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A review by ben_miller
Shibumi by Trevanian
2.0
The more I reflect on it the less I like this novel. Despite its cultured prose and air of sophistication, this satire of the super-spy thriller is not much deeper than the airport paperbacks it’s satirizing. Its defining trait is a relentless, mean-spiritedness condescension—to everything and everyone. This would be tolerable if it were funny, or more explicitly self-aware, but most of the time it feels disturbingly sincere.
I was impressed by the caving scenes and some of the descriptions of Nicholai’s early life, not so much by his self-centered “mysticism” or his screeds against the materialistic Western “merchants” while living in a restored Basque mansion paid for by murder-for-hire.
I can see why this is kind of a cult classic, but I’m not a fan.
I was impressed by the caving scenes and some of the descriptions of Nicholai’s early life, not so much by his self-centered “mysticism” or his screeds against the materialistic Western “merchants” while living in a restored Basque mansion paid for by murder-for-hire.
I can see why this is kind of a cult classic, but I’m not a fan.