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A review by coldprintcoffee
Satori by Don Winslow
5.0
To start, I did not read Shibumi but due to the information on the inside flap, researched the origins and gained more of an understanding of what Winslow was trying to emulate. Therefore, it is difficult for me to comment one way or another on if he nailed that aspect and wrote it in a Trevanian-esque voice.
I could not put this down. It had layers of intrigue, impelling me to read on to the point at which I wasn't able to set this down. I carried it in one hand while I cleaned, cooked, watched television shows; it pulled me away from many things, which is not something books do too often, despite my love of reading. However, the layers were revealed and then another one was laid down, all in quick succession. I didn't feel rushed, though. Nicholai Hel, however, is fleshed enough, but I think the gaps are purposeful because, like any good Go player, he doesn't lay out everything in his mind like an open book - even to the readers, which I think improves the pacing.
And, as spies are, it makes sense. Just because we are readers does not make us privy to every detail, and it leaves it open for more expansion and thought. The sparse and precise details of the buildings, the locations, the food, the behavioral nuances of different ethnicities and cultures, the locations, the women, the fight scenes - oh did I mention the locations? Superbly written, though I can't attest to its precise accuracy. It built a wonderful 3D model for my mind, from the ground up, that I could picture as I ran around exploring the worlds for myself.
All in all, I hope Winslow did Trevanian justice, or at least did what he could despite the obvious limitations - after all, no writer can fully carve out another person's creative mind.
I could not put this down. It had layers of intrigue, impelling me to read on to the point at which I wasn't able to set this down. I carried it in one hand while I cleaned, cooked, watched television shows; it pulled me away from many things, which is not something books do too often, despite my love of reading. However, the layers were revealed and then another one was laid down, all in quick succession. I didn't feel rushed, though. Nicholai Hel, however, is fleshed enough, but I think the gaps are purposeful because, like any good Go player, he doesn't lay out everything in his mind like an open book - even to the readers, which I think improves the pacing.
And, as spies are, it makes sense. Just because we are readers does not make us privy to every detail, and it leaves it open for more expansion and thought. The sparse and precise details of the buildings, the locations, the food, the behavioral nuances of different ethnicities and cultures, the locations, the women, the fight scenes - oh did I mention the locations? Superbly written, though I can't attest to its precise accuracy. It built a wonderful 3D model for my mind, from the ground up, that I could picture as I ran around exploring the worlds for myself.
All in all, I hope Winslow did Trevanian justice, or at least did what he could despite the obvious limitations - after all, no writer can fully carve out another person's creative mind.