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Shibumi

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About this listen

 Nicholai Hel, born in the ravages of World War I China to an aristocratic Russian mother and a mysterious German father, raised in the spiritual gardens of a Japanese Go Master, survives the destruction of Hiroshima to emerge as the world's most artful lover and its most accomplished and highly paid assassin. Genius, mystic, master of language and culture, Hel's secret is his determination to attain a rare kind of personal excellence, a state of effortless perfection: shibumi.

Now living in an isolated mountain fortress with his magnificent Eurasian mistress, Hel faces his most sinister enemy, a super-monolith of espionage and monopoly. The battle lines are drawn: ruthless power and corruption on one side and on the other, shibumi.

©1979 Trevanian (P)2005 Blackstone Audiobooks Espionage Spies & Politics Thriller & Suspense China Imperial Japan Military Russia

Critic reviews

"It's hard to imagine a more nearly perfect spy story." ( Milwaukee Journal)
"Novels about international intrigue demand intricate plotting. Shibumi delivers." ( Los Angeles Times)
All stars
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This is said to be regarded as Trevanian's most critically acclaimed work, and while I enjoyed the book for its breadth of plot (it covers the main character's life from more or less birth through retirement), and the deepness of the main character, I found it dragged a bit in places.
Having said that, I stuck with it, and it was an enjoyable listen. I don't know a great deal about the author, but his descriptions of pot-holing (like those of climbing in 'Eiger' and 'Loo') are excellent, but if they were in a film, they would be the point at which I chose to go to the toilet!
It seems that a good deal of research went into this epic novel, and it does show.
The reader does a fairly good job covering all the characters and accents, although there is still the under-twang of an American accent, I didn't find it to be disconcerting.
Unlike the 'Eiger Sanction', I don't think this would translate well to film, so if you are interested in this, you're going to have to read it or listen to it!

Unusual and interesting

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Good book, good listen. Ran well. Have already read the book but was worth hearing again.

Good listen

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Interesting story to certain degree. A bit too slow for me personally and focused on areas that I (again personally) found quite boring and not really helpful in moving the story along. Not bad but not one I'd recommend and not an author I'd be searching out in future.

Great for fans of caving

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A specialist genre -'spy spoof' but worth the occasional visit especially for this book. Not quite a 5* but a good 4. Almost took it seriously at times until a sudden ludicrous jolt reminded me it was a send up. Very clever book and amusing in a non-LOL kind of way.

'Spy Spoof'

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From start to finish a wonder and well crafted book of great depth. This is the 2nd time I've listened to it after having read the hard back. Super in every way.

Fabulous

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