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3.97 AVERAGE
3.97 AVERAGE
Brilliant and thoughtful depiction of a faithful man confronted with the most horrible circumstances.
This is by far the best Christian novel I have ever read. I didn’t like some of the stuff in it, but I think it is a really powerful book that works on several different levels.
In the early 17th century Portuguese priests Sabastian Rodrigues and Francis Garrpe land secretly near Nagasaki. They are missionaries coming to Japan during a time of great persecution. Fearful that Christianity is being used by the European powers to weaken the domestic social order and exploit and enslave Japan, the government has outlawed the religion, and ordered all its Japanese adherents and foreigners to publicly renounce the faith. Continuing to practice it results in torture or death.
Rodrigues and Garrpe have come to meet with their fellow Christians, and also to find out if a rumor that has reached Europe is truce. Has their former teacher, Ferreira, renounced his faith after three decades of missionary work in Japan? They are guided by a man named Kichijiro. But they don’t trust him. He strikes them as a traumatized, weak and cowardly individual, who refuses to say if he is or has ever been a Christian. But they proceed on faith, hoping that they won’t be betrayed.
Rodrigues narrates the story their contact with the clandestine Christian community. At first, they are hidden by them. But when the authorities start to search for the missionaries, they split up and leave. Rodrigues is captured and pressured to apostatize. His struggle and its result are the heart of this novel.
There are several silences in the book. At first Kichijiro’s silence, then the silence of God in the face of the persecutions, which torments Rodrigues, then his own silence when others are being tortured because he won’t apostatize, and finally the silence of the Japanese Christian community. Do they outwardly renounce the faith, and keep it secretly, or become martyrs and have their faith die with them? Much like Toni Morrison’s [b:Beloved|6149|Beloved|Toni Morrison|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1347984578l/6149._SY75_.jpg|736076], this is a powerful and unsettling book.
Rodrigues and Garrpe have come to meet with their fellow Christians, and also to find out if a rumor that has reached Europe is truce. Has their former teacher, Ferreira, renounced his faith after three decades of missionary work in Japan? They are guided by a man named Kichijiro. But they don’t trust him. He strikes them as a traumatized, weak and cowardly individual, who refuses to say if he is or has ever been a Christian. But they proceed on faith, hoping that they won’t be betrayed.
Rodrigues narrates the story their contact with the clandestine Christian community. At first, they are hidden by them. But when the authorities start to search for the missionaries, they split up and leave. Rodrigues is captured and pressured to apostatize. His struggle and its result are the heart of this novel.
There are several silences in the book. At first Kichijiro’s silence, then the silence of God in the face of the persecutions, which torments Rodrigues, then his own silence when others are being tortured because he won’t apostatize, and finally the silence of the Japanese Christian community. Do they outwardly renounce the faith, and keep it secretly, or become martyrs and have their faith die with them? Much like Toni Morrison’s [b:Beloved|6149|Beloved|Toni Morrison|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1347984578l/6149._SY75_.jpg|736076], this is a powerful and unsettling book.
surprised myself at much how i enjoyed and appreciated this book (which probably says a lot more about me than it does about the book).
História de um missionário português no Japão, este livro foi um pouco difícil de digerir. As descrições um pouco gráficas da tortura dos cristãos são impressionantes e as dúvidas do missionário estão bem retratadas. Globalmente é um livro interessante mas não é uma leitura fácil.
Jesus answered, "Foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head."
Luke 9:58
Silence is a painful book to read. Doubly so because of my connection to my Catholic faith. It is a book about two Jesuit priests, Fr Sebastião Rodrigues and Francisco Garrpe, who go on a secret trip to Japan. They want to find out why their mentor, Fr Cristóvão Ferreira, had renounced his faith. When they first enter Japan, they encounter many grateful Christian villagers, who are hiding their faith amidst the terrible persecution that is happening in Japan. However, these villagers are being questioned by the authorities, with those refusing to renounce their faith suffering and/or dying horribly. As Fr Rodrigues realises his connection to the villagers' suffering, he has to make a difficult decision that changes the lives of both him and the Japanese villagers.
There are many pointers to reflect while reading this book. However, I will raise 2 points that have been touched deeply:
1) The (physical) suffering of others is most likely worse than the suffering we ourselves undergo
The strange thing about Silence is that the priests did not experience much physical discomfort. However, they are forced to stare at the horrible persecutions that is happening to their followers.
