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A review by kristidurbs
Silence by Shūsaku Endō
4.0
A fictional tale of Portuguese priests sent as missionaries to Japan in the 1600s, at a time when Christianity was illegal and Christians met martyrdom or suffered until denying their faith.
Things that made this book good: it tackles issues of spreading Christianity in other cultures; the book posits a philosophical dilemma of being forced to choose between denying one's faith or else to watch national Christians die a horrendous death; and ultimately the book wrestles deeply with the feelings and belief of the characters that God is silent, especially in times of persecution.
The first half is written in first person as letters, then shifts between 3rd person and 1st person POV for the second half. At times this felt confusing, but the first half as letters was effective at covering a lot of historical ground and moving the plot along.
Suspenseful, thought-provoking, and cruel, "Silence" is a great work of literature.
Things that made this book good: it tackles issues of spreading Christianity in other cultures; the book posits a philosophical dilemma of being forced to choose between denying one's faith or else to watch national Christians die a horrendous death; and ultimately the book wrestles deeply with the feelings and belief of the characters that God is silent, especially in times of persecution.
The first half is written in first person as letters, then shifts between 3rd person and 1st person POV for the second half. At times this felt confusing, but the first half as letters was effective at covering a lot of historical ground and moving the plot along.
Suspenseful, thought-provoking, and cruel, "Silence" is a great work of literature.