Pachinko in Crazy Challenge Connection

Sep 03, 2020 Jess Penhallow rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 1980s, japan, 1930s, 1940s, 1960s, 1970s, 1950s, korea

I love a multi-generational saga and when its about a culture that I don't know much about, even better. This book had some great themes of race, gender and family threaded throughout plus some beautiful and quotable passages. Very interesting and enjoyable. ...more

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May 26, 2018 Karen rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: audiobook

I so wish I had one or two more days in my week so I could give this the review it deserves but, alas, maybe someday. In the meantime, read any of the other four and five star reviews and then READ THIS BOOK. I listened to the audio version beautifully read by Allison Hiroto. I learned so much about Korean/Japanese history through the four generations of the Korean family at the heart of the novel.

The prose is clean and spare. The transitions take some getting used to but work so well within th ...more

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Nov 27, 2023 Tina rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2023-around-the-year-in-52-books

At times it felt like I was reading a yearbook, quite stiff...

1 like · Like · see review

Aug 17, 2018 Lindsey rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction, 1900-1950, far-east

This is a story about a Korean family's struggle to survive in Japan, a country that discriminated against those with Korean ancestry. It took awhile before the title of the book made sense- pachinko is a Korean pinball gambling game. The ending started to unravel my interest a little with the suicide and Hana's character but overall this was a fantastic story about family honor and duty in the face of adversity. ...more

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Nov 16, 2022 Mairi Byatt rated it it was amazing

Utterly stunning! I knew nothing about Korea and it’s History, but this brilliantly constructed novel taught me so much, the struggles they have gone through!
This is a must read!

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