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snwalsh's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Graphic: Grief, War, Adult/minor relationship, Xenophobia, and Racism
Moderate: Death
Minor: Trafficking
elly29'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
2.75
- Sugar daddy pays for everything
- The wrong people have principles
- Sexytimes
- Bonus fourth point: so many kids and raising kids, and having the kids take over the plot
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship and Xenophobia
Moderate: Classism, War, Xenophobia, Violence, Trafficking, Suicide, Addiction, Death, and Colonisation
Minor: Addiction and Abortion
readwithserena's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Grief, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Colonisation, Classism, Miscarriage, Police brutality, Bullying, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Trafficking, Xenophobia, Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Abandonment, Abortion, and Alcohol
Minor: Sexual violence, Sexual content, Fire/Fire injury, Torture, Sexual harassment, Sexism, Sexual assault, Religious bigotry, Racial slurs, Infertility, War, Infidelity, Hate crime, Death of parent, Death, and Child death
savvylit's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
4.0
I feel like I must admit that I really struggled to get into this book and enjoy it at first. Everything seemed so abrupt and impersonal. Each early chapter felt almost like a list of facts. This happened, that happened, so and so was born, so and so died, the end. It honestly reminded me of the Old Testament in the Bible at times. Too much information with little chance to connect or digest. However, the longer that I stuck with Pachinko, the more I realized that the impersonal quality is effective; even realistic. Real-life family histories are told the way they are in this story. Here's who came first and a few of their qualities and here's what happened next. And the impersonal nature of the novel's beginning faded as Lee introduced more and more of the new generations.
Despite its length and the initial detached characterization, Pachinko is a very well-done historical narrative. I will be thinking about all the characters in this book for some time - especially Sunja.
Spoiler warning:
I really hated Hansu and was upset by how often he reappeared. He groomed Sunja! And then she spends her whole life blaming herself and being blamed by her family for what they view as her choices. I know victim-blaming is historically accurate. However, I have seen so many reviews that are sympathetic towards him and I just don't understand it! I know he helped the family at times but all of his motivations are purely selfish and sexist.
Graphic: War, Xenophobia, Violence, Suicidal thoughts, Death, Classism, Adult/minor relationship, Racism, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Infidelity, Colonisation, Terminal illness, Religious bigotry, Sexual assault, Suicide, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Infertility, Alcoholism, and Abortion
Minor: Trafficking
soffafa's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Moderate: Trafficking, Adult/minor relationship, Suicide, and Racism
Minor: Hate crime, Death of parent, Abortion, and Miscarriage
elizlizabeth's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: War, Xenophobia, Cancer, Car accident, Classism, Death, Suicide, Torture, Abortion, Adult/minor relationship, Infidelity, Miscarriage, and Racism
Moderate: Torture and Trafficking
jai_martin's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, War, and Racism
Moderate: Violence, Trafficking, Abortion, Suicide, and Sexual violence
pamshenanigans'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? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
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
Graphic: Racism and Sexual assault
Moderate: Miscarriage, Death, Child death, Suicide, and Adult/minor relationship
Minor: Abortion and Trafficking
serena_hien's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Suicide, Sexual content, Violence, Colonisation, Classism, Death, Sexual harassment, Xenophobia, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Pregnancy, and War
Moderate: Misogyny, Cursing, and Infertility
Minor: Miscarriage, Cancer, Abortion, and Trafficking
marjoleinvanderspoel's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Graphic: Hate crime, Suicide, Xenophobia, and War
Moderate: Trafficking, Slavery, Homophobia, Death of parent, Ableism, Police brutality, and Sexual content
Minor: Alcoholism and Miscarriage