“Sunja-ya, 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.”

Pachinko, a historical family saga following four generations of Korean origin in the beginning of the Japanese colonization of Korea. In the first part of the book we follow Sunja, a daughter of a well established family running a boardinghouse. When, as unmarried woman, Sunja gets pregnant, she has to make difficult decisions that will shape her future for the sake of her family’s honor and child.

I absolutely adored this novel. It was heartfelt, informative, political and personal at the same time and excellently written. Although many wait with this book because of its length, I haven’t once thought it took too long. The characters were so well sculpted that you really felt for this family and experienced with them what time does on believes, opinions and establishments. Especially the way discrimination influences the actions of every generation in a family was striking. I highly recommend this book to everyone who’s interested in Korean history, a character based novel or family saga.