Source Details

{
    "source_type": "extension",
    "content_hash": "95137a14f5d6691818e2bff9c0ce318c933b735054bd55f27690944d0a776859",
    "submitted_via": "chrome_extension",
    "extension_version": "1.0.18",
    "original_url": "https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2026\/09\/29\/books\/review\/american-hagwon-min-jin-lee.html?emc=edit_nn_20260930&nl=the-morning&segment_id=227287",
    "parsed_content": "What to ReadFind Your Next BookFantasyScience FictionThrillersRomanceCredit...DagouSkip to contentSkip to site indexSearch & Section NavigationSection NavigationAccountAccountGoHome U.S.SECTIONSU.S.PoliticsNew YorkCaliforniaEducationHealthObituariesScienceClimateWeatherSportsBusinessTechThe UpshotThe MagazineTOP STORIESDonald TrumpSupreme CourtCongressImmigrationAbortionLatest PollsNEWSLETTERSThe MorningMake sense of the day\u2019s news and ideas.The EveningCatch up on big news, and wind down to end your day.See all newslettersPODCASTSThe DailyThe biggest stories of our time, in 20 minutes a day.See all podcastsWorldSECTIONSWorldAfricaAmericasAsiaAustraliaCanadaEuropeMiddle EastScienceClimateWeatherHealthObituariesTOP STORIESMiddle East CrisisRussia-Ukraine WarChina International RelationsThe Global ProfileLeer en Espa\u00f1olNEWSLETTERSThe WorldA guide to understanding the news, made for readers around the globe.Your Places: Global UpdateThe latest news for any part of the world you select.Canada LetterBackstories and analysis from our Canadian correspondents.See all newslettersBusinessSECTIONSBusinessTechEconomyMediaFinance and MarketsDealBookPersonal TechEnergy TransitionYour MoneyTOP STORIESU.S. EconomyStock MarketArtificial IntelligenceNEWSLETTERSDealBookThe most crucial business and policy news you need to know.On TechOur best tech reporting from the week.See all newslettersPODCASTSHard ForkOur tech journalists help you make sense of the rapidly changing tech world.See all podcastsArtsSECTIONSToday's ArtsBook ReviewBest SellersDanceMoviesMusicTelevisionTheaterPop CultureT MagazineVisual ArtsRECOMMENDATIONS100 Best Movies of the 21st CenturyCritic\u2019s PicksWhat to ReadWhat to WatchWhat to Listen To5 Minutes to Make You Love MusicNEWSLETTERSBooksReviews, news and features to help you find your next read.WatchingStreaming TV and movie recommendations.See all newslettersPODCASTSBook ReviewThe podcast that takes you inside the literary world.PopcastPop music news, new songs and albums, and artists of note.See all podcastsLifestyleSECTIONSAll LifestyleWellTravelStyleReal EstateFoodLoveYour MoneyPersonal TechT MagazineCOLUMNS36 HoursAsk WellThe HuntModern LoveWhere to EatVowsSocial Q\u2019sThe EthicistAsk the TherapistNEWSLETTERSThe WeekenderUnwind with stories about culture and the way we live.WellEssential news and guidance to live your healthiest life.See all newslettersPODCASTSModern LoveThe complicated love lives of real people.See all podcastsOpinionSECTIONSOpinionGuest EssaysEditorialsOp-DocsVideosLettersTOPICSPoliticsWorldBusinessTechClimateHealthCultureCOLUMNISTSJamelle BouieMaureen DowdDavid FrenchThomas L. FriedmanM. GessenMichelle GoldbergEzra KleinNicholas KristofCarlos LozadaTressie McMillan CottomLydia PolgreenBret StephensPODCASTSInteresting TimesMapping the new world order through interviews and conversations.The OpinionsYou've heard the news, here's what to make of it.The Ezra Klein ShowDiscussions of ideas that matter, plus book recommendations.See all podcastsVideoPlaylistsToday's VideosU.S.PoliticsImmigrationNY RegionScienceBusinessCultureBooksWellnessWorldAfricaAmericasAsiaSouth AsiaDonald TrumpMiddle East CrisisRussia-Ukraine CrisisVisual InvestigationsOpinion VideoSee all videosShowsExploreThe HeadlinesThe DailyHard ForkThe Ezra Klein ShowThe OpinionsSerial