"Pachinko" by Min Jin Lee by https://padlet.com/ovbc2025q2/Pachinko USO OVBC: May 2025 - Feel free to use this space before/during/after our virtual meeting. Add your responses. Create your own posts (favorite quotes, book themes, additional topics, links, questions, etc.). en-us 2025-04-15 07:29:05 UTC 2025-05-08 22:51:41 UTC hello@padlet.com ovbc2025q2 https://padlet.com/ovbc2025q2/Pachinko/wish/3410448034 2025-04-15 07:38:25 UTC https://padlet.com/ovbc2025q2/Pachinko/wish/3410448034 ovbc2025q2 https://padlet.com/ovbc2025q2/Pachinko/wish/3410448186 USO Indo-Pacific and USO Europe | Middle East | Africa will host our monthly Overseas Virtual Book Club discussing "Pachinko" by Min Jin Lee on May 8th at 2000 JST on Zoom

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]]> 2025-04-15 07:38:33 UTC https://padlet.com/ovbc2025q2/Pachinko/wish/3410448186 Post Event Survey ovbc2025q2 https://padlet.com/ovbc2025q2/Pachinko/wish/3410448328 Do you enjoy USO Overseas Virtual Book Club? Let us know what you think: Post Event Survey


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]]> 2025-04-15 07:38:39 UTC https://padlet.com/ovbc2025q2/Pachinko/wish/3410448328 Introductions ovbc2025q2 https://padlet.com/ovbc2025q2/Pachinko/wish/3410448419 Since we're spread out across the world, please share your location (without sharing your exact address) on the padlet map! ** Feel free to share a quick bio in the thread, and/or directly on the padlet map (link below). -- What's your name? How do you identify (pronouns)? Where do you live? 


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]]> 2025-04-15 07:38:44 UTC https://padlet.com/ovbc2025q2/Pachinko/wish/3410448419 Current Reads ovbc2025q2 https://padlet.com/ovbc2025q2/Pachinko/wish/3410448782 What are you currently reading?

]]> 2025-04-15 07:39:01 UTC https://padlet.com/ovbc2025q2/Pachinko/wish/3410448782 Book Recommendations ovbc2025q2 https://padlet.com/ovbc2025q2/Pachinko/wish/3410448961 Any book recommendations to share with us?

]]> 2025-04-15 07:39:09 UTC https://padlet.com/ovbc2025q2/Pachinko/wish/3410448961 Pachinko Cast ovbc2025q2 https://padlet.com/ovbc2025q2/Pachinko/wish/3410456739 2025-04-15 07:45:47 UTC https://padlet.com/ovbc2025q2/Pachinko/wish/3410456739 Family Tree: Sunja + Isak ovbc2025q2 https://padlet.com/ovbc2025q2/Pachinko/wish/3410457291 2025-04-15 07:46:17 UTC https://padlet.com/ovbc2025q2/Pachinko/wish/3410457291 ovbc2025q2 https://padlet.com/ovbc2025q2/Pachinko/wish/3410459276 2025-04-15 07:47:43 UTC https://padlet.com/ovbc2025q2/Pachinko/wish/3410459276 ovbc2025q2 https://padlet.com/ovbc2025q2/Pachinko/wish/3410460350 2025-04-15 07:48:30 UTC https://padlet.com/ovbc2025q2/Pachinko/wish/3410460350 ovbc2025q2 https://padlet.com/ovbc2025q2/Pachinko/wish/3410460887 2025-04-15 07:48:55 UTC https://padlet.com/ovbc2025q2/Pachinko/wish/3410460887 ovbc2025q2 https://padlet.com/ovbc2025q2/Pachinko/wish/3410461585 2025-04-15 07:49:30 UTC https://padlet.com/ovbc2025q2/Pachinko/wish/3410461585 ovbc2025q2 https://padlet.com/ovbc2025q2/Pachinko/wish/3410462221 2025-04-15 07:50:03 UTC https://padlet.com/ovbc2025q2/Pachinko/wish/3410462221 ovbc2025q2 https://padlet.com/ovbc2025q2/Pachinko/wish/3424821326 2025-04-25 09:59:33 UTC https://padlet.com/ovbc2025q2/Pachinko/wish/3424821326 ovbc2025q2 https://padlet.com/ovbc2025q2/Pachinko/wish/3424821896 2025-04-25 10:00:16 UTC https://padlet.com/ovbc2025q2/Pachinko/wish/3424821896 ovbc2025q2 https://padlet.com/ovbc2025q2/Pachinko/wish/3424823827 Instagram

