BOOK OF THE MONTH

Pachinko

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 * FINALIST FOR THE 2018DAYTON 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.

*Includes reading group guide*

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512 pages

Average rating: 8.12

1,326 RATINGS

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jennimarie9

Apr 24, 2025

8/10 stars

First third was fantastic! The character development was awesome and I really fell in love with the characters and felt like I understood the world they were living in. The second third was also good, but I agree with another reviewer that “the epic length and detail for this family is becoming broader, although shallower- much like a river near its delta- it’s becoming diffused and silt laden.” I still was very interested in the story and loved the writing. The last third began to feel tough for me. I was less enraptured by the book and started to slug a little bit and the only word I could think of to describe the last third was lingering. It just lingered - until it eventually just peters out and softly ends. And you realize that the story was not a big conclusion but in the long story of the family itself in its entirety. This is nice (maybe refreshing?) but also not super satisfying. The other thing I didn’t like about the end was that it got SO jumpy. I didn’t initially hate the jumping from different character and different times- the quick fast forwards often worked well. But in the last third they got a bit to aggressive and left a lot of holes. It also felt like the author would bring us deep on someone/thing, only to abruptly abandon it, leaving me to wonder if the inclusion was even necessary. Overall though, I did think it was incredibly well written, sophisticated, well researched and good at depicting the reality of racism and elitism in Japanese culture. I enjoyed reading it certainly.

Anonymous

Apr 19, 2025

10/10 stars

This was a long book but I didn't want it to end.

Timaheartsbear

Apr 08, 2025

Well written

MyBookNook

Feb 16, 2025

7/10 stars

This book is a historical fiction. It dives deep into a generation of family and stories. It is very intriguing and not a difficult read. It is an easy book to move through, however, some stories can be repetitive but it doesn't really effect the value of this story.

Agnew, Patricia

Feb 15, 2025

6/10 stars

I found the book easy to read and rich in history, tradition, culture, resilience when moving to different cultures. Family ties are fundamental to support and progress especially when Asia meets West.