ProductionsThe Book Review PodcastModern LovePopcastCannonballThe InterviewThe Wirecutter ShowPablo Torre Finds OutSee all showsFeaturedThe Interview Conversations with the world\u2019s most fascinating people.The HeadlinesYour morning listen. Top stories, in 10 minutes.The Last 12 WeeksA five-part series \u2026 on a deadline.NewslettersShowsYour guide to the best New York Times shows this week.SerialBe the first to know about our new shows.See all newslettersGamesWord games, logic puzzles and crosswords, including an extensive archive. Go to GamesPlayCrossplay NEWWordle Spelling Bee The Crossword The Midi Crossword NEWThe Mini Crossword Connections Strands Pips Sudoku Tiles Letter Boxed CommunitySpelling Bee ForumWordplay ColumnWordle ReviewSubmit a CrosswordMeet Our Crossword ConstructorsMini to MaestroWordlebotTake the Puzzle Personality QuizNewslettersGameplayPuzzles, brain teasers, solving tips and more.Easy ModeGet an easy version of one of the hardest crossword puzzles of the week.See all newslettersCookingRecipes, advice and inspiration for everyday cooking, special occasions and more. Go to CookingRecipesEasyDinnerQuickHealthyBreakfastVegetarianVeganChickenPastaDessertEditors' PicksEasy Salmon RecipesSoup and Stew RecipesEasy WeeknightNewest RecipesCheap and Easy Dinner IdeasSlow Cooker RecipesHealthy Breakfast IdeasNewslettersThe Cooking NewsletterNew recipes, easy dinner ideas and smart kitchen tips from Melissa Clark, Sam Sifton and our New York Times Cooking editors.The VeggieDelicious vegetarian recipes and tips from Tanya Sichynsky.Five Weeknight DishesDinner ideas for busy people from Emily Weinstein.See all newslettersWirecutterReviews and recommendations for thousands of products. Go to WirecutterReviewsKitchenTechSleepAppliancesHome and GardenMovingTravelGiftsDealsBaby and KidHealth and FitnessThe Best...Air PurifierElectric ToothbrushPressure WasherCordless Stick VacuumOffice ChairRobot VacuumNewslettersThe RecommendationThe best independent reviews, expert advice and intensively researched deals.Clean EverythingStep-by-step advice on how to keep everything in your home squeaky clean.See all newslettersThe AthleticPersonalized coverage of your sports teams and leagues. Go to The AthleticLEAGUESN.F.L.N.B.A.N.H.L.Premier LeagueM.L.B.College FootballN.C.A.A. Men\u2019sN.C.A.A. Women\u2019sTennisF1Fantasy & BettingW.N.B.A.TOP STORIESToday's HeadlinesN.F.L. Win ProjectionsNEWSLETTERSThe PulseDelivering the top stories in sports, Sunday to Friday.See all newslettersPLAYConnections: Sports Edition Connections: Soccer Edition Connections Coach U.S.InternationalCanadaEspa\u00f1ol\u4e2d\u6587FictionMin Jin Lee\u2019s New Novel Is Soapy, Sweeping and Very GoodThe beloved author\u2019s follow-up to \u201cPachinko\u201d features a cram school that dares to promote students\u2019 well-being over academic striving.Credit...DagouSupported bySKIP ADVERTISEMENTShare full articleBy Alexandra JacobsSept. 29, 2026Buy Book \u25beAmazonApple BooksBarnes & NobleBooks-A-MillionBookshop.orgWhen you purchase an independently reviewed book through our site, we earn an affiliate commission.AMERICAN HAGWON, by Min Jin LeeWe\u2019ve all heard about the Bechdel test. I\u2019d like to propose a BookTell test. That\u2019s when, as a critic, you not only admire a book \u2014 a frequent, if detached, position \u2014 but also want to tell all those people who ask, \u201cSo, what should I read next?\u201d to buy, borrow or make like Abbie Hoffman and steal it.The third volume in Min Jin Lee\u2019s planned quartet about the Korean diaspora, \u201cAmerican Hagwon,\u201d would get top marks on this brand-new BookTell test. So would the second, \u201cPachinko,\u201d a 2017 best seller that was No. 15 on The New York Times\u2019s 100 Best Books of the 21st Century list.The new novel is accessible but complex; noble without being highfalutin; and, at almost 650 pages, tremendous bang for the buck.