Reviews tagging 'Addiction'

Pachinko by Min Jin Lee

83 reviews

alomie's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This is a long winding family saga over decades following multiple points of view.
I enjoyed this book immensely, it was well written and hard in parts, deeply melancholy following the struggle of all the characters, the deaths, the abuse, the war, losing your home, not being accepted as a citezen in the country you were born in and so much more. 
I liked that the story was threaded together so beautifully and how one decision can have so many knock on after effects. Bringing whole generations shame or sadness for their ancestors past mistakes. 
Something really special about this book. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Bullying, Child death, Death, Drug use, Miscarriage, Sexism, Xenophobia, Death of parent, and Pregnancy

Minor: Abortion

nicoleisalwaysreading's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective relaxing sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Min Jin Lee constructed this story so purposely and its themes of luck and loss in life, inherited or not, were so strong. Certain lines or sections were so beautifully written I had to pause. There were moments that to me felt distant from the main vein of the story (or its heartbeat), and although they all contributed to the tone of this book, the wavering focus made for a sometimes odd reading experience. The ending was open, which I am notorious for being perfectly okay with, but in this case, with an epic sweep of time and characters, it fell a bit flat.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, Infidelity, Misogyny, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Xenophobia, Fire/Fire injury, Colonisation, and War

Moderate: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, and Suicide

Minor: Miscarriage and Abortion

__lucebrennan's review against another edition

challenging emotional sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

A beautifully written, captivating story. Min Jin Lee captures the intricacies of family life perfectly whilst also shedding light on the difficulties faced by Koreans at that time. Best book I’ve read in a long time, would recommend to anyone!

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Bullying, Child death, Domestic abuse, Suicide, Xenophobia, Abortion, Suicide attempt, Murder, Cultural appropriation, and Colonisation

rebekah_florence's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful informative reflective sad slow-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

4.5

I'm in the process of sitting with this book moments after reading the last sentence.  I loved this story.  I loved getting to follow this one family through generations- reading their struggles, triumphs, and hardships, but most importantly, reading how they loved one another and how they were tethered to each other by that love.  I learned so much about the Japanese colonial period, something that I had begun to research prior to reading the book but now understand the after-effects more deeply.  I like that Lee provides an insight into even the most seemingly insignificant characters' lives.  For example, through Haruki and

Ayame's

storyline, we're asked to engage with the characters' daily lives through the lens of

sexuality.  We get a glimpse into how difficult life would have been for LGBTQ+ individuals (specifically gay men) in Japan during this period in history.  Ayame's chapters were some of my favorite in the book, and I wish I could have read more about her life.  Perhaps, it was so mundane and simple that there was nothing more to tell.  Though we don't know much about her, I think she's my favorite character in the book.

.    The only, and I truly mean only, aspect of the story that I felt frustrated with was the way that Lee would mention time skips as a way to close out parts of the story.  I'm blanking on specific lines right now but it would be something along the lines of...."that would be the last time he would do this until three years later when.....". "Frustrated" isn't even a good word to describe it; I'm just being selfish in wanting more of the story.  I wish that I could read this book for the first time again.  I usually don't like to buy books unless I know that I'll read them repetitively and Pachinko is a book that I can see myself definitely coming back to in the future.  I can't wait to see what I learn from the characters next time.  

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Chronic illness, Suicide, Colonisation, and War

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child death, Miscarriage, and Fire/Fire injury

Minor: Cancer and Abortion

nila's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

An incredible journey through most of the 20th century following one family and their journey trying to survive all aspects of war and its aftermath. The story had twist and turns, and there were many times I had to put the book down because I was so surprised by what I had just read 

from the reading journal: There's an abundance of the "innocent young good man/boy being corrupted by the sexual whore who only wants their money material things. Yes the" bad men"-characters are also present, but I feel they are more fleshed out and for some reason, their "flaws" are justified and explained away.

