Pachinko (National Book Award Finalist) Hardcover – February 7, 2017
by Min Jin Lee (Author)
4.3 out of 5 stars 354 customer reviews
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Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com Review
An Amazon Best Book of February 2017: Beginning in 1910 during the time of Japanese colonialization and ending many decades later in 1989, Pachinko is the epic saga of a Korean family told over four generations. The family’s story starts with Hoonie, a young Korean man born with physical deformities, but whose destiny comes from his inner strength and kindness. Hoonie’s daughter, rather than bring shame on her family, leaves their homeland for Japan, where her children and grandchildren will be born and raised; yet prejudice against their Korean heritage will prevent them from ever feeling at home. In Pachinko, Min Jin Lee says much about success and suffering, prejudice and tradition, but the novel never bogs down and only becomes richer, like a sauce left simmering hour after hour. Lee’s exceptional story of one family is the story of many of the world’s people. They ask only for the chance to belong somewhere—and to be judged by their hearts and actions rather than by ideas of blood traits and bad seeds. --Seira Wilson, The Amazon Book Review
Review
One of Buzzfeed's "32 Most Exciting Books Coming In 2017"
Included in The Millions' "Most Anticipated: The Great 2017 Book Preview"
One of Elle's "25 Most Anticipated Books by Women for 2017"
BBC: "Ten Books to Read in 2017"
One of BookRiot's "Most Anticipated Books of 2017"
One of Nylon's "50 Books We Can't Wait To Read In 2017"
One of Entertainment Weekly's Best New Books
One of BookBub's 22 Most Anticipated Book Club Reads of 2017
"Stunning... Despite the compelling sweep of time and history, it is the characters and their tumultuous lives that propel the narrative... A compassionate, clear gaze at the chaotic landscape of life itself. In this haunting epic tale, no one story seems too minor to be briefly illuminated. Lee suggests that behind the facades of wildly different people lie countless private desires, hopes and miseries, if we have the patience and compassion to look and listen."―The New York Times Book Review
"In 1930s Korea, an earnest young woman, abandoned by the lover who has gotten her pregnant, enters into a marriage of convenience that will take her to a new life in Japan. Thus begins Lee's luminous new novel PACHINKO--a powerful meditation on what immigrants sacrifice to achieve a home in the world. PACHINKO confirms Lee's place among our finest novelists."―Junot Díaz,Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao and This Is How You Lose Her
"A deep, broad, addictive history of a Korean family in Japan enduring and prospering through the 20th century."―David Mitchell, Guardian, New York Times bestselling author of The Bone Clocks
"Astounding. The sweep of Dickens and Tolstoy applied to a 20th century Korean family in Japan. Min Jin Lee's PACHINKO tackles all the stuff most good novels do-family, love, cabbage-but it also asks questions that have never been more timely. What does it mean to be part of a nation? And what can one do to escape its tight, painful, familiar bonds?"―Gary Shteyngart, New York Times bestselling author of Little Failure and Super Sad True Love Story
"Both for those who love Korea, as well as for those who know no more than Hyundai, Samsung and kimchi, this extraordinary book will prove a revelation of joy and heartbreak. I could not stop turning the pages, and wished this most poignant of sagas would never end. Min Jin Lee displays a tenderness and wisdom ideally matched to an unforgettable tale that she relates just perfectly."―Simon Winchester, New York Times bestselling author of The Professor and the Madman and Korea: A Walk through the Land of Miracles
"PACHINKO is elegant and soulful, both intimate and sweeping. This story of several generations of one Korean family in Japan is the story of every family whose parents sacrificed for their children, every family whose children were unable to recognize the cost, but it's also the story of a specific cultural struggle in a riveting time and place. Min Jin Lee has written a big, beautiful book filled with characters I rooted for and cared about and remembered after I'd read the final page."―Kate Christensen, Pen/Faulkner-winning author of The Great Man and Blue Plate Special
"An exquisite, haunting epic...'moments of shimmering beauty and some glory, too,' illuminate the narrative...Lee's profound novel...is shaped by impeccable research, meticulous plotting, and empathic perception."―Booklist (starred review)
"PACHINKO by Min Jin Lee is a great book, a passionate story, a novel of magisterial sweep. It's also fiendishly readable-the real-deal. An instant classic, a quick page-turner, and probably the best book of the year."
