Who else but Endo is credited with the notion of, "an ordeal such that, please note, the ethical is the temptation."—Silence (and Trembling) (1966). Given he is writing over a century after this combination of words has appeared on paper somewhere, we are not shocked by the nature of the final temptation, though perhaps bemused that our protagonists are unprepared to exegete around it.

The close reader will apprehend that the absence of a language barrier is due to the fact that, by their due diligence in preparation for this journey, our priests have watched a lot of anime on videocassette. ( )

Catholic novel on 17th c priest

A friend had this novel listed in her to read list, so when I saw it at a used bookstore, I bought it. We both decided to read it together and this novel surprisedly me greatly because I’m not usually someone who reads fiction. It starts a bit slow in the prologue and I almost gave up finishing it before chapter one; however, I am so glad I kept reading.

This book’s ending seems negative in some ways, but it really makes you think. The plot and ending lead you to reflect far more deeply on things. This is what award winning novels are meant to do. The author proves his expertise in constructing this novel by giving the reader that chance to reflect deeply on the ideas revealed in the book, causing us ponder deeply what the right action should be.

God’s silence was often mentioned in this novel, but I saw many moments when He was not at all silent in the book, but instead how the priest seems almost to forget those graces of God’s presence or not notice them in how Scriptures or Christ’s face is brought to his mind. Likewise, the book explains God’s “silence” if you continue through to the very end. It reminds me of how alike we are to the priest, ourselves often thinking God is silent in the midst of our trials or injustices: God brings a small grace here and there and yet we fail to notice or we later forget it happened in the face of evil, struggle, or pain. Or worse yet, we forget God is there with us through it all.

I highly recommend this novel. The only reason for 4 stars is that the translation was a bit odd every once in a while. Otherwise, this novel was so well-presented with many layers of meaning. It is an especially beneficial read for Christians when approached with an aim to grow and be challenged by reflecting on all within the book. ( )

Really astounding. ( )

I read this book just before Scorsese's film came out, and mostly in order to see how another author tackled depicting 17th century Japan. The basis of the story is built on a foundation of Christian history in Japan, and it simply and gracefully addresses issues of faith and failure in our attempts to find meaning and individual purpose through our belief or denial of a God. It's a thought provoking tale that's worth your time. ( )