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A review by bookstorian
Pachinko by Min Jin Lee
4.5
As a historical fiction lover it is always great to discover new stories from a variety of places around the world. 'Pachinko' has patiently waited on my shelf for ages as I was at first intimidated by this read, however I was quickly swept into the story, especially with the characters and setting.
Set across Korea and Japan, 'Pachinko' is a multi generational story which explores the Korean experience in Japan during a volatile century. Exploration of family, suffering, nature vs nuture, home, identity and belonging were also wrapped into the story making it a compelling and memorable story of survival and love.
The intergenerational racism experienced by the characters was just one of the many things that I learnt about this period of time within both nations that ultimately chartered their future. Each of the characters had a complex stories and struggles with identity, for me Kyunghee was an especially admirable character for her loyalty, endurance, friendship and optimism. Interestingly, the book title 'Pachinko' also paints a gaming metaphor for life and the realisation that you need to play the game of life using the cards that you have been dealt.
Unfortunately the story did seem to leap across the stories of love and joy experienced by the characters which did prevent the book hitting that final .5 of a star.
The Vegan Korean Cookbook is a great companion to this read.
Set across Korea and Japan, 'Pachinko' is a multi generational story which explores the Korean experience in Japan during a volatile century. Exploration of family, suffering, nature vs nuture, home, identity and belonging were also wrapped into the story making it a compelling and memorable story of survival and love.
The intergenerational racism experienced by the characters was just one of the many things that I learnt about this period of time within both nations that ultimately chartered their future. Each of the characters had a complex stories and struggles with identity, for me Kyunghee was an especially admirable character for her loyalty, endurance, friendship and optimism. Interestingly, the book title 'Pachinko' also paints a gaming metaphor for life and the realisation that you need to play the game of life using the cards that you have been dealt.
Unfortunately the story did seem to leap across the stories of love and joy experienced by the characters which did prevent the book hitting that final .5 of a star.
The Vegan Korean Cookbook is a great companion to this read.
Content Warnings
Minor: Suicide, Homophobia, Cancer, and Racism