Scan barcode
xjasminelu's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Racism, Suicide, Abortion, Death of parent, and Colonisation
unicornialism's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Death, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Xenophobia, Grief, and Stalking
Moderate: Child death, Chronic illness, Genocide, Incest, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Car accident, Death of parent, Colonisation, War, Classism, and Deportation
Minor: Bullying
allymaas's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
4.5
Graphic: Death and Racism
Moderate: War
Minor: Abortion
theothergrl's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Pachinko is so deeply researched and historically dense but as well as that Min Jin Lee went to interview many Korean Japanese, sharing: "I was so humbled by the[ir] breadth and complexity...that I put aside my old draft and started to write the book again". Her conscientiousness is very clear, she wants to do right by her characters, so they feel respected.
There were moments when I thought there was so much tragedy in this one family, that I questioned the authenticity.
However, the reality of colonisation is more violent and cruel than we who've not experienced it could ever imagine. Pachinko tells the story of a family and their close friends over 4 generations. We follow the weaving of generational trauma, reading it become more and more tangled, complex, and oppressive. There was one tragedy that felt like a means to an end, the plot wasn't moved perfectly there, but ultimately Jin Lee had to fit a whole history into this one story.
I really enjoyed the writing-it was direct, not at all flowery, which suited. Everything was informative including the dialogue, which lacked some casualness, though it didn't make it deficient. We got some insight into the thoughts and feelings of the characters, but they're also kept private from the reader. They'll often start a thought, but feel unable to finish it because they cannot freely point out the prejudices and the unfairness of it all. The only characters who do, aren't Korean-Japanese, creating a stark contrast in one-sided conversations.
There is a very poignant chapter in the book where Sunja and her mother argue and cry over how all the suffering began. They shoulder the blame for it all, they yell about how hard they've had to work their whole lives, how they've never rested. Neither of them wished for it, but they were both children when they took on the responsibility. Throughout the book they come back to the phrase: "a woman's lot is to suffer", Sunja detests the words yet cannot escape them. It's the first raw moment they've ever been able to have, and it's like a dam breaks. It's so sad, but a wonderful chapter.
Pachinko tells a story of oppression, of the silenced voices who still seek justice to this day (Japan still avoids accountability for the war crimes committed). The ending is abrupt because it's not ended and the oppression lives on even now.
If you're not a big history reader, I'm not, you'll still love it because it's fiction, it's quick, and digestible. Big must read!
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Death, Infertility, Infidelity, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexual assault, Suicide, Police brutality, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Cancer, Suicidal thoughts, Abortion, and Sexual harassment
batmayne_reads's review
- 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? It's complicated
5.0
4 generations of a poor korean family fight to control their destiny during hardship, colonization and immigration
From 1910 to 1969, we follow the main main
After falling for a wealthy stranger and becoming pregnant, sunja marries a traveling japenese priest to avoid dishonor to her name and family
Moving to japan she faces new hardships of racism/discrimination, stereotypes and the imbalance of power japan created on korea
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Hate crime, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Suicide, Terminal illness, Violence, Religious bigotry, Colonisation, Classism, and Deportation
Pachinko is a Japanese gambling device kinda like PinBall that does auto payouts *run a typically but korean immigrants of japan and people ended up facing alot of hostility and discrimination from working at one The yakuza are known for crime affiliation and illegal business running *also learned they are decended from korean activist parties *aidamaria_reads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
The research it took to create this book and incorporate so many interesting characters into the story much have been tremendous, and I’m grateful to have learnt so much about history through this work of literary fiction. I had never considered the world wars through a non-Western lens before, so this was an eye-opening reading experience.
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Bullying, Cancer, Death, Homophobia, Infertility, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Sexism, Suicide, Terminal illness, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Police brutality, Grief, Abortion, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual harassment, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
carlylu's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Bullying, Chronic illness, Death, Infertility, Mental illness, Racism, Sexism, Sexual assault, Suicide, Xenophobia, Police brutality, Abortion, Murder, Pregnancy, Colonisation, War, and Classism
bigmorgo0819's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Death, Infidelity, Suicide, Colonisation, and War
dynamiccanvas's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Hate crime, Infidelity, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Xenophobia, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, and Classism
Moderate: Alcoholism, Cancer, Chronic illness, Suicide, Police brutality, Religious bigotry, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Alcohol, and War
Minor: Bullying, Child death, Infertility, Misogyny, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Vomit, Car accident, Abortion, Pregnancy, and Deportation
dramabug23's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Moderate: Death, Sexual assault, Suicide, and Death of parent