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A review by cody_crumley
Pachinko by Min Jin Lee
5.0
Pachinko by Min Jin Lee is a masterful take on a historical fiction novel, and the best of that genre I have ever read.
The story covers 80 years and multiple generations of this Korean family. You read through all of the choices that this family makes and get to see the impact throughout the years covered by the book. It really felt like I was reading a memoir about this family’s genealogy. Lee did an amazing job of providing their family history in a unique way.
Each of the characters in Pachinko have shades of grey to them, which makes them feel real and three-dimensional. No one character can be put in a “good person” or “bad person” bucket (though characters lean one way or the other) all of them fall on a spectrum between. Because of this, it made me want to keep learning about every character that was shown, even the more minor characters.
The historical aspect of this was so well done. Anytime a fictional book set during a real time period drives me to research more about it is a great thing, and something that does not happen often. Lee uses things like the Japanese occupation of Korea, World War II, and the Korean War as great backdrops to help tell her story of Koreans in Japan. I have learned so much from this book and will continue to read about this subject going forward. For a fictional book to accomplish that is extraordinary and shows just what a wonderful job Min Jin Lee did.
I can not recommend this book enough. There are no caveats, this book is a must read for everyone.
The story covers 80 years and multiple generations of this Korean family. You read through all of the choices that this family makes and get to see the impact throughout the years covered by the book. It really felt like I was reading a memoir about this family’s genealogy. Lee did an amazing job of providing their family history in a unique way.
Each of the characters in Pachinko have shades of grey to them, which makes them feel real and three-dimensional. No one character can be put in a “good person” or “bad person” bucket (though characters lean one way or the other) all of them fall on a spectrum between. Because of this, it made me want to keep learning about every character that was shown, even the more minor characters.
The historical aspect of this was so well done. Anytime a fictional book set during a real time period drives me to research more about it is a great thing, and something that does not happen often. Lee uses things like the Japanese occupation of Korea, World War II, and the Korean War as great backdrops to help tell her story of Koreans in Japan. I have learned so much from this book and will continue to read about this subject going forward. For a fictional book to accomplish that is extraordinary and shows just what a wonderful job Min Jin Lee did.
I can not recommend this book enough. There are no caveats, this book is a must read for everyone.