From the Bookshelf of Reading with Style…

Pachinko

Min Jin Lee

Start date: June 1, 2019

Finish date: August 31, 2019

Find A Copy At

Group Discussions About This Book

No group discussions for this book yet.

What Members Thought

May 16, 2022 gam s (Haveyouread.bkk) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

★★★☆ 3.5 stars

■ Throughout the book I felt as if I was assigned to be an observer of the Baek clan and nothing else, which was why I never felt entirely immersed in their affairs. Each of the characters has their own flaws, but since they were put at an arm's length away, I didn't feel close to or care much about them. Maybe that's also Lee's intention since the Baek clan was just a tiny bit exemplification of multi-generational Korean immigrants in Japan.

□ If so, then perhaps my job was only t ...more

7 likes · Like · see review

Apr 27, 2018 Kate rated it really liked it · review of another edition

4.5/5

A beautifully written book that tells a multigenerational story of a Korean family in Japan. I was impressed with how the author seamlessly introduced new characters and told the reader their stories from childhood to old age. In ways it reminded me of Memoirs of a Geisha, so I would recommend Pachinko if you liked that one.

2 likes · Like · see review

Jul 14, 2021 Audrey rated it liked it

As with all sagas, it is natural to have multiple characters. The reason why I picked up this book is because I met the author a couple of years ago at a reading and she moved me with the excerpt she read. Also I hear it’s being filmed for AppleTV and I really want to watch the series after I read the book :)

BUT…I’ve read many sagas and one of the things about such stories is that you really need to manage the characters properly so that you don’t end up discounting the reader’s emotional invest ...more

Like · see review