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A review by lijohnlw1
Pachinko by Min Jin Lee
4.0
Thoroughly enjoyed this. I'd compare the multi-generational trajectory to One Hundred Years of Solitude, but Min Jin Lee's tale is more tragic than magic. I might also contrast it with Americanah, a good novel that replaces Korea with Nigeria and Japan with the US.
The author really captures a gradual shift in cultural perspectives, and I think a real strength is the way she pulls the story through those generations authentically, whilst tackling a real range of tensions felt by the protagonists.
I wasn't as much a fan of the sudden shifts in perspective and time, leaping forwards several years at a time without warning (but without the deliberate discombobulation of a Cloud Atlas).
That said, highly recommended.
The author really captures a gradual shift in cultural perspectives, and I think a real strength is the way she pulls the story through those generations authentically, whilst tackling a real range of tensions felt by the protagonists.
I wasn't as much a fan of the sudden shifts in perspective and time, leaping forwards several years at a time without warning (but without the deliberate discombobulation of a Cloud Atlas).
That said, highly recommended.