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jessgreads's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
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? No
4.5
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐✨
Title: Pachinko
Author: Min Jin Lee
Genre: Historical Fiction
Setting: Busan, Korea / Osaka, Japan
Month Read: April 2022
Book Type: Hardcover
Publication: 2017
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Pages: 490
*Book of the Month Selection
TRIGGER WARNING-
Racism / Sexual Content / Suicide / Genocide / Murder / War / Misogyny / Abuse / Religious Persecution (there are more, these are the big ones)
"Fill your mind with knowledge—it’s the only kind of power no one can take away from you."
No Spoiler Summary:
Pachinko is a multi-generational tale about a Korean family who moves/is displaced in Japan in the early 1900s. You follow Sunja through history to almost present-day, and also follow the tales of her family- her mother and father, her children, and those she forges familial relationships with throughout the novel.
You are taken through the arcs of history, from the Japanese invasion of Korea, to the Pachinko parlors of Osaka and beyond, where Koreans tried to make a living that would take themselves out of the raging, devastating poverty they experienced in their new land.
Review:
I'm so glad I finally got around to reading this truly fantastic novel. Sweeping, multi-generational (feminist?) tales have sort of been my jam this year, and along with The Love Songs of W.E.B. Du Bois, Pachinko did not disappoint. I also loved that this partially took place near where The Island of Sea Women took place, so I was a little familiar with the setting, which is always a nice surprise when reading about a country you're not super knowledgeable about.
The characters in this novel are incredible, and I felt like they always kept me engaged, and interested in their hopes, plights, successes, and grief. You really want Sunja, and later on, her family, to do well, and to be okay in as best a way they can given the extremely racially motivated hatred that the Japanese gave to Korean settlers.
The book is long, and it's a little slow to pick up, so I wouldn't recommend it if this isn't your cup of tea, but once the story starts to move, you're buckled in for a pretty wild ride- especially after arriving in Japan. I learned a lot from this novel, and I really can't wait to dive into some more books about Korea, and I'm glad to have been able to read it in time to watch the show on Apple+!
Recommendation:
Korean Historical Fiction:
The Island of Sea Women by Lisa See
Multigenerational Family Dramas:
The Love Songs of W.E.B. Du Bois by Honorée Fanonne Jeffers
Booth by Karen Jow Fowler
"He was suffering, and in a way, he could manage that; but he had caused others to suffer, and he did not know why he had to live now and recall the series of terrible choices that had not looked so terrible at the time. Was that how it was for most people?"
See more reviews at: https://jessgreads.wixsite.com/website
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Genocide, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Suicide, Violence, Police brutality, Religious bigotry, Pregnancy, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Child death, Infidelity, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Grief, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Abandonment
beaucoupmich's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
fast-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? It's complicated
4.5
Well that was quite a journey.
I liked that a lot.
I was hooked immediately. First book was slow and steady. I think the writing is beautiful. However, book two and three flew like jets. It becomes a slice of life kind of book, and the next thing you know, two decades have passed. It was hard to keep everyone's age at some point that I pictured 40-year-old character as the same innocent 16-year-old I met in book one, despite their character development.
I think the book portrays really well and vividly the ups and downs of being immigrants and the descendants of immigrants especially when their people were despised. Rather than serving a twisty, epic plot, it captured poignant, heartwarming, yet heartbreaking feelings, emotions, and thoughts. It presents all these human moments, which are intense but in a way also felt kind of cozy? If it wasn't for the imbalance and the pacing this would be perfect book in my opinion.
I liked that a lot.
I was hooked immediately. First book was slow and steady. I think the writing is beautiful. However, book two and three flew like jets. It becomes a slice of life kind of book, and the next thing you know, two decades have passed. It was hard to keep everyone's age at some point that I pictured 40-year-old character as the same innocent 16-year-old I met in book one, despite their character development.
I think the book portrays really well and vividly the ups and downs of being immigrants and the descendants of immigrants especially when their people were despised. Rather than serving a twisty, epic plot, it captured poignant, heartwarming, yet heartbreaking feelings, emotions, and thoughts. It presents all these human moments, which are intense but in a way also felt kind of cozy? If it wasn't for the imbalance and the pacing this would be perfect book in my opinion.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Xenophobia, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Bullying and Suicide
Minor: Cancer, Child death, Death, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, and Death of parent
kilic's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
slow-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
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Racism, Suicide, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, Colonisation, War, and Classism
godhood's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Xenophobia, and Colonisation
Moderate: Grief, Death of parent, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Child death, Infertility, and Suicide
allisonshewfelt's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Pachinko follows four generations of a poor Korean immigrant family as they live life in Korea and Japan. A terrible choice is made by one of our main characters that affects the generations till the end of the book.
I adored the rich detail and characterization as well as the multiple povs. I appreciate that Lee didn't just focus on the stories of the main characters but also included the side characters. A lot of side characters even got their own chapters. The writing was of course gorgeous and addicting to read.
As someone who doesn't pay attention in history class, this book taught me more than any textbook would and kept my attention. Unlike textbooks where they just relay the facts, books like these focus on the characters and really help you understand and emphasize the historical situation. Many things shocked me. For example inflation and the high value of money as well as how Koreans were treated by the Japanese. Koreans could get imprisoned so easily for the smallest reasons and that really bothered me.
I did not expect to cry but what was I thinking? Of course I would if the story spans 4 generations someone ought to die.
I loved most of the characters so much and it was crazy how fast they grew up. I felt like I was a part of their family. The character deaths were so hard to go through because of this.
