Rating: 
Summary: Christianity is banished!
Review: In 1614, Japan banished Christianity, an d from 1619, it began to execute Christians. Later, it opted on more excruciating measures by torturing Christians to death until they apostatized. The Church, afraid that Christianity might die out in Japan, sent some missionaries to spread Christianity secretly in Japan and work underground. However many of the fathers were caught, tortured, and killed by the Japanese officials. The Church had been receiving letters from Father Ferreira about the conditions of Christians in Japan and other news, until suddenly the letters stopped coming. Worried and curious about what could have happened to the Father, the church, few years later, sends Father Rodrigues and Father Garrpe on deadly mission to find what became of Father Ferreira and to report on the condition of the Christians in Japan. A Japanese man called Kichijiro leads the two fathers to Japan. Kichijiro is Christian, but vehemently denies it. After arriving at Japan, Kichijiro brings them to a where there are Christians. The villagers are ecstatic, that finally fathers have come to guide them and hear their sufferings. The villagers build a hideout for the fathers to live secretly so that the guards won't find out. However, luck runs out and the guards hear the rumors that there are two priests in hiding. They ransack the village and take three villagers, whom they tie up on big pole and leave them at the shore until tide comes and drowns them. Anguished the fathers decide to split up and leave the village. Father Garrpe goes north while Father Rodrigues makes his way toward Nagasaki where he heard are hundreds of Christians in hiding. However, on his way, Father Rodrigues finds Kichijiro, who tricks him and leads him directly to the guards. The guards put the Father in prison for many days, starving and thirsty. They command him to apostatize, but he refuses. Then the guards tie him, and drag him around the town. They command him to apostatize, but he refuses. Then they take him back to the prison and leave him in the prison without any water or food. During this time, Father Rodrigues learns that Father Ferreira is still alive. A few days later Father Rodrigues encounter Inoue, "the terror for the Christians. (35)" Inoue says that Father Rodrigues will sooner or later apostatize, just like the other, just like Father Ferreira. According to him, the "swamp of Japan will swallow him." Inoue challenges Father Rodrigues by asking, why the God remains silent while his people are suffering. Then Inoue says that unless the Father apostatizes, other Christians in the prison, even the ones who had apostatized will be hung upside down from a tree all their blood is drained out of the body. Now, the Father is torn between whether he should apostatize for the sake of others or whether he should let them suffer and hold strong to his faith. Furthermore, he starts wondering why God is silent. This is an excellent book; I simply couldn't put it down until the last page. I think it provides an interesting angle on how the Japanese looked at Christianity and the situation of Japan at that time. Furthermore, it's a very powerful and moving book for both Christians and non-Christians.
Rating:
Summary: Christianity is banished!
Review: In 1614, Japan banished Christianity, and from 1619, it began to execute Christians. Later, it opted on more excruciating measures by torturing Christians to death until they apostatized. The Church, afraid that Christianity might die out in Japan, sent some missionaries to spread Christianity secretly in Japan and work underground. However many of the fathers were caught, tortured, and killed by the Japanese officials. The Church had been receiving letters from Father Ferreira about the conditions of Christians in Japan and other news, until suddenly the letters stopped coming. Worried and curious about what could have happened to the Father, the church, few years later, sends Father Rodrigues and Father Garrpe on deadly mission to find what became of Father Ferreira and to report on the condition of the Christians in Japan. A Japanese man called Kichijiro leads the two fathers to Japan. Kichijiro is Christian, but vehemently denies it. After arriving at Japan, Kichijiro brings them to a where there are Christians. The villagers are ecstatic, that finally fathers have come to guide them and hear their sufferings. The villagers build a hideout for the fathers to live secretly so that the guards won't find out. However, luck runs out and the guards hear the rumors that there are two priests in hiding. They ransack the village and take three villagers, whom they tie up on big pole and leave them at the shore until tide comes and drowns them. Anguished the fathers decide to split up and leave the village. Father Garrpe goes north while Father Rodrigues makes his way toward Nagasaki where he heard are hundreds of Christians in hiding. However, on his way, Father Rodrigues finds Kichijiro, who tricks him and leads him directly to the guards. The guards put the Father in prison for many days, starving and thirsty. They command him to apostatize, but he refuses. Then the guards tie him, and drag him around the town. They command him to apostatize, but he refuses. Then they take him back to the prison and leave him in the prison without any water or food. During this time, Father Rodrigues learns that Father Ferreira is still alive. A few days later Father Rodrigues encounter Inoue, "the terror for the Christians. (35)" Inoue says that Father Rodrigues will sooner or later apostatize, just like the other, just like Father Ferreira. According to him, the "swamp of Japan will swallow him." Inoue challenges Father Rodrigues by asking, why the God remains silent while his people are suffering. Then Inoue says that unless the Father apostatizes, other Christians in the prison, even the ones who had apostatized will be hung upside down from a tree all their blood is drained out of the body. Now, the Father is torn between whether he should apostatize for the sake of others or whether he should let them suffer and hold strong to his faith. Furthermore, he starts wondering why God is silent. This is an excellent book; I simply couldn't put it down until the last page. I think it provides an interesting angle on how the Japanese looked at Christianity and the situation of Japan at that time. Furthermore, it's a very powerful and moving book for both Christians and non-Christians.
