Pachinko (National Book Award Finalist)

Books | Fiction / Asian American

4.4

(6.7K)

Min Jin Lee

One of the New York Times 100 Best Books of the 21st Century In this New York Times bestseller, four generations of a poor Korean immigrant family fight to control their destiny in 20th-century Japan–the inspiration for the television series on Apple TV+. In the early 1900s, teenaged Sunja, the adored daughter of a crippled fisherman, falls for a wealthy stranger. When she discovers she is pregnant–and that her lover is married–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. Profoundly moving, Pachinko is a story of love, sacrifice, ambition, and loyalty. *Includes reading group guide*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

Historical Fiction

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Author

Min Jin Lee

Pages

496

Publisher

Grand Central Publishing

Published Date

2017-02-07

ISBN

1455563919 9781455563913

Ratings

Google: 5

Community ReviewsSee all

"Unbelievable book. Highly highly recommend. "

Diana

"This book is pretty long, so naturally there were a few moments where I started to get bored but there were so many more where I couldn't wait to see what was coming next. This book spans across 4 generations, allowing the reader to look deeper into how the characters' past affects their present and ultimately future. There are difficult moments in the book, but the author doesn't waste time to linger on any of them, instead choosing to move forward with the story and showing the effect of the moment which for me was beautiful, and exemplified the often taught concept of "show, don't tell". The moments I sometimes got bored felt like natural ones, as the author would begin to focus on a character that had previously been in the background, so I hadn't grown interested in them yet, for this reason I won't hold it against the book. I also found the ending to somehow feel perfect, possibly my favorite ending that I've ever read though I couldn't explain why. Despite that I wouldn't give it a perfect 10/10, as I wish Sunja's growth had been more evident especially considering how much of her life we were able to see, this leaves my rating at a 9/10, still absolutely wonderful."

Mare

"The most moving, interesting, and deeply sad book I’ve read this year. I can’t wait to watch the AppleTV adaptation of it later this month."

Danielle Henry

"I love stories that span generations and this one had a new-to-me cultural aspect of Koreans trying to carve out a life in Japan from around the time of WW2. "

Jackie Davidson

"Blown away by this moving and thought provoking read. The ending wasn’t what I expected, but it perfectly sums up the saga and left me feeling at peace. After of course feeling extremely anxious for the characters the entire way through! You will be met with heartbreak, moments of happiness, some relief here and there, but mostly a deep admiration for a people’s history that needs to be more known. "

Joslyn

"An incredible journey that spans generations showing the evolution of Korean and Japanese culture through one families tumultuous life. Beautiful, though proving."

AutisticJester

"Beautiful captivating story that spans across 4 generations. I usually don't like stories that switch between characters but this author did it exceptionally well. "

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Natalie brooke

"Incredibly moving and thought provoking. This is the kind of story that makes you want to call your parents. For anyone interested in historical fiction, this is a must read! "

Emily

"Beautiful but devastating. Intriguing but tedious. Would definitely recommend but also with a warning that it is tough to get through the entire story. "