Shibumi

Rating:
Summary: it simply change your life !!
Review: I think that Trevanian is simply the best author. He writes his books in a way that makes you feel in the middle of the emotions of the leading characters. Since I read this shibumi-"guide" I've been searching all over the world to find more information about the Shibumi way of life. So this review is a call at the same time to everyone in the world who could tell me more about the Shibumi way of living...

Rating:
Summary: Not your ordinary cloak and dagger spy thriller!
Review: Shibumi is a masterpiece and worthy of the 5 star ratings it continues to receive. Nicholai Hel, the world's most dangerous assassin, is a hero like no other. He's also a pompous, egotistical twit! In his endless quest to achieve "Shibumi" has he forgotten his manners and how to behave like a gentleman? Certainly Diamond and his goon squad deserved the rude treatment (and the fate) they received, but did Hannah? She seeks his help and he insults her!

"May I call you Nicholai?" she asks.

"CERTAINLY NOT!" he replies coldly.

Forget him! If you're looking for a real Trevanian hero, try Jonathan Hemlock, the stone cold hit man and college professor featured in The Eiger Sanction & The Loo Sanction. Those two novels are above and beyond better than Shibumi!

Rating:
Summary: excellent
Review: How do I receive an autographed copy of this book? I would treasure it forever!!

Rating:
Summary: The Most Cinematic Literary Masterpiece of Our Time
Review: Guess you can tell I like this book. An amazing journey into the mind of a man torn between two worlds. More than a spy thriller, this is certainly, as others have said, a masterfully written study into the human psyche. Each chapter is seen as well as read. Something every good book should be able to accomplish. A perfect addition to any library. Should always be purchased in hardcover.

Rating:
Summary: Reading the book change some things in my life....
Review: Shibumi was lent to me by a friend while I was in the hospital. I have always been amazed with the Japanese way of living life and their thinking and Shibumi concept tops it all. Somehow I try to incorporate Shibumi into my life - hoping that I would be a Nicholai one of these days...

Rating:
Summary: "the confinement of the cranes to their nest"
Review: A masterful story, as the many reviews will tell you. In Shibumi, Trevanian goes beyond the spy-thriller genre (which he raised to the highest level in The Eiger Sanction and The Loo Sanction), to produce a novel that changes one's view on 'the perfect life.' The book is filled with memorable and vivid characters: the contemplative former counter assasin Nicolai Hel, the boisterous and rugged poet Le Cagot, and the serene concubine Hana. And as other reviewers have mentioned, one can't help quote lines from Shibumi--my favorite is "It is only that I don't find two sips of wine more delicious than one." Shibumi is about life where less really is more. One of my all-time favourites... the proverbial MUST READ.

Rating:
Summary: Like seeing the life we lost
Review: Shibumi is a site into life, it is soft filosophy and thriller at the same time, reading it felt like looking inside some sort of prefection, it is pure art writen by a brilliant man.

Rating:
Summary: Extremely well written and a gripping story
Review: I would rate Trevanian as one of the best fiction writers. His prose is highly entertaining and the description of events and subject is fascinating. I would recommend "Summer of Katya" by the same author to people who enjoyed this book. The amazing thing about trevanian is he can deal with totally different topic in his books but describe them with equal detail.

Rating:
Summary: Simply the best book I've ever read
Review: I am an extremely avid reader of all forms of novels, especially Spy novels , and I have to say that Shibumi has far and beyond surpassed everyone that I've read. Not only is it a masterpiece of literature, but also it's a guide to life. It has literally changed my life. I recommend this book to everyone I know, and I recommend it to you.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent
Review: I read this book some years ago and it is one of the few books that I go back to time and again to review a chapter or a page or a sentance. Part social commentary, part satire, all thriller, Shibumi comments on everything from the rise of the mediocre and the loss of individuality to corporate greed and the pursuit of power for its own sake. Don't be surprised if you find yourself quoting Nicolai Hel for years to come. It's good to see that Trevanian is back.