―Darin Strauss, National Book Critics Circle Award-winning author of Half a Life: A Memoir
"The breadth and depth of challenges come through clearly, without sensationalization. The sporadic victories are oases of sweetness, without being saccharine. Lee makes it impossible not to develop tender feelings towards her characters--all of them, even the most morally compromised. Their multifaceted engagements with identity, family, vocation, racism, and class are guaranteed to provide your most affecting sobfest of the year."―BookRiot, "Most Anticipated Books of 2017"
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Product details
Hardcover: 496 pages
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing; 1 edition (February 7, 2017)
Language: English
› Visit Amazon's Min Jin Lee Page
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Biography
Min Jin Lee's debut novel, Free Food for Millionaires, was one of the "Top 10 Novels of the Year" for The Times (London), NPR's Fresh Air, and USA Today. Her short fiction has been featured on NPR's Selected Shorts. Her writings have appeared in Condé Nast Traveler, The Times (London), Vogue, Travel+Leisure, Wall Street Journal, New York Times Magazine, and Food & Wine. Her essays and literary criticism have been anthologized widely. She served as a columnist for the Chosun Ilbo, the leading paper of South Korea. She lives in New York with her family.
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Customer reviews
4.3 out of 5 stars
354
4.3 out of 5 stars
5 star 57%
4 star 27%
3 star 9%
2 star 4%
1 star 3%
--------------
Top customer reviews
Laurie A. Brown
VINE VOICE
5.0 out of 5 starsWonderful characters in a family sagaSeptember 18, 2016
Format: Hardcover|Vine Customer Review of Free Product( What's this? )
Pachinko is a great big sprawling family saga set in Korea and Japan and spanning 70 years. Sunja is a teenaged girl living with her mother, who runs a boarding house in a fishing village in Korea. All Sunja knows is work, but she does not dislike this. It’s what her mother does, too. Then she meets a fish broker, a suave older man who seduces her, impregnates her, and then informs her he’s married. He says he’ll support her, but she wants nothing more to do with him. Her face is saved when a missionary staying at the boarding house says he will marry her and raise the child as his own. They move to Japan, where Koreans are looked down on. Thence starts a new round of endless working, something all the characters will know for all their lives, whether it’s physical toil or mental.
The tale follows Sunja and her family for four generations. I found the first half, which dealt mainly with Sunja and her sister-in-law who became her best friend, more engrossing than the latter half that was about her descendants. That section was interesting, but the stark contrast between Sunja, her mother, and sister-in-law and their husbands, and the younger generations was jolting. I just found the women more interesting than the men. They are so strong, mentally and physically. But their lives are very circumscribed compared to the men. The men are city people; the women rural in outlook even when living in the city.
As Koreans in Japan, they are considered visitors even when they were born there. There were jobs they could never have; it was illegal to rent to them. When a boy turns fourteen, he has to register, be fingerprinted and interviewed, and he has to ask for permission to remain in Japan, even though he was born there and has never been to Korea. This process will be repeated every three years. And this was in the 1970s, not the 1870s. Getting Japanese citizenship was extremely difficult. But Sunja’s family does get ahead, attaining a comfortable living.
This novel is both an absorbing tale of family dynamics and a fascinating look at another culture and time. It’s a big book, but I read it quickly, unable to put it down. The characters are so well developed that I really cared about them, especially Sunja and her sister-in-law. Sometimes I wanted to strangle one or another of the characters, because they are just totally realized humans. Excellent book.
Read less
Comment| 86 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you?-------------------------
Babbo
4.0 out of 5 starsPachinko Is a Compelling, Good Read!September 27, 2017
Format: Kindle Edition|Verified Purchase
An engaging story of four generations of a Korean family that takes place from 1910 to 1989. Their struggles through Japanese colonization of Korea and life in Japan through WWII and beyond is a revealing tale of poverty and prejudice. Even Koreans born in Japan were treated like foreigners and were not hired for most jobs or allowed to rent homes. They were forced to live in shacks and to find menial ways to earn a living. Sunja, the book's most compelling character, and her sister-in-law scrape by selling candy from a makeshift street cart. Sunja's love and determination builds a different life for her two sons, who both end up building successful lives in the Pachinko business. Pachinko is a popular pinball-like arcade game that is really a gambling device.
Sunja has grown up in a tiny fishing village in South Korea, and after her father's death, she works hard every day with her mother. They run a boarding house and work hard every day to survive. When Sunja is wooed and seduced by a successful fish broker who lives in Japan, her life is forever changed. Her journey takes her to Japan where she must carve out a life for her young family.
Author Min Jin Lee deftly weaves Sunja's story and exposes a part of history that I doubt many people know. I highly recommend it.