\u201cAmerican Hagwon\u201d also easily passes the Bechdel test, featuring many female characters who have conversations with one another about something besides men. Plus extra credit for male characters talking about women \u2014 with respect, even. And funnily enough, it\u2019s about \u2026 tests.AdvertisementSKIP ADVERTISEMENTAmerican Hagwon Save to your reading list:Want to readHave read\u201cHagwons\u201d are a type of institute meant to supplement regular school; a large majority of Korean students attend them, to learn a foreign language or to prepare for standardized exams. As admission to top colleges has become more like \u201cThe Hunger Games,\u201d so hagwons have proliferated to feed the beast. Some are mere cram schools, but this novel zooms in on one that actually nourishes enrollees\u2019 emotions and intellects: a fictional center for expats in Cypress, Calif., called Exodus Academy, and its profitable spinoff, Fortress.Exodus and Fortress are operated by Lion Han (nicknamed the Oracle of Orange County by his fellow church congregants), who zipped through Princeton in three years after his father cut him off for the sin of wanting to be a musician. \u201cExodus,\u201d he explains to a curious charge, refers to how teaching freed him from money worries and also from the vise of status. Though parents flock to Lion for his success rates at elite schools, he and his colleagues subversively believe that the admissions race has gotten out of hand and that there should be more love of learning for learning\u2019s sake. His signature catchphrase, and one of life\u2019s better mantras, is \u201cWhy not?\u201d (\u201cHis students loved it when he\u2019d say this. The two words had the power to make resistance disappear.\u201d)Lion gives a lecture called \u201cOur Children\u2019s Heavy Burden: Education in America\u201d and then, with a whiff of Hoffman, tells the incredulous parents in attendance, who are hoping to elbow their offspring into Fortress: \u201cWe have to be almost countercultural if we want our children to truly thrive.\u201d\u201cAmerican Hagwon\u201d opens in Seoul, where the Koh family of five has resettled after stints in Paramus, N.J., and Sydney, Australia. John Koh works at a trading company for his university friend Taehun Shin, and moves wherever he\u2019s ordered to. The married Shin is himself being led around as if on a leash by a sexy, manipulative and ruthless young trainee from a farming village named Danbi Jung.AdvertisementSKIP ADVERTISEMENTThere are far too many characters in this novel to describe in depth here, but the Kohs are its home base. John is a man of consummate integrity who gets framed as an office harasser and slips a couple of rungs down the economic ladder, eventually taking a menial job at Shrimp Castle. His wife, Helen, works in retail to supplement the family income.ImageBoth are involved parents to their three children, who all \u2014 in the course of pursuing various careers and romances \u2014 come to teach at Lion\u2019s hagwon. Bo, the eldest, studies psychology, inspired by Abraham Maslow\u2019s hierarchy of needs. DH, the affable, athletic middle child, hits the more conventional academic marks and then goes into law. And Mido, whose early case of selective mutism begins the plot, dreams of being a playwright and defers her own college degree.The big ideas here are buried like treasure in the sandy bureaucracy of everyday life. Several characters enjoy watching TV dramas, and Lion, noting in these shows the frequent presence of a Hong Gildong-type character who resembles a Korean Robin Hood and represents meritocracy, develops a lecture around dismantling this myth. \u201cOur children cannot know everything,\u201d he tells parents, \u201ccreate doubles, summon magic, fight better than everyone and fly through the air.