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adamdi5126's review against another edition
3.0
I started reading this months ago. Eventually abandoning it. In the end, I am happy that I decided to finish it.
thing2thing's review against another edition
5.0
“銅板上的那個人對司祭说：踏下去吧！踏下去吧！你脚上的疼痛我最清楚了。踏下去吧！我是為了要讓你們踐踏才出生到這世上，為了分担你們的痛苦才背負十字架的。”
苟且偷生有時候需要更大的勇氣和毅力，為了别人能够存活而棄教何嘗不是一種慈悲。為了愛，即使犧牲了自己的一切。弱者或者比殉道者活得更痛苦。
前一整子我看了馬丁·史柯西斯執導的電影，通常我讀了書再去看電影，會把電影彈得一無是處，因為我對文字比較敏感，我會更喜歡作者豐富的詞彙和更多詳細的情節，但這部電影是例外。遠藤周作的文字簡單樸素，雖然故事很震撼令人深思。書裡面很多殉道場面都是以洛特里哥神父口述的方式描述，所以我們只知道他一個人的思緒，情緒和他看見的一切，其他人的情緒則被描述得很少。書裏面的幾場殉道，變成電影畫面就變得很有張力了，尤其是茂吉的殉道，他的屍體搬上岸，大腿的肌肉都已經硬化。好彩電影裏没有好萊塢式煽情，忠於原作。無論書或電影我最喜歡的角色，始終是那位因為怕死而不斷棄教犯錯，懺悔，再犯錯，再懺悔的吉治郎，他是就像小王子酒鬼星球上的酒鬼，週而復始的以酒精來麻木自己是酒鬼的愧疚。
苟且偷生有時候需要更大的勇氣和毅力，為了别人能够存活而棄教何嘗不是一種慈悲。為了愛，即使犧牲了自己的一切。弱者或者比殉道者活得更痛苦。
前一整子我看了馬丁·史柯西斯執導的電影，通常我讀了書再去看電影，會把電影彈得一無是處，因為我對文字比較敏感，我會更喜歡作者豐富的詞彙和更多詳細的情節，但這部電影是例外。遠藤周作的文字簡單樸素，雖然故事很震撼令人深思。書裡面很多殉道場面都是以洛特里哥神父口述的方式描述，所以我們只知道他一個人的思緒，情緒和他看見的一切，其他人的情緒則被描述得很少。書裏面的幾場殉道，變成電影畫面就變得很有張力了，尤其是茂吉的殉道，他的屍體搬上岸，大腿的肌肉都已經硬化。好彩電影裏没有好萊塢式煽情，忠於原作。無論書或電影我最喜歡的角色，始終是那位因為怕死而不斷棄教犯錯，懺悔，再犯錯，再懺悔的吉治郎，他是就像小王子酒鬼星球上的酒鬼，週而復始的以酒精來麻木自己是酒鬼的愧疚。
thenofxlagwagon's review
2.0
Really struggled to finish this one. The style of writing just didn't work for me. More than that, the dialogue was just so bad. The theological "debates" were ridiculous on both sides. I've had so many discussions and listened to so many very intelligent people talk about these things, it was sort of shocking to come across this apparently extremely influential book that fumbles this badly on religion. What is everyone else reading that they think this book makes any compelling points on the subject at all?
shradar's review
3.0
The complexities of apostasy are bold in this classic. What is the point of mission and the staying power of the faith for those under oppression? How would you withstand the pain of turning against Christ?
Characters are vivid in their struggle and environment. Christians might wrestle with a tale of faith that doesn't end in Amish romance but it is worth the contemplation.
Characters are vivid in their struggle and environment. Christians might wrestle with a tale of faith that doesn't end in Amish romance but it is worth the contemplation.
csifbi23's review
challenging
dark
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
This book was not for me. As someone who has deconstructed, I found it a bit frustrating and slow. And, additionally, casually racist.
lakeshorelibrarian's review against another edition
3.0
The book felt interminable, but perhaps a book about long term imprisonment should feel as interminable to the reader as it does to the captive. It is not a very long book, so the atmosphere is to the author's (or the translator's) credit. It is an unusual piece of history, about Jesuit missionaries in the early 1600s in Japan, and it is based on a true story. The author's research was excellent, and you really have a feeling for the time. It is a famous novel in Japan (published in 1969) and was made into a motion picture by Martin Scorsese, who says he rereads the book often. I had enough trouble reading about torture, and don't actually want to see it, but many members of my book group are planning to see the film.
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0490215/
This is one of those books I would not have picked up on my own, and might not have finished it without the looming book club discussion deadline. I don't intend to reread it or see the film, but I am glad to have read it.
My book group talked for an hour and a half about nothing but the book, which may be a book club record. So that, too, is to the author's very great credit, because the book raises a lot of really interesting and complex questions about history, memory, faith, and religion, as well as cross-cultural communication and reading literature in translation.
It probably deserves 4 stars for craft alone, but I didn't enjoy any of it, so I graded it down, which is not really fair to the hard working author. If you're interested in the history, either of missionary work or of Japan, you should read it. On a bright sunny day surrounded by friends. I'm of the opinion that this type of book is really what you should take to the beach because the contrast makes the dark easier to take.
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0490215/
This is one of those books I would not have picked up on my own, and might not have finished it without the looming book club discussion deadline. I don't intend to reread it or see the film, but I am glad to have read it.
My book group talked for an hour and a half about nothing but the book, which may be a book club record. So that, too, is to the author's very great credit, because the book raises a lot of really interesting and complex questions about history, memory, faith, and religion, as well as cross-cultural communication and reading literature in translation.
It probably deserves 4 stars for craft alone, but I didn't enjoy any of it, so I graded it down, which is not really fair to the hard working author. If you're interested in the history, either of missionary work or of Japan, you should read it. On a bright sunny day surrounded by friends. I'm of the opinion that this type of book is really what you should take to the beach because the contrast makes the dark easier to take.
beckinasec's review
3.0
I came into this book with high expectations, but I only barely moved past indifference at what was supposed to be the emotional peak.
althusser19's review
lighthearted
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75