Read less
Comment|Was this review helpful to you?YesNoReport abuse
Reader
4.0 out of 5 starsPainless history lesson of Korean and Japanese social relations in last half of the twentieth century.November 9, 2017
Format: Hardcover|Verified Purchase
Multigenerational tale of the extraordinary difficulties of Koreans living, either by choice or circumstances, in Japan from the 1930's thru 1980's. It tells of life under horrible conditions - hunger, deprivation, despair - but always, always, love. Always strength. Always faith.
This is a fast moving book that keeps you interested from the very beginning. I only gave it four stars (would have given it four and a half stars if I knew how to) because I found a number of occurrences to be predictable.
Comment|Was this review helpful to you?YesNoReport abuse
Ronna Niederman
4.0 out of 5 starsFabulous family sagaNovember 8, 2017
Format: Kindle Edition|Verified Purchase
Though a long book, Pachinko reads quickly and engagingly, with vividly drawn characters
across generations of a Korean-Japanese family. This was a book that I simply couldn’t put down. Many of the characters were quite sympathetic, despite some of their personal missteps. I learned a lot, too, about the historical animosity between Koreans and Japanese. My one main criticism is that the novel ended too abruptly.
And
Comment|Was this review helpful to you?YesNoReport abuse
Amazon Customer
4.0 out of 5 starsHard to put down!September 9, 2017
Format: Kindle Edition|Verified Purchase
Great writing and a very interesting story. Loved the perspective it gives of living in Korean during WWI and WWII. This story chronicles a family from 1922 to 1989, the twists and turns of fate, faith and fortune. I docked it one star for a few loose ends left at the ending. A worthwhile and interesting read!
Comment|Was this review helpful to you?YesNoReport abuse
IRENE ZARCO
5.0 out of 5 starsAmazing bookFebruary 23, 2017
Format: Kindle Edition|Verified Purchase
Great narrative. One can perfectly imagine the story, the places, the characters. Made me cried a couple of times, really touching about human nature
Comment| 2 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you?YesNoReport abuse
elliwell
5.0 out of 5 starsTerrific!!November 10, 2017
Format: Kindle Edition|Verified Purchase
Gripping multi-generational family saga with vivid characters. Spanning a century of conflict between Korea and Japan, this novel personalizes an insular, narrow Japanese society that makes no room for Korean immigrants. This is a wonderful read!
Comment|Was this review helpful to you?YesNoReport abuse
Nettie
5.0 out of 5 starsA wonderful insight into Korean and Japanese cultureJuly 9, 2017
Format: Kindle Edition|Verified Purchase
The characters in this book are beautifully drawn, both culturally and emotionally. The story line is wonderful. I really enjoyed the historical aspects of the book as well. A fine read.
Comment|Was this review helpful to you?YesNoReport abuse
Customer reviews
4.3 out of 5 stars
354
4.3 out of 5 stars
5 star 57%
4 star 27%
3 star 9%
2 star 4%
1 star 3%
--------------
Top customer reviews
Laurie A. Brown
VINE VOICE
5.0 out of 5 starsWonderful characters in a family sagaSeptember 18, 2016
Format: Hardcover|Vine Customer Review of Free Product( What's this? )
Pachinko is a great big sprawling family saga set in Korea and Japan and spanning 70 years. Sunja is a teenaged girl living with her mother, who runs a boarding house in a fishing village in Korea. All Sunja knows is work, but she does not dislike this. It’s what her mother does, too. Then she meets a fish broker, a suave older man who seduces her, impregnates her, and then informs her he’s married. He says he’ll support her, but she wants nothing more to do with him. Her face is saved when a missionary staying at the boarding house says he will marry her and raise the child as his own. They move to Japan, where Koreans are looked down on. Thence starts a new round of endless working, something all the characters will know for all their lives, whether it’s physical toil or mental.
The tale follows Sunja and her family for four generations. I found the first half, which dealt mainly with Sunja and her sister-in-law who became her best friend, more engrossing than the latter half that was about her descendants. That section was interesting, but the stark contrast between Sunja, her mother, and sister-in-law and their husbands, and the younger generations was jolting. I just found the women more interesting than the men. They are so strong, mentally and physically. But their lives are very circumscribed compared to the men. The men are city people; the women rural in outlook even when living in the city.
As Koreans in Japan, they are considered visitors even when they were born there. There were jobs they could never have; it was illegal to rent to them. When a boy turns fourteen, he has to register, be fingerprinted and interviewed, and he has to ask for permission to remain in Japan, even though he was born there and has never been to Korea. This process will be repeated every three years. And this was in the 1970s, not the 1870s. Getting Japanese citizenship was extremely difficult. But Sunja’s family does get ahead, attaining a comfortable living.
