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A review by abooknomad
Pachinko by Min Jin Lee
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
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
Somehow, despite the praise and glowing reviews, I was not expecting to love Pachinko this much. Maybe it was the sceptic in me, who had forgotten how enthralling, gripping and mesmerising historical fiction can be.
Min Jin Lee's prose is pure addictiveness. Its strength lies as much in the raw, complex, and intimate characterisation of the Korean family members that we follow from the 1930s to late 1980s, as in the unravelling of the historical events that shaped East Asia during that period and their impact on the collective psyche.
The more I read, the more I was made painfully aware of my ignorance on the subject. I felt ashamed. From my euro-centric perception, where the Second Sino-Japanese War and the Korean War were only briefly mentioned throughout my education, I was struck by the dehumanisation of exiled Koreans by the Japanese authorities. The more I think about it, the more I realise I shouldn't have been as surprised knowing what I know about European colonisation. Colonisers were all cut from the same cloth, borrowing from each other the methods that best achieved their specific ends.
Given its subject matter, this book is emotionally heavy. Min Jin Lee's immersive and attention to detail is a double-edged sword: we're transported to another place, but we also feel and suffer the heartbreak with the characters. Fear not, there is also joy, love and hope. Small surprises that will warm your heart through the pain.
I think I found my weakness: family sagas. It started with Malibu Rising, The Green Bone Saga confirmed my obsession, and Pachinko cemented it. As a character-driven reader, nothing gets me as absorbed as the drama and love intrinsic to these relationships.
Pachinko will become a go-to recommendation. It's stunningly well-written, eye-opening in its themes and I struggled to put it down.
Where can I find another historical fiction novel like this one?
Min Jin Lee's prose is pure addictiveness. Its strength lies as much in the raw, complex, and intimate characterisation of the Korean family members that we follow from the 1930s to late 1980s, as in the unravelling of the historical events that shaped East Asia during that period and their impact on the collective psyche.
The more I read, the more I was made painfully aware of my ignorance on the subject. I felt ashamed. From my euro-centric perception, where the Second Sino-Japanese War and the Korean War were only briefly mentioned throughout my education, I was struck by the dehumanisation of exiled Koreans by the Japanese authorities. The more I think about it, the more I realise I shouldn't have been as surprised knowing what I know about European colonisation. Colonisers were all cut from the same cloth, borrowing from each other the methods that best achieved their specific ends.
Given its subject matter, this book is emotionally heavy. Min Jin Lee's immersive and attention to detail is a double-edged sword: we're transported to another place, but we also feel and suffer the heartbreak with the characters. Fear not, there is also joy, love and hope. Small surprises that will warm your heart through the pain.
I think I found my weakness: family sagas. It started with Malibu Rising, The Green Bone Saga confirmed my obsession, and Pachinko cemented it. As a character-driven reader, nothing gets me as absorbed as the drama and love intrinsic to these relationships.
Pachinko will become a go-to recommendation. It's stunningly well-written, eye-opening in its themes and I struggled to put it down.
Where can I find another historical fiction novel like this one?