Reading Japan—Kyushu Edition: Silence by Shusaku Endo
Silence by Shūsaku Endō (Translated by William Johnson) My Quick Take: Steeped in the history of Jesuits in Japan, this novel was an effective exploration of the hard reality of conviction. Visit my home post for my Reading Japan—Kyushu Edition reading project! *** I approached Endō’s award-winning 1966 novel Silence knowing that it is highly regarded by many writers and critics, and has been made into a 2017 film of the same name by Martin Scorsese. The book won Japan’s literary Tanizaki Prize award in 1966. I also read it having finished and loved Endō’s book The Sea and Poison . I had planned to read Silence for my “Reading Japan–Kyushu Edition” project in advance of my trip to Kyushu, but now I’m interested in Endō’s writing generally and want to read more. Silence is the story of Father Sebastian Rodrigues, a Portuguese Jesuit priest who travels to Japan with another priest in search of his mentor, Father Ferreira. The year is 1640, and the setting is in and around Nagasa...
