The Pachinko Parlour

Genauso schön melancholisch und ruhig, wie "Winter in Sokcho", es geht viel um Familie, Heimat, Herkunft und Zugehörigkeit allgemein. Sehr empfehlenswert!

This was super odd yet super connecting like I’m actually sad it’s over :/

This felt like a fever dream with moments of waking up from it and feeling all good and clear again before going back to sleep and having another fever dream. The moments with her grandmother having her episodes and her grandfather being what feels constantly at the Pachinko Parlour and Claire being with 10 year old Mieko who behaves very young and old at the same time was tense. The whole theme of the book felt sad and tense. It feels like Claire was stuck waiting and being paralyzed by not knowing what to do next while she knew at the same time that she wanted to go to Korea, but with her grandparents. This is the second book I‘ve read by Elisa Shua Dusapin, after Winter in Sokcho, and the writing style felt the same. Very on point, mainly short sentences and a feeling of urgency. It gave me some kind of cultural understanding, away from the polished picture of Korea and Japan.