Challenge Corner discussion

In the early 1900s, teenaged Sunja, the adored daughter of a crippled fisherman, falls for a wealthy stranger at the seashore near her home in Korea. He promises her the world, but when she discovers she is pregnant — and that her lover is married — she refuses to be bought. Instead, she accepts an offer of marriage from a gentle, sickly minister passing through on his way to Japan. But her decision to abandon her home, and to reject her son's powerful father, sets off a dramatic saga that will echo down through the generations.

Richly told and profoundly moving, Pachinko is a story of love, sacrifice, ambition, and loyalty. From bustling street markets to the halls of Japan's finest universities to the pachinko parlors of the criminal underworld, Lee's complex and passionate characters — strong, stubborn women, devoted sisters and sons, fathers shaken by moral crisis — survive and thrive against the indifferent arc of history

Book 1, Ch 14 (view spoiler)[Sunja took some time to warm up to as a character. The narrator so rarely tells us what she is thinking. Like when Isak says he is looking for a wife, instead of telling us Sunja's reaction, we get that she "began to wash the dishes." Okay? And did she have any thoughts or feelings?

But she is in a really tough spot, and I feel bad for her. I hope things improve soon, but it is not looking good with Isak barely making any money. (hide spoiler)]

book 1, chapter 1
(view spoiler)[oh wow what a sad first chapter!!😭 (hide spoiler)]

Caroline wrote: "Book 1, Ch 14"

(view spoiler)[I agree, I really wish we got more insight into Sunja’s thoughts. I hope something works out with their finances! (hide spoiler)]

book 2, chapter 1
(view spoiler)[i’m sad that isak and his colleagues are in jail. i hope that they can get out quickly and safely! (hide spoiler)]

akacya ♡̷̷ˎˊ wrote: "book 2, chapter 1
[spoilers removed]"

(view spoiler)[Yeah, that is really sad! It's bad enough that Hu got put in jail just for mouthing the Lord's prayer. But it sounds like Isak and Yoo didn't even do that, and basically just got put in jail for being associated with Hu. It didn't sound like they did anything else wrong. It's awful they could be put in jail for something so small! (hide spoiler)]

book 2, chapter 5
(view spoiler)[i like how we got more insight into noa’s life and thoughts. i’m sad that he’s an outsider in his class.

i’m glad that isak at least gets to go home before he dies. (hide spoiler)]

book 2, chapter 6
(view spoiler)[i was wondering when hansu would make a reappearance! it’s nice that he’s giving her a way out and created a job for her. (even though i still don’t like him haha.) (hide spoiler)]

book 2, chapter 19
(view spoiler)[i was kinda hoping noa wouldn’t figure out, but i’m not surprised /: (hide spoiler)]

book 3, chapter 8
(view spoiler)[oh my goodness…i was going to say i was happy that noa and sunja’s relationship had a chance of reconciling, but then i got to the last line … :( (hide spoiler)]

book 3, chapter 13
(view spoiler)[ugh, hansu’s audacity!! i can’t even be surprised at this point.. (hide spoiler)]

Book 2, ch 9
(view spoiler)[
It makes me so sad that Sunja and Kyunghee thought they got the job cooking kimchi at the restaurant through their own hard work, but actually it was Hansu pulling strings the whole time. Sunja gave up so much to reject Hansu's offer of being his mistress, trying to keep a shred of dignity instead. Now that is all gone and she is completely under his thumb. :(
(hide spoiler)]

akacya ♡̷̷ˎˊ wrote: "book 2, chapter 19
[spoilers removed]"

(view spoiler)[Yeah, especially since they look so much alike, and since Hansu is so involved, I think it was inevitable. Sunja should have told him. He was really harsh to her, though. I hope once he has some time to think, he will realize she was doing the best she could for him. (hide spoiler)]

Book 3, ch 3
(view spoiler)[Holy crap, Hansu is a bigger jerk than I thought! (hide spoiler)]

Caroline wrote: "akacya ♡̷̷ˎˊ wrote: "book 2, chapter 19
[spoilers removed]"

[spoilers removed]"

(view spoiler)[right. she should have realized he’d figure out sooner or later. (hide spoiler)]

Book 1, Chapter 10

(view spoiler)[ I think this was the best outcome. Sunja and her mother would have been shunned by the local community, losing their faces but also their livelihoods. The pastor will surely be a good husband to her and his brother and sister-in-law also seemed like open-minded and respectful relatives.
I do hope that Sunja gets to see her mother once more since their separation was quite sudden and brief. (hide spoiler)]

Book 3, ch 8
(view spoiler)[I really don't get what Noa just did. His mom finding him means his life is ruined? It doesn't make sense. (hide spoiler)]

Caroline wrote: "Book 3, ch 8
[spoilers removed]"

(view spoiler)[i think that he realized he can never be a good/what he considers "normal" person, and possibly felt guilty that he couldn't see his korean family? (hide spoiler)]

akacya ♡̷̷ˎˊ wrote: "book 2, chapter 5
i like how we got more insight into noa’s life and thoughts. i’m sad that he’s an outsider in his class.

i’m glad that isak at least gets to go home before he dies."

