Flashlight - Choi

This is an impressive novel with a broad range and strong narrative. I'm surprised it wasn't nominated for more prizes; I certainly think it's as strong as some of the NBA contenders. All this said, I think I would have been more emotionally involved had I felt more strongly about Louisa and Serk, two hard-headed characters whose rage was bewildering to me, the roots of which perhaps could have been more deeply explored. Halfway through the novel I considered putting the book down (I'm glad I didn't) because I was overwhelmed by Louisa's roiling anger: at her mother, at her half-brother. And in a way you come to care about her too late in the novel, although you do finish the book caring about her. Serk's anger was a bit more palatable, and I think that's because I saw it in a cultural rather than psychological context. His early life was really challenging and his residual rage I saw as self-protective. My favorite character was Tobias, and I almost wish that he had an even larger role; I kept waiting for him to resurface. Maybe it's because of him that I found the most moving section of the book to be when he meets Japanese citizens who have mysteriously lost family members. His reaction to their loss touched me deeply. Anyway, I realize that my reaction is probably not very common to most readers of this book, and therefore I recommend it.

This was one difficult read, but sooooo worth it. Mark my words: this one will win the Women's Prize for Fiction and you heard it here first.I don’t even know where to start because this is one of those books that feels impossibly layered. Every time I thought I understood what it was doing, it quietly opened another door underneath it. Family story, identity story, grief story, love story, immigration story, memory story. Somehow all of them at once.But don’t be fooled. This doesn’t build up like a mystery or thriller. It zig-zags and looses a bit of the 5 stars rating. Some parts are slow. Others barely make sense when you’re inside them. This book will absolutely challenge you.Some people will absolutely say this book is too long or boring in parts. And honestly? The middle section is weaker than the beginning and the end. It is slow. But the rest kind of makes up for it. And somehow, by the end, my brain felt completely rewired.I need to talk about Serk because those chapters? Easily my favorite part of the book. I genuinely think he is the best-built character here. His identity is so layered and complicated that I could have read an entire novel just about him. Korean, born in Japan, living in the US, with family ties pulling him toward both Korea and Japan... are you kidding me? There is so much history, displacement, guilt, belonging and alienation wrapped into one person. And Choi never reduces him to a cliché version of “the immigrant experience.” So much pain in one single life. Damn.I hate Louisa. And I mean that as a compliment to the book's first chapters because her opening POV chapter is GOLD. But for me, we only go downhill from there. I kept waiting for another layer from her, something that would fully click her into place as a character, and it never completely happened for me ( rating lowered because of this, too). It felt like Choi was far more interested in Serk than in his daughter, and I kind of was too.In the end, despite how long it was, I still wanted more. Women’s Prize jury, I dare you to find me a better book from that shortlist. I WILL BE HERE WAITING.

Brilliant! Profoundly moving. Beautifully written . Concerns a historically cultural schism ( of which I had only a topical knowledge)from an intimate perspective.

This book totally deserves five stars. The way childhood memories are written about was exquisite and perfect, I love books that draw me in with language as well as plot and character and this had all three in spades. I am a speed reader so long books don't faze me, but my husband found some of the detailed sub plot lines really confusing and difficult to wade through. I think this really deserves to be two books, some plot lines are not really resolved, and the mom's story would stand alone as its own very powerful story. I am writing this review a half year later, and still think about the book and plot. It covers some of the same setting and Koreans settled in Japan diaspora as Pachinko, but looks in detail at a very different facet of the experience. I would recommend you read this book rather than listen on audible.

Highly recommend this book which will take you to many places in time and space. Such great writing and unbelievable story.