Silence

Launched in 1967 to both controversy and acclaim, Silence has solidified its reputation as Shusaku Endo's defining achievement and one of the genre's most influential classics. With an introduction by Martin Scorsese.

Jesuit priest Sebastian Rodrigues sets sail for Japan in 1640, full of idealistic fire. But the cold land he arrives in has no place for missionaries: the Tokugawa shogunate has banned Christianity, and believers face torture and execution.

Living in hiding, leading worship in secret, Rodrigues begins to question the true meaning of compassion - and the limits of his own belief.

This stunning work of historical fiction - adapted it into a film - is one of literature's deepest explorations of doubt, fellowship, and enduring faith.

Part of the Pushkin Press Classics series: timeless storytelling by icons of literature, hand-picked from around the globe.

Translated by William Johnston.