This novel is both an absorbing tale of family dynamics and a fascinating look at another culture and time. It’s a big book, but I read it quickly, unable to put it down. The characters are so well developed that I really cared about them, especially Sunja and her sister-in-law. Sometimes I wanted to strangle one or another of the characters, because they are just totally realized humans. Excellent book.
Read less
Comment| 86 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you?-------------------------
Babbo
4.0 out of 5 starsPachinko Is a Compelling, Good Read!September 27, 2017
Format: Kindle Edition|Verified Purchase
An engaging story of four generations of a Korean family that takes place from 1910 to 1989. Their struggles through Japanese colonization of Korea and life in Japan through WWII and beyond is a revealing tale of poverty and prejudice. Even Koreans born in Japan were treated like foreigners and were not hired for most jobs or allowed to rent homes. They were forced to live in shacks and to find menial ways to earn a living. Sunja, the book's most compelling character, and her sister-in-law scrape by selling candy from a makeshift street cart. Sunja's love and determination builds a different life for her two sons, who both end up building successful lives in the Pachinko business. Pachinko is a popular pinball-like arcade game that is really a gambling device.
Sunja has grown up in a tiny fishing village in South Korea, and after her father's death, she works hard every day with her mother. They run a boarding house and work hard every day to survive. When Sunja is wooed and seduced by a successful fish broker who lives in Japan, her life is forever changed. Her journey takes her to Japan where she must carve out a life for her young family.
Author Min Jin Lee deftly weaves Sunja's story and exposes a part of history that I doubt many people know. I highly recommend it.
Read less
Comment|Was this review helpful to you?YesNoReport abuse
Reader
4.0 out of 5 starsPainless history lesson of Korean and Japanese social relations in last half of the twentieth century.November 9, 2017
Format: Hardcover|Verified Purchase
Multigenerational tale of the extraordinary difficulties of Koreans living, either by choice or circumstances, in Japan from the 1930's thru 1980's. It tells of life under horrible conditions - hunger, deprivation, despair - but always, always, love. Always strength. Always faith.
This is a fast moving book that keeps you interested from the very beginning. I only gave it four stars (would have given it four and a half stars if I knew how to) because I found a number of occurrences to be predictable.
Comment|Was this review helpful to you?YesNoReport abuse
Ronna Niederman
4.0 out of 5 starsFabulous family sagaNovember 8, 2017
Format: Kindle Edition|Verified Purchase
Though a long book, Pachinko reads quickly and engagingly, with vividly drawn characters
across generations of a Korean-Japanese family. This was a book that I simply couldn’t put down. Many of the characters were quite sympathetic, despite some of their personal missteps. I learned a lot, too, about the historical animosity between Koreans and Japanese. My one main criticism is that the novel ended too abruptly.
And
Comment|Was this review helpful to you?YesNoReport abuse
Amazon Customer
4.0 out of 5 starsHard to put down!September 9, 2017
Format: Kindle Edition|Verified Purchase
Great writing and a very interesting story. Loved the perspective it gives of living in Korean during WWI and WWII. This story chronicles a family from 1922 to 1989, the twists and turns of fate, faith and fortune. I docked it one star for a few loose ends left at the ending. A worthwhile and interesting read!
Comment|Was this review helpful to you?YesNoReport abuse
IRENE ZARCO
5.0 out of 5 starsAmazing bookFebruary 23, 2017
Format: Kindle Edition|Verified Purchase
Great narrative. One can perfectly imagine the story, the places, the characters. Made me cried a couple of times, really touching about human nature
Comment| 2 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you?YesNoReport abuse
elliwell
5.0 out of 5 starsTerrific!!November 10, 2017
Format: Kindle Edition|Verified Purchase
Gripping multi-generational family saga with vivid characters. Spanning a century of conflict between Korea and Japan, this novel personalizes an insular, narrow Japanese society that makes no room for Korean immigrants. This is a wonderful read!
Comment|Was this review helpful to you?YesNoReport abuse
Nettie
5.0 out of 5 starsA wonderful insight into Korean and Japanese cultureJuly 9, 2017
Format: Kindle Edition|Verified Purchase
The characters in this book are beautifully drawn, both culturally and emotionally. The story line is wonderful. I really enjoyed the historical aspects of the book as well. A fine read.
Comment|Was this review helpful to you?YesNoReport abuse
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