul Fulcher ，

Playlist: https://www。torforgeblog。com/2020/12/。。。 Playlist: https://www。torforgeblog。com/2020/12/。。。 。。。more

Carolyn ，

When we meet Areum Han he is a sixteen year old South Korean boy living in a small village with his impoverished parents。 He doesn't go to school but has a huge curiosity about everything around him and reads voraciously to learn as much as he can。 He makes the most of his life， finding out about his parents early lives， talking to his neighbour and only friend sixty year old Little Grandpa Jang and keenly observing all he sees。 His parents were only sixteen themselves when he was born and have When we meet Areum Han he is a sixteen year old South Korean boy living in a small village with his impoverished parents。 He doesn't go to school but has a huge curiosity about everything around him and reads voraciously to learn as much as he can。 He makes the most of his life， finding out about his parents early lives， talking to his neighbour and only friend sixty year old Little Grandpa Jang and keenly observing all he sees。 His parents were only sixteen themselves when he was born and have struggled to raise him， especially after discovering at the age of two that he was born with an ageing disease that will kill him in his teens。This is a tender and poignant story about what it is to be alive， to be a boy who will age and die before his parents， never knowing what it is to have friends his own age or to kiss a girl。 However it is never over-sentimental; Areum has cooly accepted what is ahead of him and has too much going on in his inner life to spend much time thinking of dying。 He is mainly concerned for his parents and their love for him。 Originally published ten years ago， the translator Chi-Young Kim has made a fine interpretation of the author's prose to retain its simplicity and beauty。 With many thanks to Forge Books and Netgalley for a copy to read 。。。more

Minh Nga Dao ，

Đẹp và buồn。Câu chuyện nhẹ như một sớm mùa thu， gió thổi ngang vai làm con tim hơi se sắt lại một chút。"Nếu phải lựa chọn giữa một đứa con sống lâu nhưng luôn ốm đau với một đứa con khỏe mạnh nhưng đoản mệnh thì sẽ chọn thế nào？- Không bố mẹ nào có thể lựa chọn được điều đó đâu" Đẹp và buồn。Câu chuyện nhẹ như một sớm mùa thu， gió thổi ngang vai làm con tim hơi se sắt lại một chút。"Nếu phải lựa chọn giữa một đứa con sống lâu nhưng luôn ốm đau với một đứa con khỏe mạnh nhưng đoản mệnh thì sẽ chọn thế nào？- Không bố mẹ nào có thể lựa chọn được điều đó đâu" 。。。more

Carol Thomas ，

Someone on the back of this book wrote， "This novel snuck up on me and captured my heart。" That pretty much says it for me。I gave it a 3-star rating because it took about a third of the book for me to even tolerate the writing。 I was very confused about where this was going。The subject of this book is a boy who has an accelerated-aging disease and how he and his family deal with it。 It takes place in Korea。 Someone on the back of this book wrote， "This novel snuck up on me and captured my heart。" That pretty much says it for me。I gave it a 3-star rating because it took about a third of the book for me to even tolerate the writing。 I was very confused about where this was going。The subject of this book is a boy who has an accelerated-aging disease and how he and his family deal with it。 It takes place in Korea。 。。。more

Jess ，

Review to come！

Melania ，

What a beautiful and haunting story of a young boy who has a rare disease。 I love the poems/song lyrics in the book， it makes you want to cry。 This is the writers first book and she is really talented。

Dudumato ，

Đọc trong những ngày mùa đầu đông chớm lạnh nhưng những cơn giá màu hè tươi mát mang theo nhiều hi vọng vẫn quẩn quanh。Niềm tin vào cuộc sống， tình yêu， mục đích sống， tất cả đều trọn vẹn trong từng câu chữ。

