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4.36 AVERAGE
4.36 AVERAGE
This is a book that I definitely liked. After reading it, it gave me lots of food for thought, so to speak.
This book tells the story of several generations of Koreans in Japan, spanning a time from 1910 to 1989. It is a historical novel, yet it is very character-driven, centring on Sunja, who appears in the very beginning as a little girl, all the way to the end as an old great-grandmother. The book has many topics, though several central themes run throughout, including racism, power, and discrimination.
I also found this book enjoyable to read since I myself have spent some time in Japan, having lived there for almost five years from 1995 to 2000. And the fact that parts of the book are set in Osaka, the city where I was, made me reminisce and recall the old memories of my time there, which is two decades ago by now. I definitely got my interest in the city piqued, resulting in my checking things out virtually, curious to know how things have changed over the years since my departure.
This book also has made me think about Japanese society. I've never experienced Japan to be multicultural. Rather, I have always found this a very insular society, a society that is hard to penetrate. I have spent several years as a student in the local Japanese school system, and have witnessed bullying first hand. As a foreigner, people also tried bullying me, but perhaps the fact that I didn't understand the language much sort of acted as some insulation, since I didn't really understand what was going on in the first place and therefore didn't give the expected reaction, and at some point, they just gave up.
Japan is a place that while I can imagine myself visiting again, I definitely cannot imagine myself settling there for the long-term. I just don't find the acceptance and tolerance that one can easily find in other countries. I don't think I can tolerate societal homogeneity the way it is evident in Japan. I prefer variety, and somehow, no matter how much of a global city Tokyo is, there still is this glass ceiling so to speak, which makes Japanese society somehow very hard to penetrate for outsiders.
This book reminded me of all that, and reading this results in plenty of thought-provoking episodes. I definitely recommend this to anyone interested in social inequalities, as well as in Korea-Japan relations. I give it 4 out of 5 stars.
See my other book reviews here.
This book tells the story of several generations of Koreans in Japan, spanning a time from 1910 to 1989. It is a historical novel, yet it is very character-driven, centring on Sunja, who appears in the very beginning as a little girl, all the way to the end as an old great-grandmother. The book has many topics, though several central themes run throughout, including racism, power, and discrimination.
I also found this book enjoyable to read since I myself have spent some time in Japan, having lived there for almost five years from 1995 to 2000. And the fact that parts of the book are set in Osaka, the city where I was, made me reminisce and recall the old memories of my time there, which is two decades ago by now. I definitely got my interest in the city piqued, resulting in my checking things out virtually, curious to know how things have changed over the years since my departure.
This book also has made me think about Japanese society. I've never experienced Japan to be multicultural. Rather, I have always found this a very insular society, a society that is hard to penetrate. I have spent several years as a student in the local Japanese school system, and have witnessed bullying first hand. As a foreigner, people also tried bullying me, but perhaps the fact that I didn't understand the language much sort of acted as some insulation, since I didn't really understand what was going on in the first place and therefore didn't give the expected reaction, and at some point, they just gave up.
Japan is a place that while I can imagine myself visiting again, I definitely cannot imagine myself settling there for the long-term. I just don't find the acceptance and tolerance that one can easily find in other countries. I don't think I can tolerate societal homogeneity the way it is evident in Japan. I prefer variety, and somehow, no matter how much of a global city Tokyo is, there still is this glass ceiling so to speak, which makes Japanese society somehow very hard to penetrate for outsiders.
This book reminded me of all that, and reading this results in plenty of thought-provoking episodes. I definitely recommend this to anyone interested in social inequalities, as well as in Korea-Japan relations. I give it 4 out of 5 stars.
See my other book reviews here.
