I really like Min Jin Lee's writing style! Something I appreciate most about it is how she is able to write from multiple perspectives. This has helped me feel like I have a more comprehensive understanding of the characters and the story as a whole. Additionally, something that has stood out to me is Lee's ability to convey the passing of time. During the first reading, I was shocked when Lee wrote about how Hoonie quickly died from tuberculosis and skimmed over the time that followed that. There seemed to be a good amount of jumping around and time was passing very quickly as Sunja grew up. However, Lee has also proven capable of zoning in on a specific moment or scene in which time moves slowly. Specifically, in Sunja's intimate interactions with Hansu, Lee used descriptive details and conveyed Sonja's thoughts in a way that felt as though time was almost frozen. I find it interesting how Lee is able to warp time in this book to fit the storyline.
A book that we've read that this writing style directly compares to and contrasts, in my opinion, is Home Fire. In Home Fire, time passes sequentially. Home Fire is told day by day and it was never confusing for me, nor did I have to stop and think "wait, how much time has passed now?" While Home Fire includes the perspectives of multiple people, it is laid out so that each character gets a section, and it is clearly labeled when the perspective shifts. Meanwhile, Pachinko seems to switch perspectives by paragraph sometimes. The quick changes of perspective in Pachinko aligns with the ever-changing passing of time. It's cool to see how all of these aspects of the story align and create a well-rounded narrative.
Hi Audrey! I agree that Min Jin Lee's ability to write from multiple perspectives is a real strength of her writing style. It allows the reader to gain a deeper understanding of the characters and their motivations. I also appreciate your observation about Lee's ability to convey the passing of time in "Pachinko." It's interesting to see how different authors use time in their storytelling, and how it can affect the overall narrative.
ReplyDeleteHey Audrey, I too appreciate the Min Jin Lee's writing style that has multiple perspectives weaving through each other in order to tell a particular story through generations. The way in which Sunja's own story emerges with the quick death of Hoonie is quite drastic and startling at first because I was expecting it to last a little longer; not just glance over the point in which Hoonie married up until Hoonie's death. One thing I have yet to figure out, is why Lee chose to skim that section incredibly fast. What was the significance of it? Thank you for your insight!
ReplyDeleteHi Audrey, I love the insight that you bring with you to this prompt. I also noticed how she uses time to her advantage in the novel. It seems like she chooses to focus on certain specific moments and then quickly brushes over others in order to be concise and fit in the four generations of storytelling she is trying to show. I think it's slightly confusing to keep up with, but that's one of the aspects of the book I appreciate the most because I'm always kept interested and motivated to finish.
ReplyDeleteHi Audrey, I also found the abruptness of Hoonie's character development shocking and disorienting. Like you, I have really enjoyed her writing style so far. It does not feel like we have read almost 160 pages. The only complaint I have is the one you mentioned about Hoonie. That part of the story sticks out to me as a very intentional choice by the author since it feels so out of place. It was cool to see how you compared Pachinko to Home Fire. Of all the texts we have read, it does in fact seem like the best to be compared to.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you, Audrey! The writing style is really good at pacing and using it to convey feelings! Hoonie's death, for example, is jarring and surprising to the reader, but I think that is purposeful, since it supposed to feel like he is being suddenly ripped away from us, which is how Sunja would feel, too. There are other times, specifically in some of the conversations, where the story feels like it is slowing down to convey details that add to character, too. Any conversation between Hansu and Sunja does this, and I find it adds a lot to their interactions and how it characterizes them.
ReplyDeleteLee's ability to write from multiple perspectives is definitely a strong point in her writing. That allows the reader to gain a deeper understanding of the characters and their experiences, because we see them in different ways. Additionally, her skillful use of time in the novel is impressive and helps to convey a deeper understanding (and a unique one) of the charatcers and setting.
ReplyDeleteHi Audrey, I agree that Pachinko is very similar to Home Fire. I feel that all of the books we've read in class show us different family relationships and the different factors that can impact family ad cultural identity. The multiple perspectives that Lee uses also serve to highlight every character's different experiences, but her inclusion of details helps the reader see how all of these persepctives are interconnected.
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