lisa ，

Despite the fact that this book is full of praise for the story and the author， I found it to be boring， and completely without a point。 I guess if you don't mind reading a pretty dull day to day look into the life of a teenager suffering from a terminal illness， this is a good book？ Also， a huge part of the story is that Areum's parents are so young， and maybe that's something that is unusual in Korea， but most of my cousins had children in their teens， so for me it's not a big deal， and certai Despite the fact that this book is full of praise for the story and the author， I found it to be boring， and completely without a point。 I guess if you don't mind reading a pretty dull day to day look into the life of a teenager suffering from a terminal illness， this is a good book？ Also， a huge part of the story is that Areum's parents are so young， and maybe that's something that is unusual in Korea， but most of my cousins had children in their teens， so for me it's not a big deal， and certainly nothing I would base a book on。There were some moments that were okay， but they weren't given nearly enough detail。 I wanted to know more about Sumi， and the television producer。 I liked the friendship between Grandpa Jang and Areum。 But these small pieces were swallowed up with long points about how young the parents were， how immature， how they didn't know a thing about raising children， how hard it was for them to make money， etc。 It some ways it was a like a fancy scare-em-straight YA paperback from the 1980s。 There was some dialogue in the book that said that the parents weren't at fault for Areum's illness， but the illness did seem like some divine retribution for the poor frightened teens who dared to have sex， because SUCH A BIG DEAL was made about it。 There also wasn't much about the rest of Areum's childhood， and this may be why I did not care a thing about him despite the fact that he is obviously a smart， sensitive boy。 If I knew more about what he was like as a younger child I would have cared a lot more for the teenager he became。 This book is the reason why I hardly ever read books that have been translated。 I suspect there is a lot to this story that is lost， both linguistically and culturally。 A Korean born person might like this book， but my Indigenous American self didn't care for it。 。。。more

Zaida ，

"A sudden thought flashed through my head。 Maybe that was why people had children。 To relive the life they don't remember。"Born with an accelerated-aging disorder， Areum has spent most of his life indoors， with no friends， reading books and listening to stories from his parents。 As his 17th birthday approaches he starts writing a manuscript to present to his mom and dad of their love story。 But his health is deteriorating and he's moved into the hospital， where he slowly loses connection with th "A sudden thought flashed through my head。 Maybe that was why people had children。 To relive the life they don't remember。"Born with an accelerated-aging disorder， Areum has spent most of his life indoors， with no friends， reading books and listening to stories from his parents。 As his 17th birthday approaches he starts writing a manuscript to present to his mom and dad of their love story。 But his health is deteriorating and he's moved into the hospital， where he slowly loses connection with the world。 He's comforted by the love and support from his family and friends， grateful for the life he's lived and hopeful for what lies ahead。 This book was written by Korean author， Kim Ae-ran， translated by Chi-Young Kim， and recently printed in English。 I was blown away by the beauty in its simplicity。 Areum's circumstances are so extraordinary but he lives and revels in the ordinary of his life: his family， books， his sixty-year-old neighbor and best friend。 His relationship with his parents is both unique and heartbreaking。 I loved jumping from the present to the past to show how his parents met and started their lives together。So much speaks on the relationship between parent and child。 Expectations， failures， celebrations， resentment and blame。 None of it is preached at the reader; instead we see these themes through the interaction and dialogue between Areum and his parents。 Wonderfully crafted that packed just the right emotional punch。 。。。more

Alethea ，

3。5 stars。 Rounded up because this is definitely not 3 stars。 I probably need to read this again and sit down and reflect on it。 I don't think I was able to fully appreciate what the author was trying to convey after reading this book only once。 3。5 stars。 Rounded up because this is definitely not 3 stars。 I probably need to read this again and sit down and reflect on it。 I don't think I was able to fully appreciate what the author was trying to convey after reading this book only once。 。。。more

Dee ，

I received a copy of My Brilliant Life in exchange for an honest opinion。 Wow。 This book give me joy and tore me apart all at once。 The main character， Areum， a young teen boy， narrates his life as he is plagued with an illness that neither him nor his doctors can identify。 Plagued by his disease Areum reflects on his life， and the reality of being the child of teen parents。 Areum finds himself raising his parents， and coaching them through their journey as their son’s health deteriorates。 I hon I received a copy of My Brilliant Life in exchange for an honest opinion。 Wow。 This book give me joy and tore me apart all at once。 The main character， Areum， a young teen boy， narrates his life as he is plagued with an illness that neither him nor his doctors can identify。 Plagued by his disease Areum reflects on his life， and the reality of being the child of teen parents。 Areum finds himself raising his parents， and coaching them through their journey as their son’s health deteriorates。 I honestly didn’t think that I was going to enjoy this book at much as I did。 。。。more

