Silence

"This book offers a very deep look into faith and the human spirit. The first half of the book is told from a first hand account of Father Sebastian Rodrigues. I enjoyed this perspective because it allowed the reader to see a very human side of a priest. The longing for martyrdom versus the reality of vanity plays a big role throughout the book. Not for any readers with a soft stomach, Endo describes various human torture in detail that made my stomach churn. Overall, this was a thought provoking book set in a time that I don’t normally read about. I watched the trailer for the movie after I finished the book, and it looks very close to the book. Despite the dark themes, I enjoyed it. 4/5 stars"

"Violent content warning, yes, but beautiful in the sense that it stabs you in the heart. Raises so many questions that I'm still processing and honestly don't think I'll ever have answers to here on earth. I highly recommend reading this, just be prepared to ask a lot of questions. And be willing to ask them. And make sure you're in a decent mental state before you read it.<br/><br/>Secondly, I'd highly recommend reading the gospel narrative, particularly the betrayal, Peter's denial, and the crucifixion alongside this. They're highly illuminating in terms of the themes of this book. <br/><br/>Finally - watch the movie. It's a very good adaptation. Huge content warning on it, but it's super well done if you can get past the Star Wars-Marvel-Narnia mash of the actors. The director's spin on understanding of the novel and the emotions swirling in it is inspiring, in a twisted sense of the word. In complete honesty, I don't think I've ever felt darkness like this in a movie before. So once again, enter it in a good mental state but you won't regret it."