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_askthebookbug 's review for:
The Best Girls
by Min Jin Lee
| r e v i e w |
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"Aunt told us that we were good girls, the best girls, because we never complained. Then Grandmother said that we must take care of Jaesung, because a boy would protect and honor his family. This was something we had to remember. One day our brother would save our parents from dying on a lonely mountain." - Min Jin Lee.
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Amazon Original Stories have curated few stunning pieces of work (both fiction and non-fiction) that can be finished in a single sitting. The Best Girls is penned by the renowned author of Pachinko and as expected, it did not disappoint me. Comprising of barely 18 pages, this book speaks volumes about patriarchy and misogyny. Having read couple of books set in Korea, I was aware of how differently a girl child was treated compared to her male siblings. But I think it has more to do with many families in general. The discrimination that many girls face even today is appalling to say the least.
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The Best Girls revolves around a particular Korean family which includes parents, two grandparents, three daughters and one son. Succumbed to poverty, they live frugally and things only turn worse when they lose their house. From the very beginning, it is clear how the girls are asked to prioritise the needs of their younger brother because they are often taught that it's only the sons who are capable enough of taking care of the family. While girls are sent to school till sixth grade because of free education, the parents are expected to pay the fees from then on. Even if the girls are brilliant and carry a desire to learn, they are forced to quit school so that their brothers can get an education. The protagonist in this story is a rank holder but it doesn't matter because she knows she has to quit.
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To avoid her family from living on the streets and to make sure that her brother gets to go to school, the protagonist takes a drastic step. The ending caught me off guard and it took a few minutes for the enormity of the story to sink in. How Min managed to curate such a touching story in just a few pages is something that I'll never understand. This book is sheer brilliance, a brutal slap about the actual societal norms.
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I highly recommend this book. It always pleases me to find short stories that has a profound effect on me and The Best Girls takes the trophy in that category. My only complain was that it ended too soon and I think that goes to show Min's beautiful way of writing. Please pick this one up.
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Rating - 5/5.
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"Aunt told us that we were good girls, the best girls, because we never complained. Then Grandmother said that we must take care of Jaesung, because a boy would protect and honor his family. This was something we had to remember. One day our brother would save our parents from dying on a lonely mountain." - Min Jin Lee.
~
Amazon Original Stories have curated few stunning pieces of work (both fiction and non-fiction) that can be finished in a single sitting. The Best Girls is penned by the renowned author of Pachinko and as expected, it did not disappoint me. Comprising of barely 18 pages, this book speaks volumes about patriarchy and misogyny. Having read couple of books set in Korea, I was aware of how differently a girl child was treated compared to her male siblings. But I think it has more to do with many families in general. The discrimination that many girls face even today is appalling to say the least.
~
The Best Girls revolves around a particular Korean family which includes parents, two grandparents, three daughters and one son. Succumbed to poverty, they live frugally and things only turn worse when they lose their house. From the very beginning, it is clear how the girls are asked to prioritise the needs of their younger brother because they are often taught that it's only the sons who are capable enough of taking care of the family. While girls are sent to school till sixth grade because of free education, the parents are expected to pay the fees from then on. Even if the girls are brilliant and carry a desire to learn, they are forced to quit school so that their brothers can get an education. The protagonist in this story is a rank holder but it doesn't matter because she knows she has to quit.
~
To avoid her family from living on the streets and to make sure that her brother gets to go to school, the protagonist takes a drastic step. The ending caught me off guard and it took a few minutes for the enormity of the story to sink in. How Min managed to curate such a touching story in just a few pages is something that I'll never understand. This book is sheer brilliance, a brutal slap about the actual societal norms.
~
I highly recommend this book. It always pleases me to find short stories that has a profound effect on me and The Best Girls takes the trophy in that category. My only complain was that it ended too soon and I think that goes to show Min's beautiful way of writing. Please pick this one up.
~
Rating - 5/5.