Shibumi

By: Trevanian

Narrated by: Joe Barrett

Length: 16 hrs and 44 mins

Publisher's summary

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

Critic reviews

• 2005 Audie Award Nominee, Solo Narration (Male)

"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)

Good Listen

I listened to this book because Joe Barrett read it. Joe did a great job in The Lay of the Land, so I figured his skill would carry over to Shibumi. It was a challenging read because of the vast amount of characters, male and female, from different countries with different accents. I am not sure anyone could have done it better. The book itself is interesting and worth the time.

pov

poor nikki, rough life ,oh well, it's. a good mind movie, with depth and well spoken

Awesome

Great book. I first heard of this book because it is what John Wick is based on. while I expected it to be non stop action like the wick movies. It was not, yet a glimpse into the mind of someone who looks for his shibumi when things are right with everything. Some parts do drag a bit but that might also might be because of my lack of understanding of cave diving which I found to be a bit borning but understandable as to why he does it

a good book.

it was a pretty good book, started off kinda slow buy it picked up pretty fast. it was an awesome book.

Wow, makes you think and laugh and feel sadness. Amazing.

I have been in the military 20 years and am an American and while I wondered how I would feel about a main character who had a distinct distaste for the "Americans" - I have to admit I actually agreed with his thoughts - put the way they were. This book will make you think, have you laughing out loud and hoping you are in traffic that days you are listening to it because you won't want to stop. It is so well written that you will be anticipating hearing it again as it has the ability to make you feel as if you have gained a new education and yet the story in and of itself is also so outstandingly written that I felt I would have learned a lot more in high school if this was the type of book I was given to read. You will feel as if you should have had to use two credits getting this novel. It never disappoints. Ashleigh

Shibumi

One of my all time favorite books. I no longer remember how many times I have either read this book or listened to it. I always find something new each time.

Classic

Read at very influential age and it had a deep effect on the way I would eventually deal with both life's ups and downs. A fascinating, although stricken fictitious ideal to strive for in living one's life.

Timeless International Spy Classic

Shibumi brings an entire world and lovely lyric characters , poetry in action

Clear philosophy attractive storytelling incredibly prophetic accuracy about the world

Rich multilayered satisfying wonderful experience

A Fated Concept of Reluctant Beauty

Seemingly satire of contemporary books in the same genre, but ended up thoroughly entertaining through the last word.

Near perfect

I gave 5 stars because of the lack of 4.5 stars. It is almost perfect. The characters, the historical settings, and details about various countries and cultures are very well thought of and researched. Niko might be the most charismatic character ever. But I had some problems with the end. The conclusion did not rise to the level of the introduction and the body. But it is still a 5 star (4.5 star to be exact).