"Pachinko" by Min Jin Lee: Review:

Pachinko is a historical fiction saga taking place in Korea and Japan .The story begins with the phrase :History has failed us ,but no matter... Something to ponder about before reading the book.

The first chapters are set in a small fishy island in Korea called Yeongdo,a little far from Busan .But in later chapters we get to discover Japan too during 1900's.

The book visits the history of Koreans and Japanese during this period .Something I wasn't familiar with before ,we're used to hear about World War I and World War II in the context of Europe and America. Nevertheless ,the story here revolves around Japan's colonization of Korea and the many aspects of the life of Korean immigrants .Their struggle through poverty ,war and racism.

Even after the liberation of the Korean Peninsula post 1945 Koreans were still subject to challenges ;rigorous background checks and reassessments of citizenship every few years ,despite having lived in Japan for decades .They were still considered foreigners even if they were born there .

Going back to the title ,I think many of you never heard of the word "Pachinko" ;here is a little background on "Pachinko" ,It's a type of mechanical game originating in Japan and is used as both a form of recreational arcade game and more frequently as a gambling device .In the context of the book they were mostly owned by Koreans .And to my surprise ,the book's cover is related to Pachinko machines .

In the book ,the characterization was rich with a vivid depiction of each character's story. However ,by the end of the book we get overwhelmed by the increasing number of characters. The ones that I wanted to know more are Sunja ,Isak,Mozazu and Noa .We actually get a closure in the last chapter .I would love to know your take on the subject if you have already read the book.

To conclude ,I liked the generational setting that is similar to" Homegoing" by Yaa Gyasi ;one of the reasons that made me choose" Pachinko "as my next read. They're different books in different settings .But you get to explore many aspects of history we're not necessary familiar with . After all reading is a mind opening experience .

Feel free to share your thoughts ,we'd love to read your comments !

Side note :If you're curious about Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi ,there's a review about it in the blog .Go check it . And stay safe !!

The Photo in the left is a vintage mechanical Pachinko machine ,and you may see that the cover of the book is taken from It .