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Round 1: The Animators v. Pachinko judged by Ellen

This will be interesting!

Such hard choices!! I have no idea which I’d pick for rounds 2-4.

How can i join you guys ? I'm new to the groupn

wow, when you see them actually written down this feels bigger than the Super Rooster as far as personal investment.

Thanks to Ellen for this excellent first judgement to kick us off!

The Animators by Kayla Rae Whitaker v. Pachinko by Min Jin Lee

In judging these two books, or any of the books on the list, the first thing I had to do was try to erase my former impressions of the two and re-read them with as much of an fresh eye as was possible. Of course, it was a bit of a Sisyphean task, since one of these I had only a hazy jumble of recollections and the other was that magical entity, a book I wouldn't have read but for my stubborn insistence on being a completist, but which blew me away when I did (a few other books in this category: How to Get Filthy Rich in Rising Asia, Goodbye, Vitamin, An Untamed State, and, most notably, The People in the Trees ). But still I was determined.

The Animators, which I vaguely recalled as being about cartoons and cartoonists, surprised me on the re-read by the intensity of its storytelling. I'm very much a plot-driven reader, and it's a plot- (and character-) driven book. I was completely caught up. The characters were well-drawn -- if often a little one or at most two dimensional -- and their lives were gripping, especially the two main characters, Sharon and Mel. And the story itself, of a relatively meteoric rise to relative fame (within that fairly narrow world of adult cartoons) which affects them both in ways both positively and catastrophically, was well-told, better than I remembered.

However, on the second reading, what leapt out at me was the melodrama -- the extremes within which they both seemed to live their lives and the extremes to which such living brought them. I had to ask what I often ask myself when reading books about young people from the vantage of my vast and crabby age -- do they REALLY live like this? Are there really that many drugs and that much alcohol and that much indiscriminate sex going on? And how realistic was either their pretty notable success and the fact that, after all that damage, and all we've seen of dysfunction in Sharon's life, she ends up in a settled and healthy relationship? Both the melodrama of the story and the pat "and she lived happily ever after" reminded me of a book I liked a lot less, Lily King's Writers and Lovers. Ultimately, is it a thinly disguised romance novel where the girl gets the guy at the end and it makes her happy, in addition to being a smashing success at her chosen artistic field?

In my initial review of this book, I pretty much said that it was well-written and fast to read, but that I would probably forget it in a few months. I think I'm less likely to do so having spent so much time thinking about it for this, but if that weren't the case, I'd probably forget it again down the road.

So, Pachinko. I had avoided reading it the year it came out because nothing I'd read about it had made it sound like something I'd want to read, and I grumbled when it appeared on the shortlist. Then I read it and melted, all over the floor like a puddle of goo, and this did not change on the re-reading. I knew nothing about the history of Korean immigrants in Japan, and thought I was utterly uninterested, but this book made it fascinating, showing rather than telling, never over-explaining, but just presenting the history of a Korean immigrant family through four generations. It has a kind of simple, detached, sing-song style of writing that to me read just like a book in translation, and felt to me representative of this family, the members of which were always living their lives in translation. I fell for them again, particularly Sunja, who is 17 at the very beginning of the book and 73 at the end. Everything about this book felt heartbreaking and very, very real.

Just a side note -- Pachinko and The Animators were on the shortlist the same year, 2018, the year that the book that won, Fever Dream, was a crowd favorite which I simply did. not. get. I'm still annoyed by that.

And as to which book gets my vote? I went in 99.9% sure that my opinion wouldn't change, and it didn't. I pick

PACHINKO

Maggie wrote: "Thanks to Ellen for this excellent first judgement to kick us off!

The Animators by Kayla Rae Whitaker v. Pachinko by Min Jin Lee

In judging these two books, or any of the books on the list, the ..."
I'm right there with you, Ellen, and thank you for taking the time to judge. Pachinko, for telling me a story I didn't know and giving me a new family to love.

Yay! It has begun! Can there be a link to the profile of whomever did the judgement every day, Maggie? Thank you for re-reading both books, Ellen! (I hope the other judges do as well... to give these books as fresh a chance as possible.) I admire both of these books.