One the other end, the "good" woman is also never good enough. She's too boring or even, not "good enough".Every single woman is described and more or less ranked by their sexual availability and desirability. And almost all the women who are described as promiscuous are punished, either with not being allowed to marry again for love, or being beaten half to death in a car or actually dying. While the men who illicit the same kind of behavior get to grow old, and be surrounded by wealth and loved ones. I understand that this is/was the reality of the society that is described in the book, but then what should one think is the "message" behind the story? Or am I overthinking this? I want to read more Asian literature, but find that the sexualisation of women is a deterring factor.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Infidelity, Racism, Sexism, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Violence, Xenophobia, Medical content, Grief, Stalking, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Suicide, Antisemitism, and Death of parent

Minor: Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Police brutality, and Abortion

marisacarpico's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative reflective 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

4.25

An incredible achievement. I cannot imagine doing the research involved in pulling this off. I read a lot last year, but I guess I didn't realize how starved I was for something meatier after a lot of admittedly fun but fast reads. This took time and I liked spending time with these characters and learning about this world.

There's obviously a specificity to the immigrant experience here, but it also feels like it represents so many stories. All of these characters felt so real and everything they experience feels so momentous even though they're just regular people living normal lives. Quite a choice on Lee's part to have these huge historical moments happening around these characters but to never really focus on them. WWII is mostly just texture here, it's just one of the many elements that add to the characters' overall experience. It's a novel of accumulated experience that also reflects the immigrant experience throughout the 20th century.

I will admit the way the narrative accelerates in the last 100 pages or so maybe dampens the novel's initial power, but most of the book is so compelling. I probably have a lot more to say, but I don't know, I think the book speaks for itself.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Pedophilia, Racism, Toxic relationship, Xenophobia, Religious bigotry, and Colonisation

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Cancer, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Suicide, Dementia, Car accident, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, War, and Classism

Minor: Infidelity, Miscarriage, and Torture

lindseyhall44's review against another edition

emotional slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.75

“History as failed us, but no matter.”
Pachinko was one of the best books I read this month, and I think everyone should read it once in their life. Although parts are slow, Jin Lee crafted a thought provoking historical piece revolving around family and identity. 
Pachinko follows four generations of a Korean family, beginning in the 1930’s and spanning up until the 1980’s. In a time when Japan occupies Korea, and after the effects of occupation linger, the family experiences discrimination, eventually questions the idea of home. In the end, I believe that home may be a place, but it’s overall, with those you love.
The character depth of these characters was done phenomenally well, each offering a unique perspective on being a Korean Japanese citizen. The line between nationality and ethnicity sparked an interesting conversation, once which has parallels to todays day and age.
Please read it if you have not done so already, you will not regret it!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Infidelity, Sexual content, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Xenophobia, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Colonisation, and War

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Bullying, Cancer, Infidelity, Misogyny, Suicidal thoughts, Stalking, Abortion, and Classism

Minor: Domestic abuse

ntvenessa's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

A gem. This is a tale about poverty, suffering, colonialism, identity, salvation, endurance, family. Min Jin Lee's background as a historian shines through and Pachinko is exemplary of great historical fiction. It is factually consistent and you will learn much of Japan's colonisation of Korea, a topic not so in regular discourse. It is also emotional, generous, and sensitive to these historical facts. The characters are distinct and each have personalities which make sense for their context. It is intergenerational. The story is just so well crafted. This makes sense given how much time and dedication Lee spent workshopping drafts. I am normally averse to thick novels, but Pachinko has me unafraid -- it is exactly as long as the story needs to be, and moreover, it is easy to read.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Chronic illness, Death, Drug use, Gore, Hate crime, Infertility, Infidelity, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Colonisation, War, and Classism

Moderate: Ableism, Addiction, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Cancer, Suicide, Car accident, and Abortion

Minor: Child death and Homophobia

katiesiri's review against another edition

emotional inspiring reflective sad slow-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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Minor: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Bullying, Cancer, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Infertility, Miscarriage, Racism, Suicide, Car accident, Death of parent, Colonisation, War, and Injury/Injury detail

amberswips's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

Overall I enjoyed this book. It definitely held my interest, however I wish this had been a duology instead with one book focusing on Sunja and Isak and the other focusing on their kids. I feel that the book jumps through the years so fast we never get to see the plots flesh out. But I did enjoy the characters a lot. They were interesting.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Death, Hate crime, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Colonisation, and War

Moderate: Addiction, Body shaming, Cancer, Sexual content, Car accident, and Abortion

Minor: Cursing