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4.36 AVERAGE
4.36 AVERAGE
Pachinko is a story of love, sacrifice and pain. The book follows four generations of Koreans in Japan, from the early to late 20th Century. The book expertly portrays the historical context, in my opinion, highlighting Japan's occupation of Korea before WW2 and the eventual division of the country into North and South Korea. The book details the discrimination and racism towards Koreans in general, but especially those living in Japan. By spanning numerous generations: not just the immediate family, but friends and partners too, Pachinko shows so many sides to the plight of Koreans at that time. Always being looked down upon, being underestimated and no matter what one did, being unable to fit in. The novel is shocking in parts, due to its portrayal of these harsh realities, and has many plot twists. I honestly couldn't put it down, the only drawback I felt, was that by following so many different characters, I didn't necessarily connect with all of them as much as I would have liked in order to feel the full impact of their story. But overall, a very captivating, informative and moving book.
dark
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Full of life
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
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:
No
emotional
inspiring
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
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Started off as a pretty decent hardship story, but there are way too many terrible things that happen to these people for it to be an enjoyable read to me.
challenging
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
it made me question my life and my relationship with my family. 10/10
4.5 stars
I was engrossed in this wonderful book and couldn’t bear to put it down. I was hugely caught up in the beautifully vivid characters, scenery and stories.
I also loved that I learnt a lot about inter relations with Korea and Japan without it being forced upon me as a reader; the best historical fiction does that.
Ultimately I adored the first 2/3 of this gorgeous novel and felt the pacing in the last 1/3 a bit rushed in comparison so there wasn’t so much time to become fully emotionally invested in the characters’ lives. That’s turned it into a 4 star not 5 star read for me but I highly recommend it.
This is the perfect example of a multigenerational saga done right.
There were a few brief moments of confusion when new perspectives were introduced, but overall the story was beautifully executed and taught me so much. The hardship and prejudice that Koreans faced in Japan were portrayed through the characters’ daily lives, so it never felt like a textbook or history lesson.
I felt so invested in these stories and honestly would’ve loved for it to keep going into the 21st century!
There were a few brief moments of confusion when new perspectives were introduced, but overall the story was beautifully executed and taught me so much. The hardship and prejudice that Koreans faced in Japan were portrayed through the characters’ daily lives, so it never felt like a textbook or history lesson.
I felt so invested in these stories and honestly would’ve loved for it to keep going into the 21st century!
slow-paced