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japanasi's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
the second half was simultaneously draining and more or less dragging on, but it also left me unsatisfied with how fast the stories were pushed through? we spent so much time with sunja and then all of a sudden the focus shifts tremendously and she is treated as a side character, which I didn’t like so much; I’d rather have the whole story focus on her, even though the others were interesting, too.
Moderate: Stalking, Adult/minor relationship, Classism, Xenophobia, Misogyny, Infidelity, Racism, and Sexism
Minor: Sexual content, Death, Death of parent, Grief, War, Suicide, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Terminal illness, and Violence
telcontar2901's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Graphic: Xenophobia, Racism, Sexual content, and Stalking
Moderate: Classism, Infidelity, Sexual harassment, Death of parent, Alcohol, Bullying, Suicide, Violence, and War
Minor: Cancer, Miscarriage, Trafficking, Bullying, Abandonment, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Physical abuse, Abortion, and Car accident
talonsontypewriters's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.25
Graphic: Xenophobia, Pedophilia, Adult/minor relationship, Colonisation, Racism, Bullying, Violence, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Death, Classism, Misogyny, Grief, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Sexism, Pregnancy, Chronic illness, Suicidal thoughts, Death of parent, and War
Moderate: Religious bigotry, Ableism, Suicide, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Rape, Sexual content, Miscarriage, Fire/Fire injury, Animal death, Physical abuse, Domestic abuse, Incest, Police brutality, Terminal illness, Child death, Stalking, and Medical content
Minor: Infertility, Addiction, Kidnapping, Abortion, Antisemitism, Vomit, Cancer, Car accident, and Child abuse
stevie's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Graphic: Bullying, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Racism, Xenophobia, Death of parent, Cancer, Car accident, Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Miscarriage, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Hate crime, Infertility, Misogyny, Genocide, Pregnancy, Chronic illness, Classism, Abandonment, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, Pedophilia, Ableism, Abortion, Death, Adult/minor relationship, Sexual harassment, Stalking, Toxic relationship, Violence, War, Religious bigotry, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Child abuse, Child death, and Terminal illness
nila's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Sexual content, Stalking, Suicidal thoughts, War, Infidelity, Terminal illness, Violence, Alcohol, Cursing, Gaslighting, Grief, Homophobia, Pregnancy, Racism, Sexism, Sexual harassment, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Death of parent, Suicide, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Antisemitism, and Child death
Minor: Abortion, Police brutality, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, and Drug use
lindseyhall44's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.75
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!
Graphic: Xenophobia, Abandonment, Colonisation, Adult/minor relationship, War, Toxic relationship, Suicide, Sexual content, Pregnancy, and Infidelity
Moderate: Addiction, Misogyny, Cancer, Bullying, Suicidal thoughts, Abortion, Alcoholism, Stalking, Infidelity, and Classism
Minor: Domestic abuse
bridgetbry's review against another edition
- 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? It's complicated
4.75
Graphic: Racism, Religious bigotry, and Adult/minor relationship
Moderate: Suicide and War
Minor: Stalking and Miscarriage
cosmicjo's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Racism and Xenophobia
Moderate: Ableism, Death, Suicide, and Alcoholism
Minor: Miscarriage and Stalking
nothingforpomegranted's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Hoonie is born with a limp and a cleft lip in a small town in rural northern Korea in 1883, causing tremendous distress for his family who feared he would be unable to work or to marry; Hoonie manages to do both. He and his wife Yangjin run a boardinghouse and adore their daughter Sunja, whose life takes us into the rest of the novel.
After her father's death, Sunja works with her mother to serve their guests and provide a positive experience that they can all be proud of. When she meets and becomes pregnant by a middle-aged man who turns out to have a wife and children back in Japan, Sunja is saved by a sickly pastor who offers to marry her and bring her with him to his brother's home in Japan. Isak, Sunja, Yosef, and Kyunghee live a stoic, quiet, humble life, working desperately to provide for themselves, Isak's new church and the coming children. Noa is born, then Mozasu, and the family grows tighter and more reliant on each other, taking over the kitchen to make kimchi and candy to sell. As the boys mature, their lives in school and at work begin to diverge, and the introduction of the fourth generation takes the story in a tragic direction.
Min Jin Lee's writing is spare, using short sentences and very little imagery, and I found it difficult to be immersed in the story because the choppy language just didn't pull me in. Though I was intrigued by the characters, their range of personalities and their relationships with each other, I expect more texture from a family saga, and I didn't get that from Pachinko. I learned a lot about Japanese and Korean culture, and I appreciated the deft way Lee explored history--including the bombing of Nagasaki at the end of the Second World War--through the eyes of her characters, not making a big deal of big events, but addressing them as her contemporaneous characters would understand them. Indeed, there was plenty that I was prompted to research after reading (though Lee might have taken it a bit too far in that direction, because sometimes I wasn't even sure what to look up).
For those who are curious about the history of this region during this extended time period but do not usually read literary family sagas, I think this is an accessible one to pick up. Given the many other reviews I've read, it seems that my lukewarm attitude is an unpopular opinion, so take it all with a grain of salt.
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Religious bigotry, Sexual content, and Violence
Moderate: Ableism, Chronic illness, Death of parent, Miscarriage, Police brutality, Religious bigotry, Stalking, and Suicide