Pachinko - New Cover

That last sentence in the blurb became one of the reasons I picked up Pachinko. That, and the other reason being – I wanted to read more about Korean immigrants in Japan after I had read Go by Kazuki Kaneshiro. The subjects are similar but the premises of these two books are vastly apart.It is pretty safe to say that I loved Min Jin Lee’s writing. Expressing your ethnicity in a beautiful narrative while being an immigrant is not an easy task but she seems like a master at it. Lee’s characterisation is impeccable in the way she built Sunja from a child to an old woman, passing through each phase of her life. She expressed each one beautifully – the anguish of brother-in-law Yoseb, the capability of holding the family together by the sister-in-law Kyunghee, the meritorious elder son Noa, the less educated but successful younger son Mozasu, the relentless but helpful mafia ex-lover

Pachinko is a deeply moving and intricately crafted historical novel that captures the sweeping journey of a Korean family across three generations. As someone new to the Korean drama genre, I found the narrative both fresh and captivating. The story begins in the early 20th century and unfolds with emotional depth, chronicling the family’s migration from Korea to Japan and their struggles to find identity, dignity, and belonging in a foreign land.Min Jin Lee masterfully brings to life the hardships faced by Koreans in Japan—ranging from discrimination and poverty to moments of quiet heroism and human kindness. The characters feel real and vulnerable, and their experiences resonate long after the final page.This novel reads like a beautifully recorded piece of history—rich in culture, layered in emotion, and filled with the quiet strength of survival. A must-read for anyone interested in stories of endurance, family, and the indomitable human spirit.

Set in Korea and Japan, Pachinko is an epic, multigenerational saga that follows a Korean family through love, loss, migration, and survival across decades. This is touching story of resilience and the choices that shape generations.The grace with which Min Jin Lee weaves together history and human emotions in striking. Despite its length, the novel flows beautifully, with unforgettable characters that feel real and even relatable. It’s a book that makes you pause and think about family, identity, and endurance.A very inspiring and engaging read.

What a beautiful book! It is long, but it takes you on a journey. You feel every emotion that the characters feel, especially Sunja and her family. The book starts in Korea and is then set in Japan. It captures the essence of the immigrant experience, and living in a country that you cannot call your own. Anyone who loves historical fiction needs to read this. I would recommend it to everyone :D

Min Ji Lee's Pachinko is a family saga that takes you in the footsteps of a Korean family of three generations, 8 decades from Korea to Japan beginning from 1910 to ending in 90'.There are three parts to the story. The first part follows the story of Sunja, her move from Korea to Japan after marriage, struggles of being an immigrant in a hostile country. And then later part follows the story of her sons Noah and Mozasu. Difficulties, Discrimination faced being Korean in Japan and stepping into the pachinko business. And the last part is the story of her grandson Solomon who wishes to expand their Pachinko business over the States.I thoroughly enjoyed part 1,2 but in part 3 I felt like it was a bit rushed and I didn't like the way the main character Sunja was sidelined for the whole time and the ending story of Noah. So many characters are introduced, so many stories. The story would have been so better if the author focused on the existing characters.Sunja is the character that going to stay in my heart for a long time. Her patience, her resilience, her force of nature. And I also liked the bond between Kyung-hee and Sunja. The whole depictions of father-daughter, mother-son and sister-in-law relationships are heartwarming to read. Lee's writing is beautiful and the book was unstoppable once started.It also gives insights into the impact of Japanese colonization of Korea, war dynamics between Korea & Japan, ill-treatment, racism faced by the Koreans, plight of immigrants & even after generations they are still considered foreigners on land. Japanese involvement in the second world war, the agony of Koreans not having their own home.A wonderful epic family saga. I highly recommend it.

Quality is so good