Rating: 3/5
Pachinko is an epic tale about one Korean family living in Japan. I loved seeing the family grow and face challenges throughout the book. There are a lot of hardships, but that isn't the central focus of their story. Selflessness, love and hope are intertwined with the difficulties.
I am torn on the writing though. It is beautifully written to the point that it drew me into the lives of these characters. On the other hand, it seemed to plod along, drawing things out. It would also take unexpected turns in the middle of a sequence. Surprises in a story are a good thing, but this involved shifting gears between events or points of view with little transition. These sorts of interruptions didn't happen a ton, which made them bearable.
The author does a fantastic job of portraying the harsh realities for Koreans living in Japan. Not knowing a lot of details on how they were treated, it was fascinating to read about the policies in place to keep Koreans separate. It influences the choices that many of the characters make, especially in the latter half of the book. I wholeheartedly recommend reading Pachinko in spite of my issues with the writing style.
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