The opening line "History has failed us, but no matter" really showcases what this book will contain: the struggle of characters to keep going despite the prejudice. The covers for the paperback and hardcover both are great representations of the book too. I appreciate how the title also ties in with the book. Pachinko is a Japanese pinball game that relies on luck. There will be some winners and a lot of losers but you'll keep playing because you have hope that you'll be the lucky one.
This book deserves nothing less than 5 stars considering how much time and research was put into it. Like Lee took 30 years to write this! I'm so happy it got adapted. I already know the show is gonna be a masterpiece and I will be reading anything Lee writes.
I adored the rich detail and characterization as well as the multiple povs. I appreciate that Lee didn't just focus on the stories of the main characters but also included the side characters. A lot of side characters even got their own chapters. The writing was of course gorgeous and addicting to read.
As someone who doesn't pay attention in history class, this book taught me more than any textbook would and kept my attention. Unlike textbooks where they just relay the facts, books like these focus on the characters and really help you understand and emphasize the historical situation. Many things shocked me. For example inflation and the high value of money as well as how Koreans were treated by the Japanese. Koreans could get imprisoned so easily for the smallest reasons and that really bothered me.
I did not expect to cry but what was I thinking? Of course I would if the story spans 4 generations someone ought to die.
I loved most of the characters so much and it was crazy how fast they grew up. I felt like I was a part of their family. The character deaths were so hard to go through because of this.
The opening line "History has failed us, but no matter" really showcases what this book will contain: the struggle of characters to keep going despite the prejudice. The covers for the paperback and hardcover both are great representations of the book too. I appreciate how the title also ties in with the book. Pachinko is a Japanese pinball game that relies on luck. There will be some winners and a lot of losers but you'll keep playing because you have hope that you'll be the lucky one.
This book deserves nothing less than 5 stars considering how much time and research was put into it. Like Lee took 30 years to write this! I'm so happy it got adapted. I already know the show is gonna be a masterpiece and I will be reading anything Lee writes.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Racism, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Grief, and War
Moderate: Alcoholism, Bullying, Rape, Suicide, Forced institutionalization, Religious bigotry, Pregnancy, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Cancer, Child death, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Infertility, Miscarriage, Sexual assault, Death of parent, and Sexual harassment
gm_vak's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Miscarriage, and Grief
Moderate: Ableism, Cancer, Child death, Death, Homophobia, Infertility, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Suicide, Terminal illness, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Colonisation, War, and Classism
mr_sosotris's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
sad
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
5.0
Beautiful, sweeping, devastating. I loved this book. Has the scope of Gone with the Wind, but handles discussions of racism and the struggles of minorities in societies who work to keep them down with much more nuance and intelligence. The familial relationships are so beautifully painted, and I love how the elegant prose keeps the book from feeling sentimental or melodramatic. It takes cues from Victorian novels like David Copperfield, but feels so much more grounded. I was swept away by this beautiful story, and would highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys family sagas that span periods of great cultural upheaval.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Racism, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Child death, Death, Hate crime, Miscarriage, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, and Grief
Minor: Violence and Abortion
jaybee02's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
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? No
4.5
The kind of book that kept me up until 2am because I wanted to know what happened to these characters so much. The book is beautifully written and I feel like I learned a lot about a period in history and a racial dynamic that I didn't know much about at all.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Death, Sexual content, Death of parent, and War
isgbv's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Colonisation, and Classism
Moderate: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Child death, Chronic illness, Drug abuse, Drug use, Infertility, Racism, Suicide, Terminal illness, Violence, Xenophobia, Grief, Alcohol, and War
pamshenanigans's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
"A woman's lot is to suffer."
A family saga that plays out like a tv drama in your mind, Pachinko is a story of love, loss, sacrifice, and hope. While I think that Books 1 and 2 of the novel were the strongest, Book 3 wrapped everything up amazingly.
Reading it gives off this harrowing and palpable feeling of dread. That while the events that plague this South Korean immigrant family seem inevitable in a backdrop of war and Japanese colonization, you become hopeful when things start looking up only to get heartbroken multiple times in tragic ways.
A must-read historical fiction that is perfect for everyone but especially so for women. At the heart of the novel are mothers, wives, sisters, aunts, and daughters struggling to be themselves while conforming to gender roles and societal standards.
My reading vlog will ~hopefully~ be up this coming week! ✨
Trigger/Content Warnings: death, suicide, adult/minor relationship, grooming, miscarriage, sexual assault, physical assault, racism, bigotry, racial prejudice, colonization, alcoholism, abortion
A family saga that plays out like a tv drama in your mind, Pachinko is a story of love, loss, sacrifice, and hope. While I think that Books 1 and 2 of the novel were the strongest, Book 3 wrapped everything up amazingly.
Reading it gives off this harrowing and palpable feeling of dread. That while the events that plague this South Korean immigrant family seem inevitable in a backdrop of war and Japanese colonization, you become hopeful when things start looking up only to get heartbroken multiple times in tragic ways.
A must-read historical fiction that is perfect for everyone but especially so for women. At the heart of the novel are mothers, wives, sisters, aunts, and daughters struggling to be themselves while conforming to gender roles and societal standards.
My reading vlog will ~hopefully~ be up this coming week! ✨
Trigger/Content Warnings: death, suicide, adult/minor relationship, grooming, miscarriage, sexual assault, physical assault, racism, bigotry, racial prejudice, colonization, alcoholism, abortion
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism and Sexual assault
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Death, Miscarriage, and Suicide
Minor: Trafficking and Abortion