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A review by monazaneefer
Pachinko by Min Jin Lee
Edited rating (16 Dec 2022): ★★☆☆☆ (2 stars...or maybe 3?) The more I let time pass by, the more I realise that, overall, I don't really care for this book. The only good part was the first third when it followed the first generation. The newer and modern storylines didn't do it for me; they were fast (YEARS would pass by every other chapter), I didn't care for the characters, and the content - like mentioned earlier - was skipable. I don't think I'd read this book again, and it's actually made me more apprehensive about generational sagas. I find myself thinking twice when I come across any of them now.
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Rating: ★★★★☆ (4 stars)
Solid addictive story, although I was a bit taken aback by the time jumps towards the middle-end. I can't say it's my favourite book because I wasn't emotionally connected to any character (ESPECIALLY from the second generation onwards) - but was thoroughly immersed and invested in most their stories as an outsider - and tbh, I was disgusted a couple of times at the content skipskipskip.
Some pros:
i. I found Hansu to be the most fascinating character here simply because he was very nuanced. Terrible and creepy as he was, his devotion to his son, and love for his employee, Kim, were noble and gave him redemptive qualities. And beyond the beginning, he was actually genuine towards Sunja lel.
ii. AND I've only ever been so shocked twice reading a book to the point of covering my mouth with my hands. Villette's plot twist being one, and in this, Noa's death. The last chapter of Sunja visiting his grave was so poignant, although I didn't particularly find any significance in her learning about Noa's earlier visits. Wiki tells me it gave her closure to know he wasn't ashamed of his family. I suppose so...but as a reader you already knew that, so the ending didn't have closure in the form of revelation for me. Nevertheless, it was an appropriate, calm ending to a story in which we followed decades of a woman's life.
Cons:
i. The time jumps were irksome
ii. I was bored a couple of times with the second generation and after. Was quite happy when it shifted back to our old characters.
iii. There were more characters I was grossed out by from the second-third gen so that didn't help.
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Rating: ★★★★☆ (4 stars)
Solid addictive story, although I was a bit taken aback by the time jumps towards the middle-end. I can't say it's my favourite book because I wasn't emotionally connected to any character (ESPECIALLY from the second generation onwards) - but was thoroughly immersed and invested in most their stories as an outsider - and tbh, I was disgusted a couple of times at the content skipskipskip.
Some pros:
i. I found Hansu to be the most fascinating character here simply because he was very nuanced. Terrible and creepy as he was, his devotion to his son, and love for his employee, Kim, were noble and gave him redemptive qualities. And beyond the beginning, he was actually genuine towards Sunja lel.
ii. AND I've only ever been so shocked twice reading a book to the point of covering my mouth with my hands. Villette's plot twist being one, and in this, Noa's death. The last chapter of Sunja visiting his grave was so poignant, although I didn't particularly find any significance in her learning about Noa's earlier visits. Wiki tells me it gave her closure to know he wasn't ashamed of his family. I suppose so...but as a reader you already knew that, so the ending didn't have closure in the form of revelation for me. Nevertheless, it was an appropriate, calm ending to a story in which we followed decades of a woman's life.
Cons:
i. The time jumps were irksome
ii. I was bored a couple of times with the second generation and after. Was quite happy when it shifted back to our old characters.
iii. There were more characters I was grossed out by from the second-third gen so that didn't help.