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A review by madstoss
Pachinko by Min Jin Lee
emotional
sad
tense
medium-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? It's complicated
4.5
It’s heartbreaking yet rewarding getting to watch the characters persevere, adapt, and change over the span of decades. It didn’t feel tedious or slow at all. So glad I finally read this after having it on my tbr for years.
I do agree with some of the other reviews that there is a deeper connection to the characters in the first half of the book. However, I think Sunja’s story is meant to be more deeply explored, and that there is logic to the later generation being disconnected from the original pain of the novel’s first parts. The later generation of characters and their stories are affected by the past, but as Solomon realizes, not defined by it.
I do agree with some of the other reviews that there is a deeper connection to the characters in the first half of the book. However, I think Sunja’s story is meant to be more deeply explored, and that there is logic to the later generation being disconnected from the original pain of the novel’s first parts. The later generation of characters and their stories are affected by the past, but as Solomon realizes, not defined by it.
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Racism, Sexual content, Suicide, Xenophobia, and War
Minor: Alcoholism, Cancer, Infertility, Miscarriage, and Abortion