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Pachinko

Min Jin Lee

Start date: April 1, 2020

Finish date: April 30, 2020

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Apr 09, 2018 Candi rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction, asia

"… there could only be a few winners and a lot of losers. And yet we played on, because we had hope that we might be the lucky ones. How could you get angry at the ones who wanted to be in the game?... Pachinko was a foolish game, but life was not."

I hadn’t really understood exactly what pachinko was before reading this novel. This book and Wikipedia have educated me on the topic. The way I envision pachinko is as a cross between a pinball machine and a slot machine. It’s a gambling game, where "… there could only be a few winners and a lot of losers. And yet we played on, because we had hope that we might be the lucky ones. How could you get angry at the ones who wanted to be in the game?... Pachinko was a foolish game, but life was not."

I hadn’t really understood exactly what pachinko was before reading this novel. This book and Wikipedia have educated me on the topic. The way I envision pachinko is as a cross between a pinball machine and a slot machine. It’s a gambling game, where the odds may be fixed and the results controlled by outside hands rather than by those actually operating the handle. But folks will return again and again and spend hours in front of this parlor game with the hope of winning the big one. Pachinko can also be likened to the lives of the numerous characters that populate this generational family saga and historical fiction novel. They make choices, they pull the lever if you will, sometimes controlling what happens to them, but very often affected by the outside influences of others, especially those with more power. Some of the characters in this book work for or run pachinko parlors, but the reader spends very little time in these gaming facilities –I would have been running in the other direction otherwise!

What this book does provide us with is a rich story about a family that finds its roots in Korea during the early 1900s and straight through to late 1980s Japan. I love learning about countries and cultures of which I know nothing or very little. This book did not disappoint in that aspect. Much of this is heartbreaking, frustrating, and even maddening – due to the multiple injustices suffered by this Korean family both in their home country under colonial rule by Japan, as well as in Japan where they emigrated in search of more opportunities, safety and security. What they often found there was hatred and racial prejudices. They faced identity crises that some were able to rise above and others were not fortunate enough to overcome. I didn’t realize that the Korean people that moved to Japan during those years suffered to such an outrageous and unbearable extent. They were often discriminated against in the workplace, receiving lower wages than their Japanese counterparts. They were called names, considered lazy, even referred to frequently as criminals. Their living conditions were run-down. Children were bullied in their schools. The only alternative to these conditions seemed to be to return to Korea – but this means of escape was even worse following World War II with the widespread starvation and the introduction of communism in the north. So, the family remained in Japan and made a life, despite the oppression and limitations they faced.

This book was rather hefty, but I never tired of it. I did learn so much about the culture, the politics (though not heavy-handed), and a bit of the history of both Korea and Japan. There were many characters as the novel covers a lengthy span of time, but I never grew confused. I did feel a bit of a distancing from the characters themselves, and they were not quite multilayered enough. I savor wonderfully complex characters. One character, a young man named Noa, may have fit the bill here, but a couple more multidimensional individuals may have enriched this aspect of the book a bit more for me personally. However, I did feel much sympathy towards many of the family; their struggles were real and quite believable. I most admired the women who fought so hard for their families, their children, and worked tirelessly to survive and make ends meet. They were resourceful and brave despite their very quiet and unobtrusive bearing. The last two-thirds to one-fourth of the novel felt a bit more rushed and I was slightly less invested in the storylines of these characters than I was in those initial players. However, I found this to be very well-written, educational and engaging so I can’t really give Pachinko less than 4 stars. Recommended if you are a fan of epic family stories, immigrant struggles, and/or historical fiction. I would be more than happy to read more of Min Jin Lee in the future.

"Living every day in the presence of those who refuse to acknowledge your humanity takes great courage." ...more

200 likes · Like · see review

Apr 08, 2019 Book Concierge rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: audio, book-club, family, culture, historical-fiction, racism, concierge, strong-women, library, japan

Audible audio performed by Allison Hiroto

This is an epic work of historical fiction that follows four generations of one Korean family living in Japan, beginning in 1910 and ending in 1989.

I was quickly drawn into the story and eagerly followed Sunja as she allied herself with Isak, the kind, tubercular minister who takes her from her homeland to Japan and raises her son as his own. I loved how the women created a business selling sweets to supplement the family’s earnings, and how they made p ...more

27 likes · Like · see review

Oct 14, 2019 Celia rated it it was amazing

Shelves: library-of-congress, audible, 52-2019, vero-book-club, kindle-list, 2019-read, ten-year-challenge, elyse-review

Yeongdo, Busan, Korea - 1900

At the turn of the century, an aging fisherman and his wife decided to take in lodgers for extra money. Both were born and raised in the fishing village of Yeongdo—a five-mile-wide islet beside the port city of Busan. In their long marriage, the wife gave birth to three sons, but only Hoonie, the eldest and the weakest one, survived. Hoonie was born with a cleft palate and a twisted foot. Despite his disabilities, a marriage is arranged. The bride and groom meet on th ...more

7 likes · Like · see review

Aug 17, 2024 Sarah Brown rated it really liked it

Shelves: own, 2024-reading-challenge, abc-2024

Loved this book. My husband's favorite food is Korean, and specifically kimchi, so that was a fun little thing for me. Loved following the family over the generations, didn't realize so many Koreans went to Japan / the discrimination they faced there. Would have been a 5, but I lost some interest in part 3. ...more

3 likes · Like · see review

Sep 10, 2017 Lory Sakay rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: book-club-reads

This book seemed to drag on and on. It went through generations of a Korean family who were somewhat forced to immigrate to Japan, their challenges, tragedies, and experiences. Although I liked Lee's writing I often got lost among the abundance of characters and the leaps from generation to generation. I learned a bit about the tense history between Koreans and the Japanese and did have a few " oh my God" moments when specific events occurred to the primary characters, but Pachinko will not leav ...more

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