Books Pachinko by Min Jin Lee

"Pachinko" by Min Jin Lee is a richly told, multi-generational saga chronicling the lives of a Korean family who immigrates to Japan amid historical upheavals throughout the 20th century. The novel starts in early 1900s Korea with Sunja, a young woman who becomes pregnant by a wealthy married man but chooses dignity over dependence by marrying a gentle pastor and moving to Japan.

The story explores themes of love, sacrifice, ambition, loyalty, and identity against the backdrop of Korea's annexation by Japan, World War II, the Korean War, and post-war discrimination faced by Koreans in Japan. It portrays the resilience of Koreans living in Japan as they navigate poverty, racism, and social exclusion while striving for survival and dignity.

Key elements include:

Strong, complex characters, particularly women, whose lives weave through Japanese universities, bustling street markets, and pachinko parlors—the latter symbolizing the tenuous economic existence of the family.

A poignant exploration of cultural identity and the discrimination Korean immigrants face in Japan, never fully accepted as Japanese but distant from their Korean roots.

Depictions of competing ideologies like Christianity, communism, Buddhism, and Confucianism influencing the characters’ lives.

The metaphor of pachinko, a popular Japanese gambling game, representing the randomness and challenges of life.