Final Pachinko Book Club
Added 2022-03-22 18:05:55 +0000 UTCIt’s almost time for drama to release!
1) How are you feeling about Pachinko being adapted to small screen? Are you worried it won’t hold up or are you excited?
2) Thoughts on Lee Min Ho as Ko Han-su? Does this feel like a risky career choice or an evolution of his acting craft?
3) Why do you think the author chose Pachinko as the title? Does it work for you?
4) How did you feel moving through so many character POVs. How would the book have been different if it was confined to just one POV? Better or worse?
5) Much is made of how “it’s a woman’s lot to suffer.” Do you think women suffer more than the men in this book? Why or why not?
6) Who is a character you won’t forget? What is a scene you won’t forget?
7) Any final thoughts on the book that you need to get off your chest.
Comments
Um...I never got the Pachinko metaphor of tapping the pin to change the trajectory of a life. Feels very, very painfully obvious now that you point it out. No idea how I just skipped past this completely, but -- Thanks!!!
Becky
2022-03-26 23:49:02 +0000 UTC1) I loved that the book Pachinko was Sunja’s story. It’s my understanding that the show Pachinko is an American production, so the feminist in me (which is a big part of me) is worried the show will focus on the male characters rather than on Sunja. One of the biggest draws for me in Kdramas has been that the characters and dialogue seem to be more equitable for the male & female characters. I know Bechdel is frequently misused and misunderstood, but for me, representation is important, and I haven’t felt fairly represented by so many movies and shows made by Hollywood. 2) I don’t think it’s risky for Lee Min Ho – I think it’s a fabulous opportunity. Whether the show presents Hansu as a villain or as a romantic hero, I believe he will sell it – and I’m looking forward to him being more widely recognized by Western audiences. 3) I wasn’t familiar with anything Pachinko related before reading the book. When I heard it was a gambling machine, I just assumed one of the characters would either lose big time or get rich. I should have realized it was a metaphor! It wasn’t until Goro explained to Mozasu about tapping the pins to change the course and trajectory of the balls that the lightbulb finally went off. I love the title – it’s short, kind of fun to say, and I hope it results in lots of discussions about how the small influence by someone with more control can change someone’s fate. 4) I think the author could have pared back a little on the characters. The story of Haruki and his wife was interesting but stood out as a distinctly different tale unrelated to Sunja and her family. 5) This quote from the coal man’s wife in the market (chap 4) really stood out as significant: “a woman’s life is endless work and suffering. There is suffering and then more suffering. It’s better to expect it, you know. You’re becoming a woman now, so you should be told this. For a woman, the man you marry will determine the quality of your life completely. A good man is a decent life, and a bad man is a cursed life — but no matter what, always expect suffering, and just keep working hard. No one will take care of a poor woman — just ourselves.” I think Sunja was mentally prepared for life to be endless work and suffering - knowing this helped her to endure and even thrive. Yoseb, Isak, and Noa suffered more, not because their lives were more difficult but because they expected life to be different – with more success and less suffering. 6) Sunja is easily my favorite character. The scene that sticks with me is the mushroom picking/sex scene – not to be crude, but Hansu tapped her pin and changed the course of her life.
Kathi
2022-03-26 02:49:45 +0000 UTC6) Pretty sure I'm still in shock that Noa is dead. I can't even get my brain around it. I came to realllllllllllllllly love Mozasu and then Solomon. 7) I was puzzled by the two chapter detour into Mozasu's gay friend's life and that man's wife's exploration of the gay scene at the park. I just wasn't completely sure why it was in the book. While it built out a different facet of the world they were living in, the characters were so tangential that I just didn't love it. I wish that whole part of the story had been woven into the overall story a bit better. I think the author could have woven this into Hana's story somehow if she wanted to show more of this part of the environment at the time. That would have at least made more sense to me. I hope they do a better job with this section in the drama.
Becky
2022-03-22 22:17:35 +0000 UTC4) Since I didn't know anything about this time period/geography combo - I loved having so many POV. It helped created a world rather than tell a single character's story. 5) I think they all suffer and suffer and suffer. Every one. Women no more than the men, in my opinion. Maybe it's in how one views suffering, but carrying the weight and constraints men are required to carry in patriarchal societies is no easier than the crushing consequences that land on women in those same structures. Only when patriarchal behaviors are weighed against patriarchal values (money, power, etc) does it seem like women suffer more, but in truth everyone suffers. It just looks different by gender.
Becky
2022-03-22 22:07:29 +0000 UTC1) I'm actually just worried I'm going to be gutted by the whole thing. It's not the happiest of stories. When I finished the book, which I really loved, I immediately worried I wouldn't be able to handle the drama. Ack. 2) I haven't seen anything with Lee Min Ho yet (I know, I know. It's not my fault. BLAME GONG YOO) 3) I love the name Pachinko because it certainly seemed like the one area where Koreans were "allowed" to build a life, even if that came at a different cost. As the daughter of a poker dealer who grew up in Reno, I love the casino vibe too. I can't wait to see that world brought to life.
Becky
2022-03-22 21:31:51 +0000 UTC
