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touuuyaa's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
fast-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
4.75
kitkat962's review against another edition
5.0
A saga of Korean-Japanese immigrants that span over several generations, exploring the definition of family, honor, love, survival and success.
Ever since The Great Gatsby, I no longer judge a book character based on their amicability, but even if you are not, you would still have hard time picking out the "good Japanese" the "bad Korean" in Pachinko. Most characters have some background stories to tell, albeit short. I personally felt an emotional connection with Sunja: she appears from the beginning as the lead who unfold the stories. She suffered, yes, but I would argue that she had a lot of power over her life and her family.
However, further into the book, the author seemed to delve more into the life and identity of the second, third generations, and I felt out of touch with several characters. I especially felt like Noa and his end deserved more lines, as his struggle with Korean-Japanese identity felt the most genuine and conflicting, to quote the book "what he wanted most of all: to be seen as human"
Rather, Ms. Lee decided to focus on Solomon and Phoebe. Their lifestyle, the opportunity they have and their attitude towards globalization worth noting, but the ending is not satisfying. AT ALL.
But kudos to Ms. Lee for an excellent history Japan and Korea before and after the World war, the dynamics and conflict between them, as well as several cultural appreciation: the pachinko, go-saeng, tsumei, mizu shobai. I am a big fan of historical fiction, as well as Korea and Japan, so this book is definitely a 5 star for me from the first few chapters.
Ever since The Great Gatsby, I no longer judge a book character based on their amicability, but even if you are not, you would still have hard time picking out the "good Japanese" the "bad Korean" in Pachinko. Most characters have some background stories to tell, albeit short. I personally felt an emotional connection with Sunja: she appears from the beginning as the lead who unfold the stories. She suffered, yes, but I would argue that she had a lot of power over her life and her family.
However, further into the book, the author seemed to delve more into the life and identity of the second, third generations, and I felt out of touch with several characters. I especially felt like Noa and his end deserved more lines, as his struggle with Korean-Japanese identity felt the most genuine and conflicting, to quote the book "what he wanted most of all: to be seen as human"
Rather, Ms. Lee decided to focus on Solomon and Phoebe. Their lifestyle, the opportunity they have and their attitude towards globalization worth noting, but the ending is not satisfying. AT ALL.
But kudos to Ms. Lee for an excellent history Japan and Korea before and after the World war, the dynamics and conflict between them, as well as several cultural appreciation: the pachinko, go-saeng, tsumei, mizu shobai. I am a big fan of historical fiction, as well as Korea and Japan, so this book is definitely a 5 star for me from the first few chapters.
andreabaertson's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
thebookedpath's review against another edition
4.0
This was so much better than I thought. It was very easy to read and didn't have a large amount of Korean or Japanese terminology that made you need a glossary or pause to look it up on your phone. The transgenerational trauma that this family experiences is heartbreaking.
SPOILER: There is no real HEA in this book. That is not the point.
The characters are good but I felt their emotions were kept in check (whether it was a writing choice or representative of the culture depicted - I am not sure). I would have loved to have read more about the characters' feelings. It would have added to the empathy. There were parts of the story that seemed to drop off and the reader never knows what becomes of a situation which was frustrating.
The backdrop though is amazing. Set in Korea and Japan during the 1930s to the late 1980s, this book covers so much war and political events and really gives an insight into what was going on in the Pacific region at this time.
There are triggers in this book. I mean the whole book can be triggering considering that the backdrop is war-torn nations. That being said there are distinct triggers for sexual assault, racism, and suicide.
There is also LGBTQ+ representation I was not expecting to find in a book written covering the era it did. There is also disability representation.
As frustrated as I was that this book just seemed to have no real happiness for anyone, I found beauty in the way it was written and the inner strength and willingness to sacrifice of the characters, and most of all the struggle to persevere. I think this is a book that all college students should have to read.
SPOILER: There is no real HEA in this book. That is not the point.
The characters are good but I felt their emotions were kept in check (whether it was a writing choice or representative of the culture depicted - I am not sure). I would have loved to have read more about the characters' feelings. It would have added to the empathy. There were parts of the story that seemed to drop off and the reader never knows what becomes of a situation which was frustrating.
The backdrop though is amazing. Set in Korea and Japan during the 1930s to the late 1980s, this book covers so much war and political events and really gives an insight into what was going on in the Pacific region at this time.
There are triggers in this book. I mean the whole book can be triggering considering that the backdrop is war-torn nations. That being said there are distinct triggers for sexual assault, racism, and suicide.
There is also LGBTQ+ representation I was not expecting to find in a book written covering the era it did. There is also disability representation.
As frustrated as I was that this book just seemed to have no real happiness for anyone, I found beauty in the way it was written and the inner strength and willingness to sacrifice of the characters, and most of all the struggle to persevere. I think this is a book that all college students should have to read.
dulcimermaid's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
hovering between 3 and 4 stars for this one.
while I did get a strong impression of what the author was trying to do, I feel like I was just constantly left with wanting more. still very beautiful and tragic at parts, though.
while I did get a strong impression of what the author was trying to do, I feel like I was just constantly left with wanting more. still very beautiful and tragic at parts, though.
blicksam's review against another edition
5.0
Min Jin Lee writes human emotion in a way that makes you feel intimately connected with her characters and deeply empathetic. What a stunning novel.
dang_kay_dang's review against another edition
emotional
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
4.75
Beautifully written. Lee touched on so many different elements from sexism, racism, grooming to struggles with identity through multiple generations. I’m amazed by Lee’s ability to express the hurt and emotions of each character in such a beautiful way. A sense of hope and hopelessness were constantly flipping through out the book. All the characters were well rounded. Often I felt conflicted. I felt angry about the character’s actions and thoughts but within pages I would feel sympathy for them (except for the grooming and abuse).
The only fault I had with the book was the sudden time skips which took me out of the story at times. However, I understand that’s part of the story. How life can change and move so quickly without waiting for you.
The only fault I had with the book was the sudden time skips which took me out of the story at times. However, I understand that’s part of the story. How life can change and move so quickly without waiting for you.
aurariusmeles's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
floatwiththesticks's review against another edition
4.0
I feel like I’ve lived a hundred lives. Epic is the word.