Reviews tagging 'Sexism'

Pachinko by Min Jin Lee

91 reviews

alomie's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful 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

4.0

This is a long winding family saga over decades following multiple points of view.
I enjoyed this book immensely, it was well written and hard in parts, deeply melancholy following the struggle of all the characters, the deaths, the abuse, the war, losing your home, not being accepted as a citezen in the country you were born in and so much more. 
I liked that the story was threaded together so beautifully and how one decision can have so many knock on after effects. Bringing whole generations shame or sadness for their ancestors past mistakes. 
Something really special about this book. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Bullying, Death, Drug use, Child death, Miscarriage, Pregnancy, Sexism, Xenophobia, Addiction, and Death of parent

Minor: Abortion

smallredboy's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful 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

4.75

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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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, War, Colonisation, Racism, Xenophobia, Death of parent, Sexism, Adult/minor relationship, Child death, and Grief

Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Chronic illness, and Suicide

sydneybedell's review

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Adult/minor relationship, Xenophobia, Bullying, Child death, Misogyny, Infertility, Sexism, Sexual assault, Grief, Classism, Miscarriage, Sexual content, War, Ableism, Racism, Injury/Injury detail, Death of parent, and Death

Moderate: Infidelity, Cancer, and Pregnancy

Minor: Abortion

nila's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

• 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

An incredible journey through most of the 20th century following one family and their journey trying to survive all aspects of war and its aftermath. The story had twist and turns, and there were many times I had to put the book down because I was so surprised by what I had just read 

from the reading journal: There's an abundance of the "innocent young good man/boy being corrupted by the sexual whore who only wants their money material things. Yes the" bad men"-characters are also present, but I feel they are more fleshed out and for some reason, their "flaws" are justified and explained away.

One the other end, the "good" woman is also never good enough. She's too boring or even, not "good enough".Every single woman is described and more or less ranked by their sexual availability and desirability. And almost all the women who are described as promiscuous are punished, either with not being allowed to marry again for love, or being beaten half to death in a car or actually dying. While the men who illicit the same kind of behavior get to grow old, and be surrounded by wealth and loved ones. I understand that this is/was the reality of the society that is described in the book, but then what should one think is the "message" behind the story? Or am I overthinking this? I want to read more Asian literature, but find that the sexualisation of women is a deterring factor.

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Content Warnings

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

marbelousreads's review against another edition

emotional informative reflective 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

Wow. This book is a work of art. Min Jin Lee covered so much time and so many characters but not once did I feel confused or like I had missed something. What she has done here in this novel is nothing short of a masterpiece and it deserves all of the praise it has received and more.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Racism, Sexism, Suicide, and Xenophobia

Minor: War

aerinreads's review

challenging emotional hopeful reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Death, Racism, Sexism, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Sexual violence, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Suicide, Cursing, Racial slurs, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Sexual harassment

ntvenessa's review against another edition

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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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Chronic illness, Classism, Colonisation, Death, Death of parent, Drug use, Gore, Grief, Hate crime, Infertility, Infidelity, Medical content, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Pregnancy, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, War, and Xenophobia

Moderate: Ableism, Abortion, Addiction, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Cancer, Suicide, and Car accident

Minor: Child death and Homophobia

thebookishbedouin's review against another edition

challenging emotional 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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, Colonisation, Violence, Xenophobia, Terminal illness, Sexual content, Sexism, Pregnancy, Police brutality, Injury/Injury detail, Hate crime, Grief, Emotional abuse, Death of parent, Death, Cursing, Classism, Chronic illness, and Bullying

Moderate: War, Suicide, Physical abuse, and Cancer

Minor: Abortion, Torture, Miscarriage, Infidelity, and Alcoholism

edensbookshelf's review against another edition

dark emotional 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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Xenophobia, Rape, Sexual assault, Homophobia, Sexism, Racism, Racial slurs, Classism, Death, Death of parent, and Suicide

mxpringle's review

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted reflective relaxing sad tense medium-paced

• 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Grief, Ableism, Alcoholism, Cancer, Car accident, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Child death, Cultural appropriation, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Homophobia, Infidelity, Mental illness, Murder, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Religious bigotry, Sexism, Sexual content, Terminal illness, and Violence

Minor: War