]]> 2025-04-25 10:02:45 UTC https://padlet.com/ovbc2025q2/Pachinko/wish/3424823827 ovbc2025q2 https://padlet.com/ovbc2025q2/Pachinko/wish/3424824801 Facebook

]]> 2025-04-25 10:03:58 UTC https://padlet.com/ovbc2025q2/Pachinko/wish/3424824801 ovbc2025q2 https://padlet.com/ovbc2025q2/Pachinko/wish/3424826416 https://x.com/minjinlee11

]]> 2025-04-25 10:05:53 UTC https://padlet.com/ovbc2025q2/Pachinko/wish/3424826416 Bluesky ovbc2025q2 https://padlet.com/ovbc2025q2/Pachinko/wish/3424827313 2025-04-25 10:07:05 UTC https://padlet.com/ovbc2025q2/Pachinko/wish/3424827313 ovbc2025q2 https://padlet.com/ovbc2025q2/Pachinko/wish/3424832536 2025-04-25 10:12:38 UTC https://padlet.com/ovbc2025q2/Pachinko/wish/3424832536 ovbc2025q2 https://padlet.com/ovbc2025q2/Pachinko/wish/3424833158 2025-04-25 10:13:33 UTC https://padlet.com/ovbc2025q2/Pachinko/wish/3424833158 kcjeanwilliams https://padlet.com/ovbc2025q2/Pachinko/wish/3425339393 2025-04-25 18:04:05 UTC https://padlet.com/ovbc2025q2/Pachinko/wish/3425339393 kcjeanwilliams https://padlet.com/ovbc2025q2/Pachinko/wish/3425339782 2025-04-25 18:04:34 UTC https://padlet.com/ovbc2025q2/Pachinko/wish/3425339782 kcjeanwilliams https://padlet.com/ovbc2025q2/Pachinko/wish/3425341192 2025-04-25 18:05:21 UTC https://padlet.com/ovbc2025q2/Pachinko/wish/3425341192 1. Identity and Belonging: ovbc2025q2 https://padlet.com/ovbc2025q2/Pachinko/wish/3426697921 How do Sunja and her descendants struggle with questions of identity and belonging throughout the series? In what ways do they feel Korean, Japanese, or neither?

]]> 2025-04-27 17:38:51 UTC https://padlet.com/ovbc2025q2/Pachinko/wish/3426697921 2. Choices and Consequences: ovbc2025q2 https://padlet.com/ovbc2025q2/Pachinko/wish/3426698149 How do individual choices (like Sunja's decision to keep her baby or Isak's decision to marry her) shape the family's future?

Are there moments when characters seem trapped by circumstances outside their control?

]]> 2025-04-27 17:39:16 UTC https://padlet.com/ovbc2025q2/Pachinko/wish/3426698149 3. Family and Sacrifice: ovbc2025q2 https://padlet.com/ovbc2025q2/Pachinko/wish/3426698293 What sacrifices are made by the different generations to ensure survival and success?

How does the definition of "family" evolve over time in the series?

]]> 2025-04-27 17:39:35 UTC https://padlet.com/ovbc2025q2/Pachinko/wish/3426698293 4. Prejudice and Discrimination: ovbc2025q2 https://padlet.com/ovbc2025q2/Pachinko/wish/3426698502 How are Koreans portrayed as being treated in Japan across different time periods in the series?

