Key Facts about Pachinko
Publication Details
- Published in 2017 by Grand Central Publishing
- Author: Min Jin Lee
- Genre: Historical Fiction/Family Saga
- Time Period: 1910s to 1989
- Settings: Korea and Japan
Novel Structure
- Four major parts spanning multiple generations
- Told in chronological order
- Third-person omniscient narrator
- Multiple POV characters across generations
The novel's structure mirrors the generational saga it portrays, with each part focusing on different family members while maintaining continuity through recurring themes.
Main Characters
- Sunja: The protagonist and matriarch
- Hoonie: Sunja's father
- Yangjin: Sunja's mother
- Koh Hansu: A wealthy Korean-Japanese businessman
- Baek Isak: A Christian minister who marries Sunja
- Noa: Sunja's first son (with Hansu)
- Mozasu: Sunja's second son (with Isak)
- Solomon: Mozasu's son
Understanding the family relationships is crucial as they form the backbone of the narrative and its themes.
Historical Context
- Japanese colonization of Korea (1910-1945)