This raises a point that I hear during the Stations of the Cross: that you will have to bear seeing the sufferings that happen to the people you love.
When your loved ones suffer, you can hardly do much to allevate their suffering. Sure, you can pray for them and you can try to give some physical comfort. But how much can you really do to remove their physical suffering? Can you tolerate the constant worrying that comes about when you realise that there can possibly be no solution? Can you bear to see your loved ones go in great pain and suffering?
2) Doubt is compatible with faith
A lot of people have this idea that since you have complete faith, you are supposed to have no fear. However, life has proven to us that it is not so easy. There are plenty of moments when you will feel spiritually dry and God appears to be silent. There will be times when you go through horrible trials in life and there seems to be no answer. Do you really think that you have the strength to go through all this without mentioning a word of complaint?
Silence has two interesting characters. Fr Rodrigues, who initially believes that his faith will never be shaken. And Kichijiro, a Japanese villager, who does not seem to be able to stand up to any form of questioning by the officials with regard to his faith. We have to understand that we are part Fr Rodrigues and part Kichijiro. We are people of God with flawed characters. We know that like Peter, we could deny the Lord when times are tough. However, we pray that we have the strength to overcome these trials and tribulations in our life. And by overcoming these trials and tribulations, we can become heroic witnesses to our faith.
I strongly recommend that you read Silence, especially if you are a faithful Catholic believer. However, this book is not recommended to those who are shaky in their faith.
Luke 9:58
Silence is a painful book to read. Doubly so because of my connection to my Catholic faith. It is a book about two Jesuit priests, Fr Sebastião Rodrigues and Francisco Garrpe, who go on a secret trip to Japan. They want to find out why their mentor, Fr Cristóvão Ferreira, had renounced his faith. When they first enter Japan, they encounter many grateful Christian villagers, who are hiding their faith amidst the terrible persecution that is happening in Japan. However, these villagers are being questioned by the authorities, with those refusing to renounce their faith suffering and/or dying horribly. As Fr Rodrigues realises his connection to the villagers' suffering, he has to make a difficult decision that changes the lives of both him and the Japanese villagers.
There are many pointers to reflect while reading this book. However, I will raise 2 points that have been touched deeply:
1) The (physical) suffering of others is most likely worse than the suffering we ourselves undergo
The strange thing about Silence is that the priests did not experience much physical discomfort. However, they are forced to stare at the horrible persecutions that is happening to their followers.
This raises a point that I hear during the Stations of the Cross: that you will have to bear seeing the sufferings that happen to the people you love.
When your loved ones suffer, you can hardly do much to allevate their suffering. Sure, you can pray for them and you can try to give some physical comfort. But how much can you really do to remove their physical suffering? Can you tolerate the constant worrying that comes about when you realise that there can possibly be no solution? Can you bear to see your loved ones go in great pain and suffering?
2) Doubt is compatible with faith
A lot of people have this idea that since you have complete faith, you are supposed to have no fear. However, life has proven to us that it is not so easy. There are plenty of moments when you will feel spiritually dry and God appears to be silent. There will be times when you go through horrible trials in life and there seems to be no answer. Do you really think that you have the strength to go through all this without mentioning a word of complaint?
Silence has two interesting characters. Fr Rodrigues, who initially believes that his faith will never be shaken. And Kichijiro, a Japanese villager, who does not seem to be able to stand up to any form of questioning by the officials with regard to his faith. We have to understand that we are part Fr Rodrigues and part Kichijiro. We are people of God with flawed characters. We know that like Peter, we could deny the Lord when times are tough. However, we pray that we have the strength to overcome these trials and tribulations in our life. And by overcoming these trials and tribulations, we can become heroic witnesses to our faith.
I strongly recommend that you read Silence, especially if you are a faithful Catholic believer. However, this book is not recommended to those who are shaky in their faith.
Shusaku Endo's novel, examines the darker side of human life. The duality of the public image and the hidden dark side, which comes out unnoticed to the person himself. One has no control on his on adverse side, and its actions. At many a time, one can not comprehend their own behaviour. The revelation of his own darker side was a shock to Endo, at the same time a relief. Endo, excels in this examination of duality in human life. Its this meditation, its this abandonment to the reality, its this unknown darker side of the human existence, which one tries to downplay, at discussion here.
