Book World Tour: Japan
- Michael T. Stack
- May 19, 2022
- 2 min read
I should be writing something for my actual job right now, but for I just can't, so here's my Japanese picks! Shusaku Endo is one of the best authors I've ever read, and I'm excited to read more of his works, but so far I have these two under my belt. Despite the latter being lower rated, I actually liked it a lot more. Let's jump in!
I read Silence so I could watch the adaptation (dir. Martin Scorsese), but the book affected me so much that I have yet to watch the adaptation! This book made me consider my religious beliefs in many ways that I've never done before. I was incredibly moved by the lead characters and their journeys.
This is definitely one of Endo's most accessible book, as it has amassed a lot of mainstream popularity. It focuses a lot on Christianity, and made a serious lasting impact on me. I was immediately inspired to read more by Endo after finishing Silence, which is what lead me to the next book, Deep River.
Deep River, sadly, has not been adapted, but I would be first in line to see it on opening night if it ever did!
While vastly different in story, both novels are rooted in spirituality.
Deep River deals with love, loss, and destiny. The main focus is on tragedy and loss, and this moved me to tears more than once! I definitely want to re-visit this novel soon because I was blown away.
One of the best parts about it is it doesn't stay in one place or one country, it visits many different countries as the main characters go through their respective emotional journeys.
Deep River also touches on a lot of important questions in relation to humanity (in relation to suffering and happiness), religion, and the differences of people across the world. Slices of different religions (Christianity, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Shintoism) are featured as well, but not in black-and-white ways. They are brought up and immediately brought into question (especially with how each deal with sin and death.
I was surprised by how much this novel affected me, because I did not think I could be into such a humanity-questioning story. I was greatly challenged by this novel, and I really wish Endo were alive today to write more like this, as this was his last work before his passing.
While Silence was a more focused story, Deep River's emotional and spiritual awareness surpassed Silence's for me. I got quite attached to the cast of characters Endo introduced, and although Deep River's ending came suddenly, it seemed perfect due to the nature of the topics. It ended with a lot of things unanswered, but leaving them unanswered almost felt like the perfect answer.
Having also read other books by other Japanese authors, I wanted to recommend one other: Never Let ME Go by Kazuo Ishiguro. It is a FANTASTIC book, and he won the Novel Prize for literature in 2017!
Next stop on my book tour: Tunisia: The Ardent Swarm
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