Were there moments that surprised you about the depth or form of discrimination?

]]> 2025-04-27 17:39:54 UTC https://padlet.com/ovbc2025q2/Pachinko/wish/3426698502 5. Women’s Roles: ovbc2025q2 https://padlet.com/ovbc2025q2/Pachinko/wish/3426698727 How does Sunja's experience reflect the limited options available to women at the time?

How do the women in Pachinko show resilience or power, even when society tries to limit them?

]]> 2025-04-27 17:40:18 UTC https://padlet.com/ovbc2025q2/Pachinko/wish/3426698727 6. Wealth and Morality: ovbc2025q2 https://padlet.com/ovbc2025q2/Pachinko/wish/3426699062 Many characters grapple with issues related to money and status. How is wealth tied to dignity or shame in the story?

Is success portrayed as purely positive?

]]> 2025-04-27 17:40:43 UTC https://padlet.com/ovbc2025q2/Pachinko/wish/3426699062 7. Fate vs. Free Will: ovbc2025q2 https://padlet.com/ovbc2025q2/Pachinko/wish/3426699247 Pachinko, the game, is largely a game of chance. How does the idea of fate versus free will play out in the characters' lives?

]]> 2025-04-27 17:41:07 UTC https://padlet.com/ovbc2025q2/Pachinko/wish/3426699247 8. Religion and Hope: ovbc2025q2 https://padlet.com/ovbc2025q2/Pachinko/wish/3426699364 Christianity is an important part of some characters’ lives. How does religion offer comfort, structure, or conflict?

]]> 2025-04-27 17:41:17 UTC https://padlet.com/ovbc2025q2/Pachinko/wish/3426699364 9. Love and Loyalty: ovbc2025q2 https://padlet.com/ovbc2025q2/Pachinko/wish/3426699462 What different types of love (romantic, familial, loyal friendship) are shown in the series?

Are there betrayals that you found especially heartbreaking or understandable?

]]> 2025-04-27 17:41:28 UTC https://padlet.com/ovbc2025q2/Pachinko/wish/3426699462 10. The Symbolism of Pachinko: ovbc2025q2 https://padlet.com/ovbc2025q2/Pachinko/wish/3426699544 What does the pachinko business come to represent for the characters and the immigrant experience as a whole?

