Book Review: Pachinko by Min Jin Lee
Time travel and survival instincts.
I have realized time and again what kept me going in a book is either a fantastic plot/character or really solid writing. This has none of those two for me but I find myself constantly being lured into it as if pulled by an invisible string. It had felt almost like watching a Korean drama because things went fast (almost) and to the point.
Four generations from a family were introduced in the story and every twist and turn revealed the state of living at each point in time and how each era calls for the need to cultivate human traits needed for survival in that particular time period. It was like being given a macro view of how social behavior changes across time. It was interesting to see how they have evolved yet also how they are all rooted in the same principles.
I concluded that resilience is more than just a resolute undertaking and that it is this multi-faceted shape-shifter that matches our time and life circumstances; a reflection of how much humankind has progressed and how some of us are privileged enough to start on a different footing. I recognized that resilience during our grandparents’ early years is formidable mental strength and also intense physical labor. Our kind of resilience is now more psychological than physical and is increasingly plagued by issues of mental health. But the underlying concept remains clear and simple — wherever you are, you show up and you adapt. And that is what this family has more than anything else — resilience.
“Learn everything. Fill your mind with knowledge — it’s the only kind of power no one can take away from you.” Hansu never told him to study, but rather to learn, and it occurred to Noa that there was a marked difference. Learning was like playing, not labor.
The theme that weaved the story together is the plight of Koreans in Japan and how they are perceived and judged even till today. It is a part of history that is not widely covered but is still so very prevalent and for these people who happened to be in this situation not of their choosing, the social perception unforgivingly placed on them has brought tremendous unjust consequences which they can only quietly tolerate. I think what made this book so profound is then the fact that the narrative is done in a very fair manner. The narration of every character regardless of background and their level of remoteness to the main story were all written with equal effort and thought.
There were characters we followed through almost from the beginning to the end. There were also new characters who came in just for a brief moment and whose thoughts and motives, similar to the main characters, were laid out in an all-knowing matter-of-fact way. These characters’ inner turmoil was equally stripped to the bare core — shameless thoughts, cruel words, greed, desire, everything. In a different book, I might have disliked this because it seemed pointless and these fringe characters were too far removed from the actual story. Yet here in this context, it had mimic life in a very real way; that people pass through our lives even for a fleeting moment only to play a very slight role in our stories, but these people come with their own set of cards and past as well. Ironically it also made it seem like there really isn’t a true protagonist in the book, which is quite intriguing when I think about it because the book was so immersive it didn’t feel like it.
The easy, as-a-matter-of-fact way of writing, had ironically and periodically triggered me. The announcement of a death at the end of a chapter is simply — “so-and-so is dead”. It had me, the reader, lingering a few more minutes staring at the remaining space of that page just to accept this fact and to grief. Isn’t that provocative?!
I didn’t expect this to be so lengthy but I didn’t mind it at all. Would highly recommend it!
