Sachiko

BOOK REVIEW
[Sachiko] Christian Japanese youths Sachiko and Shuhei; American brothers Jim and Van; and Polish Catholic Father Kolbe meet in Nagasaki before following their individual paths during World War II.
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WHAT I LIKED
So many unknown stories. I learned of Father Kolbe (I'm not familiar with Catholic saints) giving his life for others. I learned of Japan's home front during WW2. Endo created a fine line between what the characters were told, and what was truly happening. He analyzes the questions Christian draftees faced and the prejudice Christian Japanese faced.
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Endo brings in snatches of beautiful moments. I wish he did more to capitalize on the symbols he began to unlock. Passages of the cherry blossoms and decrept house were my favorite.
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WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE
Overall, I had a difficult time empathizing with the characters just because they were so shallow. Their thoughts were canned cheese and not in a good way. Endo directly states any complexity. It complete looses any mystery. Readers only get a general statements overlooking their daily lives. Other characters seem to be created out of convenience. They exist simply for one main character to complete a moment, and then disappear. I received minuscule insight from this book.
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Sachiko (by Shusaku Endo) ⚡️1/5
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