Book Review: Pachinko

The novel Pachinko follows the life of Sunja, the daughter of a poor Korean landlord, whose fate is altered when she is impregnated by a gangster by wedlock. Already facing discrimination for being Korean during a time where the Japanese were seen as superior, Sunja struggles with her identity and sense of self as she grows into adulthood. The story continues to follow the lives of her progeny over the years as societal and cultural expectations ebb and flow, thus affecting how different generations react to different problems at hand. A large takeaway from this book was a question that has been debated over for a long time: Is one’s destiny given to them at birth or is it chosen through free will? Was Sunja’s family’s unfortunate fate predetermined by genetics, or was it their mindset of inferiority that inhibited them from living their lives to the fullest? Overall, I would give this book a 10/10.