I have stopped describing things as “the best I have ever read/heard/seen” because things change, I change, and this is usually not a reliable statement given time. That being said I can say with certainty that Shusaku Endo’s novel Silence is certainly one of the most impactful books I have ever read and, in one read, has become foundational for me.

The book was written after Endo, who was born in Tokyo, contemplated an historical artifact called a Fumie. A fumie is an iconic image of Christ that was part of Japanese Christian worship in the 17th century. While considering the image Endo learned that it had been blackened by the feet of numerous Japanese Christians who had trod upon it to apostatize their faith after it became illegal. Endo wondered whether he, under similar circumstance, would remain strong or walk on the fumie. Out these considerations arose the novel silence.

Silence is historical fiction set in 17th century Japan and follows the Portuguese Jesuit Fr. Sebastian Rodrigues as he undertakes a journey to Japan to determine what is happening to the Christian community, previous missionaries and what can be done to help.

Ultimately the novel, though set almost 400 years in the past, is one of modern sensibility and style. There is much that is reminiscent of French existential literature like Sartre and Camus as Endo delves deeply into the mind of one who questions one of the core reasons people lose faith – the seeming silence of God in the face of incredible suffering.

The journey through Silence is powerful, poignant and painful. Endo masterfully crafts a very personal protagonist whom we come to love and develop certain expectations of…in so doing Endo inevitably guides the reader on a journey through their own beliefs, conceptions and misconceptions about themselves.

The novel is simply unforgettable and the heart-wrenching. The work of a true master artist I believe it should be considered a “must read”. It will be interesting to see how Martin Scorcese interprets it in his coming film based on the novel.

P.S. To any who would like to borrow my copy – I am sorry – I value this so much I won’t be lending it out but you can find it at Amazon.