]]> 2025-04-27 17:41:37 UTC https://padlet.com/ovbc2025q2/Pachinko/wish/3426699544 ovbc2025q2 https://padlet.com/ovbc2025q2/Pachinko/wish/3426760475 2025-04-27 19:21:54 UTC https://padlet.com/ovbc2025q2/Pachinko/wish/3426760475 ovbc2025q2 https://padlet.com/ovbc2025q2/Pachinko/wish/3429717647 2025-04-29 10:53:50 UTC https://padlet.com/ovbc2025q2/Pachinko/wish/3429717647 ovbc2025q2 https://padlet.com/ovbc2025q2/Pachinko/wish/3429718174 2025-04-29 10:54:22 UTC https://padlet.com/ovbc2025q2/Pachinko/wish/3429718174 The novel's opening sentence reads, "History has failed us, but no matter." What does the sentence mean, and what expectations might it establish for the reader? Why the tail end of the sentence, "but no matter"? ovbc2025q2 https://padlet.com/ovbc2025q2/Pachinko/wish/3436029967 2025-05-05 07:13:59 UTC https://padlet.com/ovbc2025q2/Pachinko/wish/3436029967 Talk about the thematic significance of the book's title. Pachinko is a sort of slot/pinball game played throughout Japan, and its arcades are also a way for foreigners to find work and accumulate money. Why do people assume that only Koreans run these arcades? ovbc2025q2 https://padlet.com/ovbc2025q2/Pachinko/wish/3436225923 2025-05-05 10:12:46 UTC https://padlet.com/ovbc2025q2/Pachinko/wish/3436225923 What are the cultural differences between Korea and Japan? ovbc2025q2 https://padlet.com/ovbc2025q2/Pachinko/wish/3436226085 2025-05-05 10:12:58 UTC https://padlet.com/ovbc2025q2/Pachinko/wish/3436226085 As "Zainichi," non-Japanese, how are Koreans treated in Japan? What rules must they adhere to, and what restrictions apply to them? ovbc2025q2 https://padlet.com/ovbc2025q2/Pachinko/wish/3436226539 2025-05-05 10:13:36 UTC https://padlet.com/ovbc2025q2/Pachinko/wish/3436226539 Discuss the theme of belonging, which pervades this novel. How does where one "belongs" tie into self-identity? Consider Mozasu and his son, Solomon. In whatways are their experiences similar when it comes to national identity? How do both feel toward the Japanese? ovbc2025q2 https://padlet.com/ovbc2025q2/Pachinko/wish/3436227014 2025-05-05 10:14:05 UTC https://padlet.com/ovbc2025q2/Pachinko/wish/3436227014 Are there particular characters you were drawn to more than others, perhaps even those who are morally compromised? If so who...and why? ovbc2025q2 https://padlet.com/ovbc2025q2/Pachinko/wish/3436227441 2025-05-05 10:14:31 UTC https://padlet.com/ovbc2025q2/Pachinko/wish/3436227441 Share a favorite quote or part from Pachinko. Why did this quote/part stand out to you? ovbc2025q2 https://padlet.com/ovbc2025q2/Pachinko/wish/3436227820 2025-05-05 10:14:58 UTC https://padlet.com/ovbc2025q2/Pachinko/wish/3436227820 Early in the novel, Sunja is made to feel shame for her pregnancy. How does the idea of shame persist throughout the novel, both in sense of morals and identity? ovbc2025q2 https://padlet.com/ovbc2025q2/Pachinko/wish/3436228133 2025-05-05 10:15:26 UTC https://padlet.com/ovbc2025q2/Pachinko/wish/3436228133 Who was the better father, Hansu or Isak? The better provider? The better man? Do you believe that Hansu ultimately redeems himself? Is he deserving of forgiveness? ovbc2025q2 https://padlet.com/ovbc2025q2/Pachinko/wish/3436228368 2025-05-05 10:15:47 UTC https://padlet.com/ovbc2025q2/Pachinko/wish/3436228368 One of the themes of the novel is bravery. What kinds of bravery does each character exhibit? How does a character’s bravery (or lack of bravery) shape the family’s story? ovbc2025q2 https://padlet.com/ovbc2025q2/Pachinko/wish/3436228898 2025-05-05 10:16:14 UTC https://padlet.com/ovbc2025q2/Pachinko/wish/3436228898 Discuss how the family’s relationships evolve across the generations. Do the parent-child relationships differ? The husband-wife relationships? The ones between siblings? ovbc2025q2 https://padlet.com/ovbc2025q2/Pachinko/wish/3436229326 2025-05-05 10:16:31 