A review by rebekah_florence
Pachinko by Min Jin Lee

dark emotional hopeful informative reflective sad slow-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

4.5

I'm in the process of sitting with this book moments after reading the last sentence.  I loved this story.  I loved getting to follow this one family through generations- reading their struggles, triumphs, and hardships, but most importantly, reading how they loved one another and how they were tethered to each other by that love.  I learned so much about the Japanese colonial period, something that I had begun to research prior to reading the book but now understand the after-effects more deeply.  I like that Lee provides an insight into even the most seemingly insignificant characters' lives.  For example, through Haruki and
Ayame's
storyline, we're asked to engage with the characters' daily lives through the lens of
sexuality.  We get a glimpse into how difficult life would have been for LGBTQ+ individuals (specifically gay men) in Japan during this period in history.  Ayame's chapters were some of my favorite in the book, and I wish I could have read more about her life.  Perhaps, it was so mundane and simple that there was nothing more to tell.  Though we don't know much about her, I think she's my favorite character in the book.
.    The only, and I truly mean only, aspect of the story that I felt frustrated with was the way that Lee would mention time skips as a way to close out parts of the story.  I'm blanking on specific lines right now but it would be something along the lines of...."that would be the last time he would do this until three years later when.....". "Frustrated" isn't even a good word to describe it; I'm just being selfish in wanting more of the story.  I wish that I could read this book for the first time again.  I usually don't like to buy books unless I know that I'll read them repetitively and Pachinko is a book that I can see myself definitely coming back to in the future.  I can't wait to see what I learn from the characters next time.  
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