I agree that it's nice to also get an insight into Sunja's son's life. I'm also interested in finding out if he ever gets to discover about his biological father.

Finished!
(view spoiler)[I really liked this book. The pacing was weird at times, with the big time skips, but I still enjoyed it a lot. (hide spoiler)]

Book II, Chapter 13:
(view spoiler)[ It must be hard for Sunja to juggle her son's (openly hidden) second identity and her family life. I feel like Joseph needs to back off and know his place in letting Sunja take her own decisions regarding her sons.
Meanwhile, i really do not like Hansu's imposing attitude: He might be rich but legally he has no toll on Noah (hide spoiler)]

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RESTARTING JUNE 2ND, 2023


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Started

I also started it now! :) I am at chapter 4! I usually prefer when books focus on emotions of the characters rather than actions, but I actually don't mind the writing here...

Chapter 14: (view spoiler)[I know this is the story, but I am starting to think that going to Japan was not such a great idea... I mean, Sunja and her mother lived better??? (hide spoiler)]

Book 2 chapter 7: (view spoiler)[Hansu is back! Tuntuntun!!! I wonder what you think of him? The brother in law od Sunja actually annoyed me terribly, with his "my woman should not work" thing, and it annoyed me that his wife wouldn't even think anything bad of him, but it was the 40s, so there you go, I guess... (hide spoiler)]

I'm somewhere in the book. I'm too sick to care about posting updates right now. I'll probably post them all after I finish 😂

Andy wrote: "Book 2 chapter 7: [spoilers removed]"

I still don't like him.

Ashlyn wrote: "Andy wrote: "Book 2 chapter 7: [spoilers removed]"

I still don't like him."

I definitely don't like him! But it is interesting - he seems to really care about her, I didn't expect it, but he completely ignores what anyone else thinks and feels, including the people he supposedly cares about? He's like a functional sociopath? :P (exagerating obviously...)

Ashlyn wrote: "I'm somewhere in the book. I'm too sick to care about posting updates right now. I'll probably post them all after I finish 😂"

Oh no! Sorry you are sick!!!

Book 1
Chapter 6 (view spoiler)[I hate cheating in books. But i cant even imagine what she must be going through go learn he is married and has children when she is pregnant. (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 11 (view spoiler)[I'm glad the minister offered to marry her. Not sure about how i feel about this book yet. (hide spoiler)]

Finished with book 1 (view spoiler)[Glad the birth went okay. Is it just me because I"m sick or is this just long and boring? (hide spoiler)]

Good thing for a kindle where I can just take notes

Book II
Chapter 5 (view spoiler)[Thats sad that he is dying. I like that Noa thinks of his father during tough times. (hide spoiler)]

Finished with book 2 (view spoiler)[Well, I'm not sure how I feel about this. I still think it's super long, but I feel invested into this family and their lives at this point. Not really sure why. I can understand why Noa wanted to leave but still wants to provide for his family. And his mom just going to Hansu's house to try to find him was so sad because as a mom I could understand doing anything I could, even something I never would have wanted/imagined doing just to find my child. (hide spoiler)]

Andy wrote: "Ashlyn wrote: "Andy wrote: "Book 2 chapter 7: [spoilers removed]"

I still don't like him."

I definitely don't like him! But it is interesting - he seems to really care about her, I didn't expect ..."

Yes! (view spoiler)[It's like her and Noa are the only thing that matters to him so he is even willing to tell the others that their parents died just to get what he wants. (hide spoiler)]

Ashlyn wrote: "Book II
Chapter 5 [spoilers removed]

Finished with book 2 [spoilers removed]"

End of book 2: (view spoiler)[I think Noa was too harsh to his mother - I understand he wanting go get away, but he attacked her and told her it was all her fault when she was trying to do her best for her sons, she deserved better... (hide spoiler)]

It is a bit on the long side, but I am also invested ;) I wonder if anyone ends up going to America in the end...

Andy wrote: "Ashlyn wrote: "Book II
Chapter 5 [spoilers removed]

Finished with book 2 [spoilers removed]"

End of book 2: [spoilers removed]

It is a bit on the long side, but I am also invested ;) I wonder if..."

I agree with you on that.

Book 3 Chapter 9: (view spoiler)[Noa killed himself? Come on! He had 4 children! Why couldn't he do his best and endure, like he was doing, like his mother did, for her own children... I know he must have been depressed... (hide spoiler)]

Finished (view spoiler)[I can't believe Noa shot himself!

The ending slowed down a lot for me. I cann't believe he was cheated like that because they didn't need him for the deal anymore. (hide spoiler)]

Finished too: (view spoiler)[I liked the ending enough, I guess... But I don't quite understand Solomon's decision, I would have gone to America or South Korea if I was him... I also feel almost sorry for Ko Hansu... (hide spoiler)]