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A review by shanviolinlove
Silence by Shūsaku Endō
4.0
Compelling story of sacrifice and devotion for God and His followers, Silence follows a missionary's journey to Japan to seek a fellow priest and countryman who had infamously apostatized. Upon his entrance to Japan he meets other covert believers, as well as the troubled Kichijiro, whose faith is complicated by his fear of the oppressive persecution the nation's officials are enacting upon Christians. The novel features interesting dialogues between Christians (specifically Catholics) and resistant Japanese in regards to how this religion, especially in its westernized form, can be reconciled in an eastern culture and nation.
As is mentioned in the intro and prologue, the message that Christianity cannot take root in Japan is not only rejected by the characters (who point out that the religion in the past had flourished, but it is because of persecution that it cannot be reconciled), but also by the number of believers in the country. An even more powerful motif throughout the novel is its title, Silence, referring to God's seeming silence toward his sufferers during torture and martyrdom. Whether or not Endo is offering some kind of critique (though, based on the preface materials, I would argue no), he definitely highlights a reality among many Christians who face overwhelming trials on Earth--why does God allow this, and why does God not intervene in a supernatural way? Why is His voice so hard to hear in moments of crisis when it is most needed? The protagonist Rodrigues arrives at his own conclusion to this dilemma.
Silence is an evocative story that brought me to tears several times, especially in its poignancy and urgency. The hymn that is referenced throughout the novel resonates with scriptural significance and beauty. My one reason for not awarding this a full five stars is in Endo's repetition, belaboring over details or even entire scenes again and again, as well as helping the reader a little too much with foreshadowing. True, he does this intentionally to heighten the climax, but these efforts do come across now and then as heavy-handed. Regardless, this is a beautiful, arresting novel, and I look forward to reading more of Endo's work in the future. Having begun this novel around Christmastime, I was able to consider the true cost of discipleship, as well as Christ's sacrifice and commission.
As is mentioned in the intro and prologue, the message that Christianity cannot take root in Japan is not only rejected by the characters (who point out that the religion in the past had flourished, but it is because of persecution that it cannot be reconciled), but also by the number of believers in the country. An even more powerful motif throughout the novel is its title, Silence, referring to God's seeming silence toward his sufferers during torture and martyrdom. Whether or not Endo is offering some kind of critique (though, based on the preface materials, I would argue no), he definitely highlights a reality among many Christians who face overwhelming trials on Earth--why does God allow this, and why does God not intervene in a supernatural way? Why is His voice so hard to hear in moments of crisis when it is most needed? The protagonist Rodrigues arrives at his own conclusion to this dilemma.
Silence is an evocative story that brought me to tears several times, especially in its poignancy and urgency. The hymn that is referenced throughout the novel resonates with scriptural significance and beauty. My one reason for not awarding this a full five stars is in Endo's repetition, belaboring over details or even entire scenes again and again, as well as helping the reader a little too much with foreshadowing. True, he does this intentionally to heighten the climax, but these efforts do come across now and then as heavy-handed. Regardless, this is a beautiful, arresting novel, and I look forward to reading more of Endo's work in the future. Having begun this novel around Christmastime, I was able to consider the true cost of discipleship, as well as Christ's sacrifice and commission.