English language
Published April 5, 1999
Silence
by Shūsaku Endō
(0 reviews)
Silence (沈黙, Chinmoku) is a 1966 novel of theological and historical fiction by Japanese author Shūsaku Endō, published in English by Peter Owen Publishers. It is the story of a Jesuit missionary sent to 17th century Japan, who endures persecution in the time of Kakure Kirishitan ("Hidden Christians") that followed the defeat of the Shimabara Rebellion. The recipient of the 1966 Tanizaki Prize, it has been called "Endo's supreme achievement" and "one of the twentieth century's finest novels". Written partly in the form of a letter by its central character, the theme of a silent God who accompanies a believer in adversity was greatly influenced by the Catholic Endō's experience of religious discrimination in Japan, culture gap in France, and a debilitating bout with tuberculosis.The novel has been adapted to film twice, a 1971 Japanese film directed by Masahiro Shinoda (for which Endo co-wrote the screenplay), and a 2016 film …
Silence (沈黙, Chinmoku) is a 1966 novel of theological and historical fiction by Japanese author Shūsaku Endō, published in English by Peter Owen Publishers. It is the story of a Jesuit missionary sent to 17th century Japan, who endures persecution in the time of Kakure Kirishitan ("Hidden Christians") that followed the defeat of the Shimabara Rebellion. The recipient of the 1966 Tanizaki Prize, it has been called "Endo's supreme achievement" and "one of the twentieth century's finest novels". Written partly in the form of a letter by its central character, the theme of a silent God who accompanies a believer in adversity was greatly influenced by the Catholic Endō's experience of religious discrimination in Japan, culture gap in France, and a debilitating bout with tuberculosis.The novel has been adapted to film twice, a 1971 Japanese film directed by Masahiro Shinoda (for which Endo co-wrote the screenplay), and a 2016 film directed by American filmmaker Martin Scorsese.