Shūsaku Endō (1923–1996)

Read this in preparation for my trip to Nagasaki during Holy Week and Easter. I tried to read it before around the time the Scorsese movie came out but didn't get beyond the first few pages. This time went through it in a few days, perhaps having since then become a weekly Mass goer again and much more aware of the history of Catholicism in Nagasaki.

Even though I like Inoue, the priest Rodrigues main tormentor, knew where it would end, it wasn't just an interesting philosophical or theological discussion, but the narrative was strong and drove the discussion. Rodrigues often discussed how Kichijiro would be a great Christian if times were easy, though he is also talking about himself by the end. Yet all the Christians in the book suffer for their faith, but even though there is a lot to think about in how torture and violence is used to "persuade" people -- or yourself -- especially in our age, people often do things they dislike just to get along, thinking we are helping out ourselves and others in the short or long run. How much are you willing to sacrifice to stay true to ourselves and our faith while living in society, especially if you live in one which does not share your values? Even though Endo pushes his characters to their extreme, that is at the heart of the book.… (altro)

"Endo's graceful life of Christ ranks with Francois Mauriac as one of the great volumes of its kind written in this century" (Harry James Cargas)

"He knows the land. His descriptions of the Judean countryside and the little towns that dot it, and of the incredibly bleak and empty desert, are among the most real and poetic I have ever read." (The Catholic Review)

"Endo is consummate writer who, as a master photographer, brings intense sentimant, character, and movement out of the subtle light and shadows that he focuses around his subject." (Choice)

" Shusaku Endo is considered one of Japan's greatest modern writers. His novel Silence is acknowleged as a masterpiece and has been translated into many languages. The Final Martyrs, published in English just before his death in 1996, reinforces his reputation as a major literary figure. Endo was born in 1923 and concerted to Christianity as a boy. His stories and novels attempt to integrate his religious faith with Japanese culture." (Publisher, back of book)… (altro)