Shibumi: A Novel Paperback – 10 May 2005

Beautifully written. 2nd time I’ve read this and it didn’t disappoint.

Ok, the first few hundred pages are stellar, the development of story, plot and character history are great.But without giving too much away, I feel like certain characters fell off the map and lost development, as well as that, far too much time was spent talking about Go.The last 20 or so pages are good. So read the start, scan the middle and read the end. Apart from that, I felt as though films like John Wick have over hyped the book.

I read this book many years ago so reading it again I new what to expect. But still a brilliantly written book.

I could write a long review of this novel, which I first read twenty years ago, but I won't.It is, for me, one of the best thrillers ever written. Nikolai Hel, the protagonist, is utterly memorable and possibly as scary as Hannibal Lecter in his own way (though Shibumi is not a horror novel in the way Thomas Harris' is), but much more subtly.This goes way beyond so-called airport fiction. It's literate, subtle, beautifully drawn and entirely compelling.Read it.

The first 250 pages of this book are outstanding. The book introduces 'The Mother Company' which is an alliance between oil companies and oil producing nations which seeks to exert control over the world. (The book is set during the oil crisis of the 1970s). This organisation is all that a conspiracy theorist could imagine. The narrative is engrossing and also very funny.Parallel to this the background of the character of Hel is introduced. He is rather like a cross between James Bond, a Samurai warrior, and Hannibal Lector. He has nearly supernatural ability to control his physiological responses, he has ESP-like perceptual abilities, he is very sophisticated and although he is not Japanese that is the culture he adheres to.The back story of Hel is wonderfully written, and it makes a fine counterpoint to the satirical presentation of 'The Mother Company'.The second half of the book - a mere 200 pages! - is very poor and indulges the author's whims. It is largely set in the Basque country and has a long digression on caving (something in which Hel excels). There are various cardboard characters (a Basque Falstaff figure is ludicrous) and none of them are interesting. The author was an American who became very negative in his attitude toward his country and the Western world in general. Large portions of the text come across as a diatribe against the West circa 1979. The tone is one of arrogance unrelieved with wit or, indeed, compassion and one cannot help feeling it was just an excuse for the author to trot out his contempt for a world that he feels has gone awry. His opinions may be right - one may agree with them - but they are out of place in a piece of fiction that is, by and large, a thriller. Oswald Spengler 'The Decline Of The West' and Ian Fleming simply do not make interesting or entertaining companions.....The last part of the book (perhaps 50 pages) tries to marry up the Basque digressions to the machinations of the conspiracy with Hel saving the world a la James Bond. The conclusion is pat and - given the astringent tone of the earlier parts of the book - oddly (indeed overly) sentimental.

This book was on my son-in-law's wish list so I knew he'd be pleased.

The tragedy is that Trevanian only got to write one book about Nicholas Hel. This is a long, meditative work. It's disquisitions on '70s politics and economics can seem dated but, if anything, have acquired enhanced relevance in the last few years with their concern for the environment, the dominance of energy companies and the weakness of Western governments. For a thriller the key points at which Hel uses his exceptional assassin's skills are dealt with almost cursorily. Far more extended are the sections on caving, "Go", and the nature of Basque culture. This won't be to everyone's taste but I found it beautifully crafted, more serious than the "Sanction" books yet still with a playful tone, especially when castigating Trevanian's own native USA as well as the British, French and Spanish.

I chanced upon this book after watching John Wick, where is was mentioned in one of the many facts dotted throughout the movie (when watching it on Prime).I'm so pleased I've had the pleasure of reading such a great novel.

Outstanding writing, complex and truly skillful. I found much of the book requiring research into phrasing I was not familiar with but found intriguing. The writer is talented beyond description.

Great

Action driven story, with multiple references to Japanes culture (especially the game of Go) and caving.Re-read this multiple times over the years≈. Bought this (first edition) hardcover for my son so he does no longer have to borrow my 40 year old paperback that is starting to fall apart.

Me encanta este libro, lo he leído cuatro o cinco veces a lo largo de los años y quería tenerlo en formato electrónico. He leído también otros libros de este autor que no me gustaron tanto. La caracterización de los personajes es perfecta, la trama muy buena y las reflexiones que incorpora muy interesantes. He leído una crítica en cuanto a que "envejece mal" por el tipo de ordenador, pero si es por eso, no leeríamos libros ambientados en el Medievo. Cuando me jubile, quiero aprender a jugar Go. Lo recomiendo!!

稀代の暗殺者ヘルの物語り。日本文化、特に碁の伝統に拠って彼の人格形成がなされている。この着想と迫力が強烈で素晴らしい。忘れられない人物となった。殆ど内容を忘れたので再読したが、事件はともかく主人公ヘルの印象は強烈に残っていた。70・80年代の東洋神秘哲学流行が漂う。洞窟探検部分がやたら長い！のは著者の趣味か。再読して感心するのは戦後日本の姿を克明に描いていることで、その中で呻吟するヘル、岸川将軍には心打たれた。成程、ウィンスロウ氏がSatoriで本書が書かなかった部分に着目したのは頷ける。同書も併せ読むと感動が増すでしょう。