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4.36 AVERAGE
4.36 AVERAGE
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
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:
Complicated
This is going to be the book of my year. The book to end all books. Min Jin Lee did it, we don’t need to toil any longer. OK OK, let me be so for real for a second: the story follows a Korean family from the outset of the Japanese occupation of Korea in the early 1900s through the next three generations of this family’s life in Japan and later the US. As I inched closer and closer to the end of this 400+ page novel, I was in awe of how precious each of the characters felt to me. The book pulls you back to its orbit again and again. And Lee has this masterful way of moving in and out of many character’s heads, sometimes within a single page or even a single sentence! And it feels seamless. You’re deeply embodied in the thoughts, yearnings, failures, and pleasures of these characters. They become a part of you. This book was literally years and years in the making, and began as a research inquiry into the lives of Japanese-born Koreans whose ancestors had lived through the occupation and made lives in Japan both during and decades after the occupation was over. Lee explores state-sanctioned violence and discrimination against Koreans in Japan, and creates a world that’s both historically rich and deeply lived in. There are stories of love, queerness, spirituality, sacrifice, and the list could go on. The novel is ambitious in its vision and it doesn’t miss.
Content Warnings
Graphic: War
Moderate: Suicide
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
“why did men get to leave when they didn’t get what they wanted?”
no but like fr.
i don't know if i liked this or not but it did have me in a chokehold and i have been thinking of it periodicallly, so like a win is a win?
this entire book feels like it doesn't dwell on the inbetween, the present moment- instead, it's like living with the aftermath of a thing. i appreciate what the book is doing- it's so clearly thoughtful and well-researched, and i love how it highlights such a little known part of history. it's far off from a perfect book, but i do think elements of it will linger for a while to come.
//
adult bookclub: fortnight 3 (?)
no but like fr.
i don't know if i liked this or not but it did have me in a chokehold and i have been thinking of it periodicallly, so like a win is a win?
this entire book feels like it doesn't dwell on the inbetween, the present moment- instead, it's like living with the aftermath of a thing. i appreciate what the book is doing- it's so clearly thoughtful and well-researched, and i love how it highlights such a little known part of history. it's far off from a perfect book, but i do think elements of it will linger for a while to come.
//
adult bookclub: fortnight 3 (?)
emotional
informative
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
I learned so much from this book and got so much value from observing the intergenerational experience. I felt really connected to the main set of characters and the ways in which they all uniquely struggled and preserved (or not) with their circumstances.
I felt like the book could have benefitted from some more emotional reflection from some of the characters in the later half of the book, and the beginning/middle of the book was definitely more compelling than the end.
I felt like the book could have benefitted from some more emotional reflection from some of the characters in the later half of the book, and the beginning/middle of the book was definitely more compelling than the end.
dark
emotional
sad
Oh, wow. This was a journey!
Soooo well-written, beautiful story.
Soooo well-written, beautiful story.
Such a gorgeous epic story spanning 80 years where you observe four generations of a Korean family. *Pachinko* by Min Jin Lee is a beautifully crafted multigenerational saga that explores the resilience, love, and sacrifices of a Korean family living in Japan. Lee masterfully weaves together complex themes of identity, discrimination, and belonging with deeply human characters, making their struggles and triumphs profoundly moving. The novel’s rich historical backdrop adds depth to the personal narratives, creating a story that’s both intimate and epic. It’s an unforgettable read that highlights the enduring power of hope and perseverance. Highly recommended! So excited to start watching the Apple TV series now!
This book somewhat reminds me of Homegoing, but it follows generations of a family in a very linear fashion and blends from one generation to the next. I did find some of the character jumping a little difficult to follow sometimes, but I did listen to the book rather than read it. Overall really good