\u201d\u201cAmerican Hagwon\u201d has its own soapy elements: heaving seduction scenes with lingerie particulars worthy of Danielle Steel; secret affairs; slaps to the face. Set between 1992 and 2007, against the backdrop of the Asian financial crisis and early social media, and skillfully eliding the narrative challenges of 9\/11, the Great Recession and iPhones, it has the wonderful muchness of a 19th-century novel \u2014 and as much paperwork as, if less fog than, \u201cBleak House.\u201d Marriages are maintained until they become financially imprudent; elders are respected, and even if he or she is sent far away, no child is left behind.AdvertisementSKIP ADVERTISEMENTIndeed, perhaps the most surprising pleasure here is the depiction of pragmatism. Almost a decade in the making, deeply researched and replete with details of bills, contracts, deals, salaries, settlements, wills and arrangements, \u201cAmerican Hagwon\u201d might be the first epic novel of estate planning.Some books are very worthy but held at arm\u2019s length. This one demands to be pressed into friends\u2019 hands.AMERICAN HAGWON | By Min Jin Lee | Cardinal | 644 pp. | $36AdvertisementSKIP ADVERTISEMENT",
    "published_at": "2026-09-29T20:38:30+00:00",
    "author_name": "Alexandra Jacobs",
    "site_name": "The New York Times",
    "section": "Book Review",
    "publisher": "The New York Times Company",
    "ai_headline": "Min Jin Lee\u2019s New Novel Is Soapy, Sweeping and Very Good",
    "ai_simplified_title": "Min Jin Lee new novel American Hagwon reviewed",
    "ai_excerpt": "A review of Min Jin Lee's new novel, \"American Hagwon,\" the third in her Korean diaspora quartet. The book is praised for its complexity, emotional depth, and exploration of the Korean education system.",
    "ai_subject_tags": [
        "Book Review",
        "Fiction",
        "Min Jin Lee",
        "Korean Diaspora",
        "Education System",
        "Novel"
    ],
    "ai_context_type": "Review",
    "ai_context_details": {
        "tone": "appreciative",
        "perspective": "critical",
        "audience": "general",
        "credibility_indicators": [
            "expert_review"
        ]
    },
    "ai_source_vector": null,
    "ai_confidence_score": 0.9999999999999999,
    "ai_extraction_metadata": {
        "extracted_at": "2026-09-30T13:00:12.218938Z",
        "ai_model": "gemini-2.5-flash",
        "extraction_method": "automated",
        "content_length": 12110,
        "metadata_prompt_body_chars": 12110,
        "metadata_prompt_truncated": false,
        "url": "https:\/\/nytimes.com\/2026\/09\/29\/books\/review\/american-hagwon-min-jin-lee.html",
        "existing_metadata": {
            "author_name": null,
            "published_at": null,
            "domain_name": "nytimes.com",
            "site_name": null,
            "section": null,
            "publisher": null
        },
        "openai_refusal_gemini_fallback": false
    }
}

{
    "extracted_at": "2026-09-30T13:00:12.218938Z",
    "ai_model": "gemini-2.5-flash",
    "extraction_method": "automated",
    "content_length": 12110,
    "metadata_prompt_body_chars": 12110,
    "metadata_prompt_truncated": false,
    "url": "https:\/\/nytimes.com\/2026\/09\/29\/books\/review\/american-hagwon-min-jin-lee.html",
    "existing_metadata": {
        "author_name": null,
        "published_at": null,
        "domain_name": "nytimes.com",
        "site_name": null,
        "section": null,
        "publisher": null
    },
    "openai_refusal_gemini_fallback": false
}