Silence

One of the finest historical novels written by anyone, anywhere … Flawless – David Mitchell, author of Cloud Atlas and The Bone ClocksThis is a masterpiece. There can be no higher praise * Daily Telegraph *One of the finest novels of our time – Graham GreeneA remarkable work … sombre, delicate and startlingly empathetic – John Updike * New Yorker *Superb and harrowing - his masterpiece * Observer *A marvellous book … Shusaku Endo is giving deep thought to the most basic problems of truth and how in exchanging it among ourselves we misconstruct its nature at every step * Spectator *Silence is a compelling historical fiction, a potent distillation of the paradoxes and ambiguities of faith and, from a Christian author, a daring challenge to religious orthodoxy – 1000 Novels Everyone Must Read * Guardian *

Shusaku Endo is widely regarded as one of the greatest Japanese authors of the late twentieth century. Born in 1923, he won many major literary awards and was nominated for the Nobel Prize several times. His novels, which have been translated into twenty-eight languages, include The Sea and Poison, Wonderful Fool, Deep River and Silence. He died in 1996.