Julie ，

Glorious， quotable。

Jim Razinha ，

I received an Uncorrected Digital Galley review copy of this from the publisher Macmillan-Tor/Forge through NetGalley。 This caught my attention because I lived in South Korea for seven years from 2000-2007， which means that I have a familiarity with but only an outsider’s limited understanding of Korean culture。 Michael Breen， an English author of the 2004 book The Koreans: Who They Are， What They Want， Where Their Future Lies， said that even after living in Seoul for 15 years “Koreans are not e I received an Uncorrected Digital Galley review copy of this from the publisher Macmillan-Tor/Forge through NetGalley。 This caught my attention because I lived in South Korea for seven years from 2000-2007， which means that I have a familiarity with but only an outsider’s limited understanding of Korean culture。 Michael Breen， an English author of the 2004 book The Koreans: Who They Are， What They Want， Where Their Future Lies， said that even after living in Seoul for 15 years “Koreans are not easy to understand。” And yet。。。 perhaps through fiction understanding is made easier。 Or， perhaps not。 The thing about culture is we can only try to understand what we can see and we can only see what we’re allowed to see。 Reading literature can surely help， though I am reliant on someone’s translation。 And some concepts do not translate well。 But。。。 the translator is Korean and that is a huge plus。 So， we are allowed inside the mind of Ms。 Kim through her creation。 And we learn we’re not that different。 To anyone reading who has never experienced the culture in person， this will only give you a few fragments of what it is to be Korean （which I have already admitted I know only a little。）Ms。 Kim wrote a familiar story， made compelling with the casting of an extremely rare disease and a role reversal of the child aging before the parents。 Too young when they had Areum， we learn of them through the story Areum is writing about them。 His maternal grandfather naturally was not happy with the news， referring to Areum's father as an idiot， to which Areum thinks "But my grandfather had failed to recognize who my dad really was。 Sure， he was an idiot， but he was brash and adventurous， the most dangerous kind of idiot。"I don't normally highlight fiction， but this work had a few phrases that prodded me in the right way。 Like "I didn't read for the love of knowledge but rather with the anxiety of someone who would be the sole survivor when the world ended。" And， "I was sixteen， but if I learned anything in my short life， it was that experiencing pain was a solitary endeavor。"Areum gave himself homework， "and since my homework was self-imposed， I was both teacher and student。" He wrote down things he was curious about。 Why does a child always look like a child， no matter how old he is？A sudden thought flashed through my head。 Maybe that was why people had children。To relive the life they don't remember。That made sense。 Nobody remembered their early years。 You couldn't remember anything that happened to you from before you were three or four， so you wanted to experience it through your child。Well。。。not quite， at least in my case。 What I don’t remember well is when my children were children。 Memories or not of when I was a child is not why I had children。 Following a news story on his condition on a show that helped raise money for hard cases （Areum was at the point that he would soon be hospitalized）， Areum read comments on the web page and as expected not all were encouraging， but one said As Areum said， parents are happy when their child is good at school or athletic， but from a parent's perspective there's nothing more difficult than raising a child to be a good person。Truth from a fictitious third party in the middle of a third party （Ms。 Kim） telling a truth。I wondered at the poetry of this prose in its original language "I heard the wind wherever I went， because the wind was everywhere。 It gradually stripped the color off summer and stole the vibrancy of the earth， The color orange trumped green， and red overtook orange。"I was curious about the narrator’s name， 아름， or Areum as transliterated。 It is not common and I don’t recall ever hearing it; even less common is that it is a two syllable name and not a combination of two morphemes。 And， oddly， is it described as a feminine name。 It is said to mean “beauty”。 In the Author's Note， a short poem， Ms。 Kim says "I dedicate this book to Jaekwi。 Who taught me how to breathe warmth into discarded names。" Touching。 As was the entire book。 This novel was first published in 2011 by Hanbooks with the title 두근두근 내 인생 （Dugun Dugun Nae Insaeng）， “My Palpating Life”。 This is the first English translation。 。。。more

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=My Brilliant Life

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=My Brilliant Life&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,My Brilliant Life&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0