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
emotional
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:
Yes
Wow. Pachinko was such a fascinating read. I honestly didn’t know much about the history of Koreans in Japan before this book, and now I feel like I’ve been through an emotional crash course—in the best way possible. Min Jin Lee really pulls you in with such rich, layered characters that you start to forget you’re reading a novel. It just feels real. The story follows four generations of a Korean family, starting with Sunja, who’s such a strong and quietly powerful character. I was totally drawn in by her journey—especially when she marries Isak, this kind and gentle minister, and moves to Japan. And then there’s Hansu, the complicated, mysterious figure in her life... I couldn’t stop reading about them even when they frustrated me. Especially the men—some of them are so stuck in their traditional roles of protector or provider that they felt emotionally distant at times. I never got the feeling Hansu was acting purely out of love.
One of the things I admired most is how Lee weaves in all these huge themes—racism, classism, gender roles, body image, trauma—but it never feels forced or preachy. Everything comes through the characters’ lives and decisions. You feel their struggles with identity, belonging, and love under so much societal pressure. It’s personal, it’s political, and it’s heartbreaking. The writing is beautiful—clear, smooth, and sometimes surprisingly sharp. I loved the earlier parts of the book the most, especially Sunja’s chapters. Later on, when the focus shifts more to her sons and their stories, I did feel like it lost a bit of its emotional pull. The tone changes, and sometimes it even feels a bit cruder or less refined. Still really interesting, just a different vibe.
One thing I’m still thinking about, though: it’s kind of strange how a book that’s so critical of colonialism and all its painful consequences also seems to casually legitimize a settler-colonial state elsewhere. That left me scratching my head a bit—it felt like a weird contradiction in an otherwise deeply thoughtful story. But overall? Pachinko was powerful, emotional, and incredibly well done. It made me care, it made me think, and it taught me a piece of history I never learned in school. Highly recommend if you’re into historical fiction that doesn’t shy away from the hard stuff but still centers on human stories.
One of the things I admired most is how Lee weaves in all these huge themes—racism, classism, gender roles, body image, trauma—but it never feels forced or preachy. Everything comes through the characters’ lives and decisions. You feel their struggles with identity, belonging, and love under so much societal pressure. It’s personal, it’s political, and it’s heartbreaking. The writing is beautiful—clear, smooth, and sometimes surprisingly sharp. I loved the earlier parts of the book the most, especially Sunja’s chapters. Later on, when the focus shifts more to her sons and their stories, I did feel like it lost a bit of its emotional pull. The tone changes, and sometimes it even feels a bit cruder or less refined. Still really interesting, just a different vibe.
One thing I’m still thinking about, though: it’s kind of strange how a book that’s so critical of colonialism and all its painful consequences also seems to casually legitimize a settler-colonial state elsewhere. That left me scratching my head a bit—it felt like a weird contradiction in an otherwise deeply thoughtful story. But overall? Pachinko was powerful, emotional, and incredibly well done. It made me care, it made me think, and it taught me a piece of history I never learned in school. Highly recommend if you’re into historical fiction that doesn’t shy away from the hard stuff but still centers on human stories.
Pachinko is a sweeping, beautifully written work that seamlessly intertwines deeply human stories across love, family, and history - a masterpiece.
I really enjoyed this book for a number of reasons.
First, because it's the first novel I've encountered that gives insight into the experiences of Japanese-Koreans, before, during, and after the Japanese invasion of Korea. The novel is epic yet easy to read. At the same time it explores so many themes that it's hard to summarize except to say that it's a story of four generations of a Korean family.
I very much recommend this especially if you are looking to read more from diverse authors.
First, because it's the first novel I've encountered that gives insight into the experiences of Japanese-Koreans, before, during, and after the Japanese invasion of Korea. The novel is epic yet easy to read. At the same time it explores so many themes that it's hard to summarize except to say that it's a story of four generations of a Korean family.
I very much recommend this especially if you are looking to read more from diverse authors.
I loved this book! I felt it started out strong but then lulled a bit. Overall though a beautiful story that touches on so many themes like family, immigration, gender inequality, culture. Highly recommend
emotional
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide, Colonisation
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Cancer, Death, Miscarriage, Sexual content, Death of parent, War
Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism, Bullying, Cancer, Infertility, Infidelity, Abortion