Trevanian - Shibumi (1979)
Shibumi is a Japanese concept that suggests complete harmony, tranquility, and balance. It is "eloquent silence" and "understanding, rather than knowledge." It is a state of being that one is unlikely to find in any Westerner.
One notable exception is Nicholai Hel. But then, Hel is hardly an ordinary Westerner. The son of a Russian countess, he was born in Shanghai and became the ward of a philosophical Japanese general. He grew to manhood as the student of a legendary master of Go, the Japanese board game that takes chess to a spiritual level.
With such a bizarre background, is it any wonder that Hel became the world's most accomplished assassin, the killer of dozens of targets, each in their own, unique way? Now, however, Nicholai has retired to his grand chateau in the Pyrenees, content to live the rest of his life among the Basque with his Eurasian concubine.
Of course, we know, as seasoned readers, that there's no way Hel is going to be allowed to rest in peace. The Mother Company -- the super-secret cartel that actually controls the world's governments -- is determined to make use of Hel, one way or another.
If this description of Shibumi sounds different from your average thriller, that's because Trevanian is not your average thriller writer. In many ways this book is more reminiscent of the works of James Clavell than Robert Ludlum. There's certainly a healthy component of action and suspense in Shibumi, particularly when Hel goes on spelunking adventures in forbidding mountain caves. What's more notable, though, is the history and poetry that the author brings to his story. He has obvious regard for and knowledge of the peoples and places that he describes in such lush detail.
A great book is one that can transport you to another place or time and make you feel as if you're part of a different life. In its best parts Shibumi does exactly that. If in some areas it's a little long, and by turns a little dull, the overall effect is one of beauty.
Posted by David J. Montgomery in Book Reviews | Permalink