I mostly lurk around here, but I have to thank Ellen for eloquently stating pretty much exactly what is in my head about these two books! Pachinko was a rare 5-star read for me. (I also did not 'get' the hoo-hah over Fever Dream.)

Excellent judgment, Ellen!! Of course I never had a doubt you'd choose Pachinko, I remember debating it with you when it went up against Sing Unburied Sing (which I loved, and was devastated when it lost) and again against Exit West, which I similarly loved (and again was devastated when it lost--although I guess it zombied.) Both times I just...didn't get it. Pachinko was a DNF for me, the writing and story did nothing for me. (I realize it's partly because I don't like historical fiction in general, unless it has a ton of heart or is beautifully written, and I didn't get heart or beauty from the 200 or so pages I read of Pachinko.)

But like you I remember almost nothing about The Animators...I guess I liked it okay, it was very readable, but I was surprised to see it make its way onto the Favorites list, and had no desire to reread it. Like you, I'm probably too old to get caught up in these lives. And even though I didn't love Pachinko, it's obviously more epic, covers vastly more territory and has deeper meaning. So much as I didn't love it, I would have picked it too, no contest.

"from the vantage of my vast and crabby age" is a wonderful turn of phrase

Yay Ellen! 👏 Excellent judgement. I like both books well enough and have no issues at all with this decision. Yay Maggie for all the hard work to get this going! 👏 Yay Everyone for the enthusiasm 👏

Thanks for getting us started Ellen! And Maggie and Amy for getting us set up!

Tough choice but I would have made the same decision. Pachinko still stays with me.

I agree completely with the judgment. In reviewing my ratings of these books I gave The Animators 5 starts and Pachinko 4 stars. But since then I've recommended Pachinko to tons of people, and almost completely forgotten about The Animators. Not sure why I was so thrilled with The Animators at the time, and why Pachinko only got the 4 stars from me, when I remember it so fondly.

Great start to this tournament. Big thanks to Maggie for all her work organizing it.

Nice commentary. I can't wait for tomorrow's judgement. Idaho is a personal favorite.

Oh, no! Animators is out...again! It's one of my top OBotTOB (Only Because of the Tournament of Books) books. Animators has really stayed with me all these years (it feels like it was more than 3-4 years ago to me).

It wasn't necessarily the case for me, but I do remember college friends that engaged in similar amounts of debauchery (unfortunately, they weren't as talented as the women in Animators). Animators for me would make a great adaptation, particularly given their chosen field--would love to see their films come to life. Speaking of adaptations, and Fever Dream...it's coming to Netflix soon:

I liked both of these books a whole lot and have recommended them many times. Based on my memories from when I read them, I might have gone the other way, but only because it's rare for me to enjoy a contemporary novel as much as I enjoyed The Animators. But it would be a tough choice! And I'm happy to see Pachinko getting this love.

Bob wrote: "Speaking of adaptations, and Fever Dream...it's coming to Netflix soon: ... ..."

Wow...I thought this might be awful, really cheapened on film, Stephen King-ized, but watching the preview, maybe it's not awful? Or maybe it is, ha, really hard to tell. (I liked the first minute or so, anyway. I think having it in Spanish helps it seem more artsy...)

Thank you Ellen!! That was a great judgement to start us off. I don’t know which of those books I would have chosen. I remember liking them both very much and I liked them both better than Fever Dream the winner that year. I had to look back at the entire shortlist just now and my favorites were White Tears and Sing Unburied Sing I think because of what might be called the magical realism of those 2 books. And of course we didn’t choose either of those for the Tournament of Favorites. I am always so amazed at how different people are captured by different books.

Just adding my thanks to you, Ellen, for a thoughtful judgment (I.e., I agree with it, haha) that was also fun to read��.and to everyone who is doing the work to make this happen. I’m grateful.

Great review Ellen, and not just because it mirrors my opinion and says it much better ;)

Nice work Ellen and thanks for organizing, Maggie! I just finished The Animators for the first time, and enjoyed it, but I’m not sure how much of it will stick with me. Pachinko was a tough read, but important and I’m glad it’s moving forward. Cheers to an excellent start to the tournament!