Rating:
Summary: Profound
Review: In Silence, Shusaku Endo gives us a work that strips faith to its essential core. The historical material (fascinating), the suspensful plot (perfectly wrought) and the questions of apostasy (intriguing), in the end, lead us to one question: What is faith? Is it adherence to tradition? Is it "belief" in doctrines? Is it fidelity to one's understanding of the Gospel? Is it possible that an act of apostasy can actually be an act of faith? One of the great books of the twentieth century, no doubt.
Rating:
Summary: Very Thought Provoking
Review: In this book, Shusaku Endo presents the reader with a story of a priest who travels to Japan during a time of great persecution. While a great reference, Foxe's Book of Martyrs has nothing on this. Rather than tell the story of martyrs, Shusaku brings them to life. He paints a very clear and realistic picture of the exquisite pain visited upon adherents of the faith. The overriding moral question in this book relates to the priest when he is brought in to apostatize. There are already several Japanese villagers hanging upside down in a pit of excrement, enduring days of this torture. These people have already apostatized, but are being left there to entice Father Rodrigues to apostatize. So what would you do? Would you renounce your faith, if only with your mouth, to spare the lives of people who already renounced their's? Would you throw away a lifetime of study, training, and devotion, and concede to living a life in which you must forever deal with the shame of doing so, and are forced to continually apostatize by fabricating arguments that refute your faith?
Rating:
Summary: Very Thought Provoking
Review: In this book, Shusaku Endo presents the reader with a story of a priest who travels to Japan during a time of great persecution. While a great reference, Foxe's Book of Martyrs has nothing on this. Rather than tell the story of martyrs, Shusaku brings them to life. He paints a very clear and realistic picture of the exquisite pain visited upon adherents of the faith. The overriding moral question in this book relates to the priest when he is brought in to apostatize. There are already several Japanese villagers hanging upside down in a pit of excrement, enduring days of this torture. These people have already apostatized, but are being left there to entice Father Rodrigues to apostatize. So what would you do? Would you renounce your faith, if only with your mouth, to spare the lives of people who already renounced their's? Would you throw away a lifetime of study, training, and devotion, and concede to living a life in which you must forever deal with the shame of doing so, and are forced to continually apostatize by fabricating arguments that refute your faith?
Rating:
Summary: Profound
Review: It is the early sixteen hundreds and the Japanese government has declared the Christian faith illegal. The Catholic clergy is expelled or martyred and the Japanese Christians are left to fend for themselves. It is a time of suspision, persecution, seffering and death. Father Rodrigues, a man of faith and love, slips into Japan to bring the Christian faith. To him Japan is a land of darkness that needs the light of Christ, a land of despair which needs the hope of Christ, and a land of hate which needs the love of Christ. Into this world Father Rodrigues flings himself hoping to plant the seed of Christianity and prove that a root can grow. Through hiding, suffering, torture, and denile Father Rodrigues finds the Christ he "steps" on. And in finding Him he unearths a love greater than death. In Silence Endo shows us that through suffering and denial a lonly priest finds true happiness. This is a great example for a modern world desperate for answers.
Rating:
Summary: Gripping exploration of faith in a God who seems silent
Review: Not your typical beach reading but I took this on a Caribbean vacation and I coulnd't put it down. When I finally did, it was with a huge sigh of relief. It was a difficult book to read, very moving, very disturbing, beautifully written! I borrowed it from library but now wish to own it so I can mark up all the significant passages. Read this book,cherish it's message. It will haunt you forever - especially of you are a Christian.
Rating:
Summary: Perplexing, convincing, dramatic, ultimately a classic!
Review: Shusaku Endo's art in "Silence" shakes the foundation of evangelism aimed from the West to the East. It disturbs the much-sought comfort via a generic faith in God. It thwarts the communication of a belief in one God in violent "Screwtape" terms. It highlights the possibility that Truth may be universal ... or maybe not. It can injure or heal an individual. It can lead to a greater realization of the Maker. It can validate or nullify the value of God's love. It can simply be an interesting story. Nonetheless, read it. I would not recommend this novel to the newest of Christian converts, or to new Buddists for that matter. As a literary work, Endo weaves irony, metaphor, symbolizism (especially corresponding the plight of Jesus Christ and Judas Iscariot to his protagonist) beyond compare. This text is masterfully crafted. Miss it -- dear Christian or agnostic or atheist or across-the-board avid reader -- and you have missed a human, albeit supernatural, marvel approaching concepts of central spiritual meaningfulness and justification. The "mud swamp" of Japan may be expanding. Curiously, in this generation, it may be shrinking. Adjust your posture. Think.
Rating:
Summary: Account of the spiritual dilemmas of a persecuted Christian
Review: Shusaku Endo, a medical doctor and Japanese Christian, generally writes on either of these two aspects of his experience. In this book he explores the psychological and spiritual conflicts of a 16th century Japanese Christian during that period's times of intense persecution. The novel displays some of the finest of Japanese literature's exploration into the psyche, while presenting the philosophical dilemmas of a faithful Christian. A very memorable and artful book, with much drama
Rating:
Summary: An agonizingly beautiful work
Review: Silence is a painful investigation of human weakness in the face of a silent yet perfectly loving god.
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