UTC https://padlet.com/ovbc2025q2/Pachinko/wish/3436229326 Pachinko covers a long span of time and is a rather lengthy novel. What did you think of the book’s length? If it is too long, what would you have cut? ovbc2025q2 https://padlet.com/ovbc2025q2/Pachinko/wish/3436229540 2025-05-05 10:16:48 UTC https://padlet.com/ovbc2025q2/Pachinko/wish/3436229540 What do you think of the title? Pachinko, the game, doesn’t come up until we are well into the story, but its significance becomes important in the second half ofthe novel. Do you think that it is an apt title for the book? Would you have chosen something different? If so, what? ovbc2025q2 https://padlet.com/ovbc2025q2/Pachinko/wish/3436229867 2025-05-05 10:17:14 UTC https://padlet.com/ovbc2025q2/Pachinko/wish/3436229867 Before reading this book, were you aware of the tensions between Koreans and Japanese in the early 20th century? Did you learn something about history through reading this story? Did you learn anything about Korean identity in this novel? ovbc2025q2 https://padlet.com/ovbc2025q2/Pachinko/wish/3436230634 2025-05-05 10:17:47 UTC https://padlet.com/ovbc2025q2/Pachinko/wish/3436230634 What did you think of the ending of the novel? Did you find it tragic, or just right? If you could have changed anything about the ending, what would it be? ovbc2025q2 https://padlet.com/ovbc2025q2/Pachinko/wish/3436230854 2025-05-05 10:18:03 UTC https://padlet.com/ovbc2025q2/Pachinko/wish/3436230854 In many ways, Pachinko is about how one person’s actions can have a profound effect on family: Sunja becomes pregnant by Hansu, and Hansu abandons her.Do you feel as though your life is largely shaped by your parents’ or ancestor’s decisions? Or do you believe that each person in each generation has autonomy to make their own choices? ovbc2025q2 https://padlet.com/ovbc2025q2/Pachinko/wish/3436231096 2025-05-05 10:18:18 UTC https://padlet.com/ovbc2025q2/Pachinko/wish/3436231096 Would you read another novel by this author, either Free Food for Millionaires or a future release? Why or why not? ovbc2025q2 https://padlet.com/ovbc2025q2/Pachinko/wish/3436231571 2025-05-05 10:18:51 UTC https://padlet.com/ovbc2025q2/Pachinko/wish/3436231571 If you had the chance to ask Lee one question, what would it be? ovbc2025q2 https://padlet.com/ovbc2025q2/Pachinko/wish/3436231805 2025-05-05 10:19:08 UTC https://padlet.com/ovbc2025q2/Pachinko/wish/3436231805 ovbc2025q2 https://padlet.com/ovbc2025q2/Pachinko/wish/3436243735 2025-05-05 10:31:16 UTC https://padlet.com/ovbc2025q2/Pachinko/wish/3436243735 ovbc2025q2 https://padlet.com/ovbc2025q2/Pachinko/wish/3436245120 2025-05-05 10:32:46 UTC https://padlet.com/ovbc2025q2/Pachinko/wish/3436245120 ovbc2025q2 https://padlet.com/ovbc2025q2/Pachinko/wish/3436247733 2025-05-05 10:35:01 UTC https://padlet.com/ovbc2025q2/Pachinko/wish/3436247733 ovbc2025q2 https://padlet.com/ovbc2025q2/Pachinko/wish/3436248119 2025-05-05 10:35:20 UTC https://padlet.com/ovbc2025q2/Pachinko/wish/3436248119 ovbc2025q2 https://padlet.com/ovbc2025q2/Pachinko/wish/3436248492 2025-05-05 10:35:40 UTC https://padlet.com/ovbc2025q2/Pachinko/wish/3436248492 Advice from Yangjin to Sunja kcjeanwilliams https://padlet.com/ovbc2025q2/Pachinko/wish/3442119331 "...earn something and put aside ssvings for emergencies. Spend what you need but just throw even a few coins into a tin and forget that you have it. A woman should always have something put by."

]]> 2025-05-08 16:13:14 UTC https://padlet.com/ovbc2025q2/Pachinko/wish/3442119331 ovbc2025q2 https://padlet.com/ovbc2025q2/Pachinko/wish/3442253049 2025-05-08 18:17:54 UTC https://padlet.com/ovbc2025q2/Pachinko/wish/3442253049 kcjeanwilliams https://padlet.com/ovbc2025q2/Pachinko/wish/3442276822 "A parent must be decisive; a child cannot protect himself."

]]> 2025-05-08 18:39:50 UTC https://padlet.com/ovbc2025q2/Pachinko/wish/3442276822