Count me as a fan of both - while I feel Animators had a bit more of an interesting voice, Pachinko swept me the hell away with that family saga. I'm glad P is heading forward.

Excellent analysis Ellen. I agree, The Animators was very melodramatic. I did not reread for this it but I remember it reminding me of romance novel at the time…all the highs and lows. I also support what Bob says above regarding remembering my 20s and my and my peers behavior. Drugs, not so much, but alcohol and casual sex? Yes. What I also remember is the ability of a younger body to bounce back from over-indulgence.

I liked Pachinko a lot and am happy to see it advance. I also didn’t “get�� Fever Dream, though I appreciate other readers enthusiasm for it.

Aw, shucks, you guys. Thanks. And I'm so excited that the ToF has started!!!!

And all I can imagine from an adaptation of Fever Dream is two hours of watching someone sitting beside someone else's bed. Boy, I did not get that book.

C wrote: "Could there be a link to the judge.."

Good idea C! I'm breaking the decisions into a thread for each now though GR's has started limiting how many threads I'm able to make/edit per day so they'll trickle out this week. Will add the judge's links while I'm at it!

I mean, one thing I have to give Fever Dream is that it was incredibly successful at creating a deep, unsettling feeling of dread throughout. The fact that it stuck to you (or, at least, the judges) I think gave it the win.

Ellen wrote: "Aw, shucks, you guys. Thanks. And I'm so excited that the ToF has started!!!!

And all I can imagine from an adaptation of Fever Dream is two hours of watching someone sitting besid..."

Thanks Amy, shoutout to Amy!!! #applause

Great job, Ellen!
I never, alas, connected with The Animators the way other ToB'ers did. Pachinko taught me/enlightened me more, and has stayed with me longer. I think I forgot about The Animators five minutes after I finished it. So, this was one of the few "no-contest" matchups in the ToF for me.

Thanks, Ellen! Great!

Both of these books were in the category of: "I can tell why other people like them, even if I don't" for me.

I'm unfairly biased against Pachinko because I immediately lose interest in any book has anything to do with three generations. I mean, it's been done and done and done.

I liked The Animators for the way the story refuses to fit into any predictable pattern--I was constantly surprised by the way the characters acted and the choices they made. That said, though, I agree with everything you said about its excesses. I thought it might be a millennial thing--some books have an energy that seems from another era than mine.

Risa wrote: "Great job, Ellen!
I never, alas, connected with The Animators the way other ToB'ers did. Pachinko taught me/enlightened me more, and has stayed with me longer. I think I forgot about The Animators..."

Same!

Care wrote: " (something difficult to follow) "

( gr threads being what they are -- I apologize for replying to the wrong comment. .. ... I think. )

I adore both books, so I knew this opening round would be disappointing regardless, but I'm glad for Pachinko moving forward. The final generation's portrayal lacked depth for me (particularly the suicide) but it is a book I recommend on the regular.

Something I haven't seen mentioned about The Animators is its portrayal of female friendship in all its complex beauty and ugliness. The layering of the business relationship and the low hum of ongoing competition added so much interest for me. The ending is too neat for all the messiness the book explores, but I still just loved that central friendship so much that I have lots of good will for the book as a whole. I also recommend this one a ton.

Onward! Thanks to all for working on this!

Ellen, what I love that you captured here is how you can have a preconception about a book and dive in anyway (because of the Tournament!) and be pleasantly surprised. Pachinko on paper isn't my thing but I truly loved it, and had the pleasure of attending an author event with the author who can REALLY work a room. Her passion for the subject added to my memories of the book, which by itself is pretty spectacular.

Jenny (Reading Envy) wrote: "Ellen, what I love that you captured here is how you can have a preconception about a book and dive in anyway (because of the Tournament!) and be pleasantly surprised. Pachinko on paper isn't my th..."

Always great to know authors who are great in person. Makes for such a fun event (and more goodwill towards their books!)

I am looking forward to the series adaptation of Pachinko..filmed in Korea, Japan and Vancouver.
This book has everything I look for in fiction..to be transported, family saga, beautiful prose and to learn something. The author was widely interviewed and I found her charming and interesting.

I read The Animators and can't remember much at all.