A New York Times Top Ten Book of the Year and National Book Award finalist, Pachinko is an “extraordinary epic” of four generations of a poor Korean immigrant family as they fight to control their destiny in 20th-century Japan (San Francisco Chronicle). NEW YORK TIMES NOTABLE BOOK OF 2017 * A USA TODAY TOP TEN OF 2017 * JULY PICK FOR THE PBS NEWSHOUR-NEW YORK TIMES BOOK CLUB NOW READ THIS * … NEWSHOUR-NEW YORK TIMES BOOK CLUB NOW READ THIS * FINALIST FOR THE 2018 DAYTON LITERARY PEACE PRIZE* WINNER OF THE MEDICI BOOK CLUB PRIZE
Roxane Gay’s Favorite Book of 2017, Washington Post
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * #1 BOSTON GLOBE BESTSELLER * USA TODAY BESTSELLER * WALL STREET JOURNAL BESTSELLER * WASHINGTON POST BESTSELLER
“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.”
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.
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What a wonderful story. I could not put it down, the characters stay with you for a long time.
This book was so hard to put down. I’m a sophomore in high school and I would catch myself reading it any time I was done with my work in class. This book, especially the characters are well written. You’re able to connect with them in a way you can’t describe- you can feel what they feel, see what they describe, etc. The plot is thoroughly thought out and flows nicely throughout the generations of family in the book. This book tugs at your heart in an unreal way. I just can’t put into words how much I absolutely love this book. I can’t wait to read more from this author.
Having traveled to Asia I enjoy reading about this area with its varied customs and interesting lifestyles.
Highly recommend
Love this book!
I enjoyed the historical aspect of this book. An easy but compelling read with well developed characters spanning four generations.
First half was good- hated the second half.
I adore all historical fiction, and this story was so well written. A bit slow at times, but to show how misinformed people were about where they wanted to be during the war in Korea. This shows the reality of survival during the era.
Informative and my first Korean historical fiction read. Most of the book was true to the form that I expected but there were some errors that a native would easily detect.
This book gave an unusual look at the realities of North Koreans who immigrated to Japan. It presents the life stories through the experiences of several generations of a Korean family and their struggle to survive in a new culture. I admired the tenacity of the main characters.
One of the best books I have ever read. I savored it and read slowly as I did not want it to end.
The writing was moving and lyrical.
This book covers relationships among the Japanese and Koreans almost over the whole 20th century. For me it was enlightening. It made me think about how differently other ethnic peoples deal with hardship especially long after the tragedy has occurred. They themselves had not had the experience only their ancestors.
The story follows a family of Koreans trying to make a living in Japan. It fully explores the racial prejudices of Japanese society and the difficulty of outsiders to even be marginally accepted. Unlike immigrants in the U.S., there is no “dream” available to hard working people coming to Japan. I was aware of the prejudices but this brings them to life. Very informative and well written, although sad.
Opened my eyes to a piece of world history I wasn’t aware of.
Absolutely fantastic
Very enjoyable. Read for our book club. Learned a lot about Japanese vs. Korean culture.
This is one of the best books I have read in a long time. It’s a long book – well over 400 pages but it is filled with rich characters – ‘rich’ not in terms of wealth but in terms of the characters development.
Starting in 1910 in the village of Yeongdo, Busan, Korea the book initially tells the story of a young Korean man who had been born with a cleft palate. Despite all odds he married and has a wonderful daughter, Sunja. She is the heroine of this great work, which stretches in time to 1989 Japan.
During those years Sunja has many trials and tribulations, but in the end she survives all of them. I admire her. She is a very strong person and overcomes many adversities.
Additionally, this novel is about the Japanese occupation of Korea and what happens to many of the people of those times. It discusses how the Koreans were treated in Japan and in their home country. I especially liked learning about how North and South Korea came to be two separate countries.
I’m purposefully not saying a lot about the characters’ development because I want other people to discover this wonderful book, read it themselves, and make their own interpretations about it.
1910-1989 time period, follows a Korean family living in Japan through several generations and the problems of living in a country that does not value their nationality.
This is a well written book that told an intricately, intwining generational story. It was at times difficult to push through. It was very bleak at times and long. In the end I was happy to have read it. I was enlightened about the relationship between Koreans and Japanese and was dismayed to learn of the discrimination practices employed by the Japanese against the people of Korea, even after generations of Koreans living in Japan.