His prose is clear and precise, there is constant meditative style, which is I liked. The restrictive writing, even with a subject as delicate as this. Beyond the thriller-type narrative, what was notable was the subtle exploration of human psyche. On a not so impressive side, Endo deploys the psychological angle to the tale introducing a professor, to give some legitimacy to some of the illogical plots. The novel has the twist with a reporter trying to expose the corrupt writer to the public and a sadomasochistic encounter with a suicide by the member of the circle, to get the story in line of a thriller.
This is a good book. most of the meditative style of writing is brilliant. It is also a brave attempt to look at one's own hidden side, even at the possibility of the reputation being hampered. I havent read a great deal of Endo, but the previous book "Deep River' also explored the subtle human mind. He is one writer, one ought read more.
His prose is clear and precise, there is constant meditative style, which is I liked. The restrictive writing, even with a subject as delicate as this. Beyond the thriller-type narrative, what was notable was the subtle exploration of human psyche. On a not so impressive side, Endo deploys the psychological angle to the tale introducing a professor, to give some legitimacy to some of the illogical plots. The novel has the twist with a reporter trying to expose the corrupt writer to the public and a sadomasochistic encounter with a suicide by the member of the circle, to get the story in line of a thriller.
This is a good book. most of the meditative style of writing is brilliant. It is also a brave attempt to look at one's own hidden side, even at the possibility of the reputation being hampered. I havent read a great deal of Endo, but the previous book "Deep River' also explored the subtle human mind. He is one writer, one ought read more.
I first heard about Shūsaku Endō’s “Silence” from one of my lecturers at college. I remember him enthusing about this novel and telling us (vaguely interested) students about its Japanese Catholic author and his doubts as to whether Christianity can ever take root in a society so different and distant from its Mediterranean/European origins. More than twenty years later, with the novel unexpectedly propelled into the limelight thanks to Scorsese’s movie adaptation, I have finally got down to reading it. I must say it was a harrowing and challenging experience, and one which certainly provided me with much food for thought.
The broad outline of the story, now familiar to many, can be easily summed up. In 1640, at the height of Shogunate's attempts to eradicate Christianity, three Portuguese Jesuits set forth to Japan, ostensibly to help keep the Christian flame alive . They also have a more personal mission – namely that of tracing the whereabouts of their erstwhile teacher and mentor Cristóvão Ferreira. Ferreira was once a pillar of the Japanese mission, but rumours have it that he has apostatized under torture. Of the three Jesuit fathers, only two eventually make it to Japan and the story is told through the eyes of one of them – a certain Sebastião Rodrigues. He experiences the dangerous life of Japanese Christians and, when he eventually gets caught (pretty soon, so this is not a spoiler...) we witness at first hand the agonising choices he has to make.
Another author would have made a great thriller or historical epic out of such a plot. Endo’s priorities are different. He seems uninterested in crafting a gripping adventure story and the style he uses is remarkably simple, direct and unvirtuosic, although there are the occasional poetic passages. “Silence” is ultimately a religious novel – or, to be more exact, a theological one. But it stands firmly in the realm of literature rather than theology. The mark of many great novels (and Silence is one if them) is that they raise important questions... without necessarily venturing an answer.
The central theme (and the one which gives the novel its title) is, quite clearly, the mystery of God’s silence in the face of human suffering. An atheist would have a simple (if existentially challenging) reply to this query – God is not there. For a believer, even one strong in faith, it is no less difficult to provide a satisfactory solution– the Book of Job does try, without actually resolving the quandary, and it is significant that on the Cross, Jesus himself asks his Father why he has forsaken Him. That anguished cry echoes throughout Endō’s book.
Another, very obvious, theme is that which so impressed my college lecturer. Endō, a committed Catholic in Japan, seems very conscious of his “otherness”. Christianity can never survive in the “swamp of Japan”, affirms one of his characters and, if it does, it is Christianity but in name. But is it really true that Catholicism/Christianity is “alien” to the cultures of the Far East? Or does this religion have a kernel which is indeed, “catholic” in the sense of being universal?
