Pachinko

1. General Impressions

Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

• What did you like about reading a multigenerational saga rather than a novel about a shorter time period? What other sagas have you read and how did this one compare?
• How much did you know about the history and relationship between Korea and Japan before reading? Did the text shift your perspective?

2. Personal Reflection and Connection

Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences.

• The novel focuses on the similarities and differences between two sets of brothers: Isak and Yoseb, and Noa and Mozasu. How does the portrayal of sibling dynamics compare to your own personal experiences? 
• Many of the characters survive despite extreme circumstances, which frequently involve not only poverty but hunger and tragedy as well. Does the resiliency that they display to overcome these challenges speak to you? Why or why not?
• At the heart of the family is the experience of maternal suffering, sacrifice, and self-denial: Yangjin marries a man with a disability and devotes herself to his care; and Sunja works incredibly hard to provide for her sons. What is your understanding of what devoted motherhood means? Did the novel subvert or support your understanding? 
• The family rises from harsh poverty to relative prosperity within several generations. Have you encountered similar stories of upward mobility in your life or the lives of those close to you? How has economic disparity across generations affected family relationships?
• Consider the experiences the characters have in school. Which positive or negative classroom episodes spoke to your own memories of education and why?
• The novel explores the role of shame in Japanese and Korean societies. Have you ever felt pressure to bottle up shame or other negative emotions, or does your culture now allow for a more open approach to acknowledging these experiences?

3. Societal and Cultural Context

Examine the book’s relevance to societal issues, historical events, or cultural themes.

• In Japan, the novel’s characters face prejudice for being Korean or of multiple ethnicities in Japan’s monolithic culture. How has your understanding of bigotry changed after reading the novel?
• How are larger historical events of the 20th century reflected in the lives of the novel’s characters? How does Lee translate the scope of colonization, war, religious upheaval, and other global transformations onto the story of one family?

4. Literary Analysis

Dive into the book’s structure, characters, themes, and symbolism.

• Discuss the different values characters hold (for example, Isak’s Christian beliefs cause him to marry Sunja, while Yoseb is more committed to a deeply conservative view of men’s and women’s roles). What moral perspectives does the text offer? Does it differ from the characters’ perspectives?
• What role does money, or the lack of it, play in the novel? For example, how does it impact characterization? 
• Compare and contrast the different living spaces described in the novel: the houses of wealthy Japanese people, the cozy and inviting space Kyunghee creates, the barn where the family escapes the war. What do these settings say about the people who live in them?
• What is the role of luck in the novel? Why does the title highlight the addictive game of chance that makes Mozasu a wealthy man?
• Why do Noa and Mozasu respond so differently to being Korean in Japan? What does the novel say about the desire to “pass” for a member of the predominant ethnicity?

5. Creative Engagement

Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.

• The novel has been adapted into a TV series. If you have seen it, discuss which elements were changed between page and screen. What impact did these changes have?
• What aspects of Korean or Japanese culture would you want to learn more about after reading this book?

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