Helpful Score: 1
NICHOLAS 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, he 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.
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, he 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.
Helpful Score: 1
Born in the ravages of World War 1 China to an aristocratic Russian mother and a mysterious German father, raised in the spiritual gardens of a japanese Go Master, he survives the destruction of Hiroshima to emerge as the worlds's most artful lover and it's most accomplished and highly paid--assassin, Genius , mystic ,master of language and culture. Hel's secret is his deterination to attain a rare kind of personal excellence, a state of effortless perfection---shibumi. Now living in a isolated mountain fortress with his magnificent Eurasian mistress. Hel faces his most sinister enemy--a supermonolith of espionage and monopoly. The battle lines are drawn: ruthless power and corruption on one side and on the other SHIBUMI
I absolutely love this book! I give it away and recommend it to friends and strangers! The author goes off on political tirades now and then, and since it is the only book of his I have read so far, I'm not sure if it was just the character development or his own views. Either way, the main character Nicholai Hel fascinates me, as does the idea of shibumi. I will admit, the characters hold this story for me, but the intrigue is also captivating. He weaves a good mystery, Mr. Trevanian does. I hope you like it as well.
