Pachinko (National Book Award Finalist)

The. Best. Book. I read in 2020. It was my first lockdown novel and I must say this book - this story - triggered a nearly yearlong reading slump because I couldn't stop thinking about it. This is probably THE book I will never stop recommending to people. I was so invested in the story and the characters. MUST READ!

a deeply moving, immersive, and well-written book about people who have been erased from history books it opened my eyes to the struggles and discrimination many Koreans faced in Japan i was hooked from the beginning, i only wish it had been split into two books - the second part felt a bit rushed, and I missed more emotional development and insight into the inner lives of all the characters

Pachinko is an epic family saga following the life of four generations through immense historic and social changes. Sunja was just a young and naive girl from Yeongdo when she was introduced to the cruel mechanics of adult life. Abandoned by the first man she fell in love with and who she became pregnant from, her life was as good as written of at her young teenage age. Through certain circumstances a young pastor named Isak on his way to Japan accepts the young Sunja as his fiancée. He sees it as a good deed to his lord. What awaits them in Japan is everything but a happy end story. Being Christian and Korean at the time was certain to make your life and the life of your family miserable. They lived in the slump district reserved for Koreans. Sunja gave birth to her first son Noa. Soon his younger brother Mozasu was also born. It was interesting to see their coming-of-age story. Noa started of as a brilliant kid who soon realised that it was better to hide his Korean heritage. Through the years, he became more aware what it meant to be considered a second-grade citizen by the people around you. He grew to resent his upbringing. On the other hand, Mozasu was always ready to fight (mostly physically) with the kids who made of fun of him for simply existing. He befriended a poor Japanese boy in his class. Because you could be as Japanese as you want, but if you were poor the cards were dealt against you anyways. Later we find out some more conflicting details of his Japanese friend. Mozasu chose a career path which seemed obvious for a Korean at the time. He took advantage of his disadvantages and made the most of it. He was a pachinko manager and made a lot of money. There is so much more to the story than this. It is showcasing the different ways how people deal with their circumstances. Is it possible to theoretically run away from who you are? Should you fight against the system or become part of it? This Book was just pure perfection!

I wish someone could erase my memory so that I could read this again for the first time. I read it 5 years ago and I still think about it. Great story with interesting characters. Worth the read for sure!

In Pachinko geht es um mehrere Generationen einer koreanischen Familie, die sich in einer Zeit geprägt von Weltkrieg, Globalisierung und Rassismus behaupten muss. Im Verlauf des Buches bekommt man einen guten Überblick, was in Asien im 20. Jahrhundert passiert ist und wie die politischen und gesellschaftlichen Lagen in Nord- und Südkorea, China und Japan aussahen. Das Buch erstreckt sich über ungefähr 80 Jahre, dabei bekommt man nicht nur das Wachstum der Charaktere selbst mit, sondern auch viele verschiedene Lebenssituationen, die die Menschen zu der Zeit hatten. Die Charaktere sind sehr realistisch geschrieben, auch wenn es nicht auf wahren Ereignissen basiert, kann es doch sein dass sich ungefähr so etwas bei einer Familie abgespielt hat. Auch wenn es sich "nur" nach einer Erzählung des Alltags von ein paar Personen anhört, war das Buch nie langweilig und man hat nicht nur etwas gelernt, sondern auch eine schöne Geschichte von Zusammenhalt, Durchhaltevermögen erlebt.