Beautiful story told through the eyes of generations of family. Incredibly interesting insight into the lost generations of Koreans in Japan, an aspect of Asian history you rarely encounter.

A Korean version of Jane Smiley or Anne Tyler in being a novel following the fortunes of one family across the generations. It begins in a folk tale/traditional tale mode taking place in a small Korean village but ends up in a globalised world. The traditional tale elements reminded me of the Korean writer Sun-Mi Hwang author of The Hen Who Dreamed She Could Fly"
Its a book about identity (including nationality, religious, gender and social identity) told through the lives of the different generations of the same family. Sunja is at the beating heart of the book. Her life turns on her seduction by a wealthy man when only a young poor girl.
We experience the changes due to the annexation of Korea by Japan, World War 2 and the division of the home country through the characters' lives (although I don't remember much reference to the Korean War in 1953). The prejudice and discrimination against the Koreans is seen through the characters’ lives all the way to the end of the book.

The game of Pachinko (an industry in which several characters get involved) adds a metaphor for a life in which people in "power" can adjust the odds to suit them and "there could only be a few winners and a lot of losers"
. Part of what is engaging about this book is the way we feel deeply for the characters and understand their motivations even when we don't agree with their actions (e.g what happens to Noa). I am in admiration for the stoicism of Sunja through the hard times. She reminds me a bit of Hardy's Tess of the D'Urbervilles in being seduced and then trying to do the best to make a living for her family and losing the chance of happiness with a second partner.

This may have been a long novel at nearly 500 pages but it felt like returning "home" each time I picked it up again. It's a book about seemingly "ordinary " people who are extraordinary in their own way.
"Maybe my life can be significant, not on as grand scale like my brother, but to a few people " says Isak at one point. This is a message to those of us who don't appear to have made any "difference" by being famous/powerful that we can each lead a valuable life ( more a Buddhist than a Christian philosophy perhaps?)

In terms of the style the author has a simple lucid style. One character says "it was always better to say less". By saying less the author in fact speaks volumes. This is what I sometimes call "iceberg" writing, in that the author shows the "tip" of the iceberg but "implies" what else is below the waterline.

I know I will return to this book at different times in my life and draw from its well of quiet wisdom.

I loved every page. An epic, family saga to savour. Set in both Korea and Japan it highlights how the Koreans suffered under Japanese occupation. This was an area of history I was unaware of and I was surprised at the racism towards Korean refugees. The characters are well drawn out as they are the essence and heart of the story with the history of the 20th centurary in the background providing the context and detail in this well researched novel. It reminded me of Wild Swans beautiful and evocative

A rich family saga which provides readers with not only a gripping storyline but also, will serve as an eye-opener to Westerners as to how intolerant the Japanese were of Korean immigrants. The story follows the life of Sunja - a Korean - and spans most of the 20th century. We follow her as she moves to Osaka where she and her family struggle to adapt and survive. Over the decades the family suffers both hardship and good fortune and ultimately seem to find success. But is it all an illusion? Is Sunja making her own luck or does she have a guardian angel? When her son Noa achieves his dream of getting a place at University are his dreams about to come true? Does Mozasu, Sunja's 2nd son, really achieve success and respect in the Pachinko business from which the book takes it's title? Will the Japanese come to respect Koreans and their culture? Many questions to which all the answers are to be found in this excellently written novel by Min Jin Lee.