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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Worth the read if you like to read about a families history. I found it worth the read.
I truly enjoyed reading about this period of history, Korea and and japan. Fascinating.
Great historical novel. Good to know Korean history .
Quick read
This is not a book I would have picked to read- but it was for a book club. I found the in-depth view of the Korean culture to be fascinating & presented in the form of generations of one family, it was captivating.
Very depressing, but it gave me a greater understanding of the Korean people’s plight during and after WWII.
I loved this book. It introduced me to a world I knew nothing about. The story moved quickly through several generations giving background and color to the story of Korean people living in Japan, China and the United States. I was unaware of the depth of prejudice existing even today in this country and among the Asian nations. It’s an eye-opener!
With a backdrop of Korean/ Japanese relations during an era of tension, this story is beautifully told through the challenges of one family. Triumph, sadness, tragedy, love and loss are all woven into the fabric of this amazing novel, spanning decades.
I hated to see it end! Probably best read of this year so far.
Lovely story full of meaning, family life, immigrant life, culture clashes, racism against the ‘other’, get lost in the story.
A great read!
I tend to enjoy historical fiction when it is about a family over time. This was that and so much more. I liked the characters and wanted to know more about them; wanted to figure out their personalities; learned about Korea and Japanese and race relationships and also the Korean and Japanese cultures. Thoroughly enjoyed reading Pachinko by Lee.
I loved this book – interesting history too about Korea and Japan at the time of WW11
I’m 1/3 if the way through it and I’m enjoying it immensely.
A history based family saga about the Japanese annexation of Korea, which beautifully detailed the trauma faced by Koreans. A complex generational family story was skillfully portrayed, with tragic and beautiful characterizations. A lengthy but worthwhile read.
Even though there were so many characters, this book was very interesting. Keeping a list of characters helped.
Loved it, and impactful
This wonderful, well written book takes you into the Korean world and illustrates the hardships suffered by the Koreans when they were overrun by the Chinese and the Japanese. It somewhat explains the division in two North and South Korea. The characters were well developed and interesting.
An immigrant story – a Korean girl becoming a matriarch in Japan.
The author brings you into the characters’ lives leaving room for the reader’s personal insights. Moving and engaging from start to finish. Learning about the Korean experience in Japan was an important part of this reading experience. Great for a book club discussion accompanied by a Korean meal.
Beautifully written story of a Korean woman and her family, through the war and after. A story of survival, endurance, and family.