These questions are undoubtedly interesting but they are hardly new. Did we really need Endō to point them out? Not really, although he does weave them very effectively into his novel. For me, the novel’s originality lies elsewhere. Throughout the book, Endō seems to draw a distinction between the simple faith of the Japanese villagers and the more sophisticated beliefs of the Jesuits. In some aspects, the former moves suspiciously close to idolatry – the Jesuits themselves are uncomfortable with the natives’ love of holy images and medals, and their enthusiastic devotion towards Mary. On the other hand, as one would expect, the Jesuit fathers are well-versed in the study of Scriptures and theology and their love of/for God is underpinned by a rigorous philosophical preparation. Yet, Endō seems to suggest – without actually passing judgment – that a faith which relies too much on reason is quicker to make compromises when put to the test. So, which faith is the stronger? Now, that’s a good question...
A final note about the translation. William Johnston (1924-2010), a friend of Endō, was himself a Jesuit and mystic theologian who lived and taught in Japan and had a lively interest in Eastern religions (and ecumenical issues) - this background made him eminently suited to the task of translating this novel. Indeed, although Johnson was no "professional" fiction writer his translation is self-effacing yet effective.
3.5*
The broad outline of the story, now familiar to many, can be easily summed up. In 1640, at the height of Shogunate's attempts to eradicate Christianity, three Portuguese Jesuits set forth to Japan, ostensibly to help keep the Christian flame alive . They also have a more personal mission – namely that of tracing the whereabouts of their erstwhile teacher and mentor Cristóvão Ferreira. Ferreira was once a pillar of the Japanese mission, but rumours have it that he has apostatized under torture. Of the three Jesuit fathers, only two eventually make it to Japan and the story is told through the eyes of one of them – a certain Sebastião Rodrigues. He experiences the dangerous life of Japanese Christians and, when he eventually gets caught (pretty soon, so this is not a spoiler...) we witness at first hand the agonising choices he has to make.
Another author would have made a great thriller or historical epic out of such a plot. Endo’s priorities are different. He seems uninterested in crafting a gripping adventure story and the style he uses is remarkably simple, direct and unvirtuosic, although there are the occasional poetic passages. “Silence” is ultimately a religious novel – or, to be more exact, a theological one. But it stands firmly in the realm of literature rather than theology. The mark of many great novels (and Silence is one if them) is that they raise important questions... without necessarily venturing an answer.
The central theme (and the one which gives the novel its title) is, quite clearly, the mystery of God’s silence in the face of human suffering. An atheist would have a simple (if existentially challenging) reply to this query – God is not there. For a believer, even one strong in faith, it is no less difficult to provide a satisfactory solution– the Book of Job does try, without actually resolving the quandary, and it is significant that on the Cross, Jesus himself asks his Father why he has forsaken Him. That anguished cry echoes throughout Endō’s book.
Another, very obvious, theme is that which so impressed my college lecturer. Endō, a committed Catholic in Japan, seems very conscious of his “otherness”. Christianity can never survive in the “swamp of Japan”, affirms one of his characters and, if it does, it is Christianity but in name. But is it really true that Catholicism/Christianity is “alien” to the cultures of the Far East? Or does this religion have a kernel which is indeed, “catholic” in the sense of being universal?
These questions are undoubtedly interesting but they are hardly new. Did we really need Endō to point them out? Not really, although he does weave them very effectively into his novel. For me, the novel’s originality lies elsewhere. Throughout the book, Endō seems to draw a distinction between the simple faith of the Japanese villagers and the more sophisticated beliefs of the Jesuits. In some aspects, the former moves suspiciously close to idolatry – the Jesuits themselves are uncomfortable with the natives’ love of holy images and medals, and their enthusiastic devotion towards Mary. On the other hand, as one would expect, the Jesuit fathers are well-versed in the study of Scriptures and theology and their love of/for God is underpinned by a rigorous philosophical preparation. Yet, Endō seems to suggest – without actually passing judgment – that a faith which relies too much on reason is quicker to make compromises when put to the test. So, which faith is the stronger? Now, that’s a good question...
A final note about the translation. William Johnston (1924-2010), a friend of Endō, was himself a Jesuit and mystic theologian who lived and taught in Japan and had a lively interest in Eastern religions (and ecumenical issues) - this background made him eminently suited to the task of translating this novel. Indeed, although Johnson was no "professional" fiction writer his translation is self-effacing yet effective.
3.5*
Harrowing and tense- you know bad things will happen from page one but you still feel for Rodrigues and can't help but read until the ending. Definitely one I'd like to re-read once I've learned more about Catholicism in Japan. I thought the translation was also excellent and though I don't know what the book is like in Japanese, the translator seems to capture the atmosphere Endo was going for.