Pachinko by Min Jin Lee

 

Pachinko by Min Jin Lee

Title : Pachinko

Author : Min Jin Lee

Published Year : 2017

Genre : Asian Literature, Historical Fiction

Pages : 479 (Paperback Edition)

"There could only be a few winners, and a lot of losers. And yet we played on, because we had hope that we might be the lucky ones."

In the early 1900s, teenaged Sunja, the adored daughter of a crippled fisherman, falls for a wealthy stranger at the seashore near her home in Korea. He promises her the world, but when she discovers she is pregnant--and that her lover is married--she refuses to be bought. Instead, she accepts an offer of marriage from a gentle, sickly minister passing through on his way to Japan. But her decision to abandon her home, and to reject her son's powerful father, sets off a dramatic saga that will echo down through the generations.

Richly told and profoundly moving, Pachinko is a story of love, sacrifice, ambition, and loyalty. From bustling street markets to the halls of Japan's finest universities to the pachinko parlors of the criminal underworld, Lee's complex and passionate characters--strong, stubborn women, devoted sisters and sons, fathers shaken by moral crisis--survive and thrive against the indifferent arc of history.

***

Wow! I read this only before my bedtime for 4 days straight, and as a result, I spent my week as a night owl. Going to bed only after 3 a.m. 

Why? because I want to finish it soon, and the first half of the book was flowing flawlessly so it was easy to forget my bedtime. 

If I can describe this book as a meal, I think this book contains vitamin complex, protein, fiber, and carbohydrate. It is complete, but is it delicious? It would be relative. 

This story is extended to almost 9 decades-long with 4 generations of a family. It was started with an aging fisherman and his wife that gave birth to a strong and kindhearted man, Hoonie. Hoonie is the only child who survived to adulthood from that couple. But Hoonie is crippled and born from the lower class of society that made him forget the idea of marriage. 

But his parents are honest and hardworking folks. Therefore when a matchmaker came to introduce Yangjin as the bride, the family welcomed her. 

Yangjin and Hoonie living with Hoonie's parents since Yangjin's family is poorer than Hoonie's. In that family, Yangjin introduced himself to the hardworking and silent working ethic. Then, after several miscarriages, Yangjin gave birth to a perfect girl, Sunja. 

Sunja is everything for that family especially Hoonie's even Sunja is a girl. During that era, a boy is preferable to a girl because he can work and earn money. But for Hoonie, Sunja is everything. He spoiled her with love and attention.

But Hoonie died when Sunja 12 years old. The family never be the same again without a man. But Yangjin is a diligent woman. She managed a boardinghouse for the poor fisherman to stay in and hire two girls to help her. 

Sunja, still mourning her father's death, grew more silent. But she is a responsible woman, working day-to-day to help her mother. Until one day, a man named Koh Hansu spotted her and change her world.

Pure girl Sunja falling in love for the first time with a Trade Merchant with his polished appearance, and she was falling in love so hard. 

Sunja should know better, a man as handsome and rich as Koh Hansu won't be idly single. But she knew it too late when her belly growing as a result of her love. 

During that time (even until now in Asia), having a child outside marriage bring a shameful sin to a family. 

Then come an unhealthy man from the north staying in their humble boardinghouse, Isak Baek. He is a missionary traveling from the North to Osaka, but get ill at Busan, Sunja's hometown.

Between life and death, Yangjin took care of him and made him deeply feel indebted to the family. After he regain his health and knowing Sunja's condition, He proposed to marry Sunja and promised to treat Sunja's child as his own.

Agree, the couple decided to move to Osaka where Isak's brother lived in there. But that time is turbulence time between the two countries. The ongoing war plus long term Japanese imperialism in Korea made Korea one of the poorest countries in the world. And it is not easy for citizens of a poor country to live overseas. 

Even Isak's family is very wealthy, the tax policy imposed by the Japanese government is ridiculous that made the family sold all the lands and have nothing. Meanwhile, Korean in Japanese is living in a filthy quarter where they live together with pig and cramped in a small apartment. 

Frustration with poverty, Man take up alcohol, abuse their wife, and live poorer. Not a few become a thief or sources of criminals. The stigma about Korean in Japan is sinking in the bottom. Even in school, Korean is picked up by their friends. Filthy and smell of garlic.

Even not easy, the family managed to stay afloat. Isak worked as a missionary in a presbyterian church in Osaka, and his brother Yoseb works as a mechanic in a Japanese company. But Japan is losing the war, and Christian is seen as a cult during that time. 

Isak was jailed, the family tumbling with their source of income. the war was broken. Bombs hit Hiroshima and Nagasaki, during that time Yoseb worked at nearby the bombing area. Meanwhile, the family retreat to a farm area, helped by Koh Hansu. 

After the war finished, the family come back to Osaka, only to know that their house is gone. Meanwhile, Noa the first child of Sunja, prepares himself to enter Waseda University.

Sunja gave birth to two wonderful boys. Noa the child from Hansu, grew more identical to Isak. Diligent, wise, and neat. Meanwhile, Mozasu the second child is bright, but dislikes school, unlike his brother. 

Life after the war and as a foreigner in Japan, even they born in Japan and never saw their motherland is not easy for the brothers. Their struggle described vividly in line with history until they end up in Parchinko business and give birth to the fourth generation of the migrant family. 

Since the story includes 4 generations on the 470-ish page, the pace is rather fast. Added with other 'supporting casts' family such as Haruki-san and Goro-san.  

Like I said before, this book is rich in knowledge and a new perspective. Thru this book, I finally have a glimpse why Korean find it so hard to pardon Japan because even after independency, they still struggle with Korean War and there are lot of Korean that born in Japan but still treated as a second class citizen.

Aside for the political view, we can understand so much from the struggle of a persistent and hardworking family-like Sunja's family. They started as a low-class family and finally, they have monies since their third generations.  Even after that, they still have to struggle with their identity.

The fourth generation, Solomon, live a luxurious life that his parents never had in their childhood, have their ideal life, living in the American dream. If we note, during '50-the '70s when Korea is struggling during the Korean war and poverty, there are a lot of persons immigrate to the USA to have better opportunities in life. Their descendants, able to speak Korean, but somehow still didn't belong to Korean.

The turbulence time, the strong feeling of identity confusion is the main focal point of this book that made me feel fascinated. Yes, I read several Korean pieces of literature that trying to describe the sentiment reasons they oppose Japan, but I think this book can capture it wisely. It is a rich, strong characterization, vivid explanation, and description. 

The second focal point is a rich character. All the people described in this book have very distinguished and sometimes contradict each other. First, the total opposite is between Noa and Mozasu. Their different character made them saw life differently. Noa really concerns about their upbringing, the sensitive Noa wants to be invisible as Korean in Japan. Moreover, when he knew about his father, it affects him greatly. Meanwhile, Mozasu is a tough cookie, didn't give a hell about his identity as a Korean, but he wanted so badly to provide a better life for his family.

Like I said, it is fascinating and really rich. I think we can categorize this book as a classic read. Moreover, maybe we need a bit of a doze of the Pacific War from the Korean's point of view. That brings my curiosity, a book about the pacific war from Japan's point of view.

It was a very delightful 'meal' for my brain :)