Reviews with content warning for Chronic illness - Pachinko

crying shaking throwing up crying again. only got a quarter star out because some of the plotlines felt a little underdeveloped and i wish i couldve seen more of them (hiroki and his wife). but this book was incredible from start to finish. i loved the style and i loved the characters. koh hansu choke and die challenge

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mipa_jt's review against another edition

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emotional mysterious reflective sad medium-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

4.25

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rebekah_florence's review against another edition

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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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marisacarpico's review against another edition

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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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ntvenessa's review against another edition

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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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