Posted on 12/19/2005 9:50:20 AM PST by George Smiley
RIP Rodney. I grew up on Trevenian, who was far superior to Ludlum, et al.
I started caving in 1978 and Shibumi was a real inspiration by showing me that I wasn't the world's only middle-aged crazy that liked crawling into huge holes in the ground and staying down there for days at a time.
-Toonces
PS - It's also a great read for anyone that enjoys a good running Volvo joke.
Rabidly anti-American. Hated the US with a passion. Read "Shibumi" As for incredibly miserable, over the top, unbelievable, male fantasy nonsense, only David Baldacci comes close. In all the entire history of the world, probably no worse book was ever printed. My "favorite" line was when our wealthy, successful, deep-thinking, aristocratic, super mental, super physical specimen, international hit-man, American-hating hero is about to seduce some female reporter tramp. The hero's girlfriend pleads with him to NOT use all his Casanova tricks on her, because then she'll be ruined for life, always seeking desperately, but never finding, another man who can make love to her in the same wonderful way. Our American-hating hero promises that he won't be that cruel. Holy sweet mother of Jesus!!! This was a best-seller!!!!
So...uh...didja like the book?
My mother read it and gave it to me. She said it was so bad, I had to read it to believe it. I was 15 or 16. Reading it gave me a quite a swelled head, I have to admit. I said to myself, "Here I am at age 15, and I can recognize our protagonist as the creation of a 7th grade male, deep in adolescent fanstasy mode. He is so far over the top, it is simply not to be believed, and yet, millions of ADULTS the world over are buying this thing and loving it." Made me feel like Hemingway.
I am presently reading 'The Crazy Ladies of Pearl Street'a documentary of growing up in Albany NY in the forties by Trevanian, its a pretty good read no anti American garbage and close to the way things were.RIP Mr.Trevanian, the 'Crazy Ladies,' is far funnier and more entertaining then anything on tv lately.
I'll grant you that much.
You're overlooking the fact that some of them were responses/spoofs to the Bond genre.
Like the George Smiley novels.
Admit to having only read "Shishitti" Which was absolutely horrible and rabidly anti-American. 'Tis compeletly possible that everything else he wrote was fabulous, though I have always heard that not only was Shishitti anti-American, but the man himself was thoroughly filled with America hatred.
There is also a saying that "you can look it up" and I suggest you look up the fact that Treshitian was an American-hating, liberal, scum-sucking, piece of filth, much like Michael Moore. I also remember breaking my ankle playing football, and various horrors of Marine Corps boot camp, which makes those things memorable, not in any way good.
(from http://www.magicdragon.com/UltimateMystery/authorsT.html)
Trevanian: pseudonym for Rodney Whitaker (12 Jan 1925-):
http://www.godwarf.com/karma/trevanian/trevania.html
American born in Tokyo; 4 university degrees; Professor, Uuniversity
of Texas at Austin.
* 2 mystery/detective novels with series character Jonathan Hemlock
(snobbish intelligence assassin, professor of art history,
expert mountain climber)
* The Eiger Sanction [New York: Crown, 1972; London: Heinemann, 1973]
Publishing Information for the Ballantine version
Copyright 1972 by Trevanian
ISBN 0-345-31737-8
Library of Congress Catalog Card # 72-84293
First Ballantine Books Edition: September 1984
Ballantine editions published by arrangement with Crown Publishers, Inc.
Jonathan Hemlock is sent to kill one of the men with whom he is
climbing the Eiger (one of the mountains in the Swiss Alps).
* The Loo Sanction [New York: Crown, 1973; London: Heinemann, 1974]
Publishing Information for the Ballantine version
Copyright 1973 by Trevanian
ISBN 0-345-31738-6
Library of Congress Catalog Card # 73-82951
First Ballantine Books Edition: November 1984
Ballantine editions published by arrangement with Crown Publishers, Inc.
Jonathan Hemlock is blackmailed into doing another "sanction".
This time, the assassination is targeted in London.
* 3 other mystery/detective novels:
* The Main [New York: Harcourt Brace, 1976; London: Hart Davis 1977]
Publishing Information for the Jove/HBJ version
Copyright 1976 by Trevanian
ISBN: none
Library of Congress Catalog Card # 76-24896
First Jove/HBJ Edition: September 1977
Jove editions published by arrangement with Harcort Brace Jovanovich
The story of an old cop in Montreal. One of the recurring themes is the
difference between immoral and criminal behavior. It also deals with
personal dignity, friendship, and the difficulty we have in expressing deep
emotion for our loved ones.
* Shibumi [New York: Crown, 1979; London: Grenada, 1979]
Publishing Information for the Ballantine version.
Copyright 1979 by Trevanian
ISBN 0-345-31180-9
Library of Congress Catalog Card # 78-20950
First Ballantine Books Edition: June 1980
Ballantine editions published by arrangement with Crown Publishers, Inc.
The most famous of the five. It is a story about Nicolai Hel, an
international assassin. It deals with the way that modern society stifles
individualism, and one man's attempt to achieve a rare form of personal
excellence called "Shibumi." This book also points out two of Americas' biggest
problems, machismo, and materialism.
* The Summer of Katya [New York: Crown, 1983; London: Grenada, 1983]
Publishing Information for the Ballantine version.
Copyright 1983 by Trevanian
ISBN 0-345-31486-7
Library of Congress Catalog Card # 83-1790
First Ballantine Books Edition: July 1984
Ballantine editions published by arrangement with Crown Publishers, Inc.
A story about a young doctor who falls in love with Katya, a girl he meets
just before the start of World War I. This book deals with the horror and damage
of rape in a very dramatic way; don't read the end if you're depressed.
* 2 mystery/detective screenplays
* 2 non-fiction books (one on film)
* Mr. Whitaker has published one non-fiction book under his own name.
The book is called The Language of Film [Prentice Hall]
* Incident at Twenty Mile
Historical Fiction
Publishing Information for St Martins Press (Trade) version.
Copyright 1998 by Trevanian
ISBN 0-312-19233-9
Library of Congress Catalog Card # ?
Hardcover - 320 pages (October 1998)
Rodney Whitaker has also written two books under the pseudonym Nicholas Seare:
* 1339 or So [Harcort Brace Jovanovich]
* Rude Tales and Glorious [Clarkson and Potter]
Satire of the legends of King Arthur.
Short Stories written by Trevanian:
* Three are available by getting back copies of
* Harper's, Playboy, and Redbook magazines.
* There is also one that (as far as I know) has never been
published. All 4 of these can be viewed for a fee at the
copyright office.
* The stories are:
* "Switching" [Playboy, December 1978]
* "Minutes of a Village Meeting"
written by LeCagot, "translated by Trevanian"
[Harper's, 1979]
* "The Secrets of Miss Plimsoll, Private Secretary"
[Redbook, March 1984]
* "Autumn out of the Ashes" never published
* "?" [The Yale Literary Review, date??]
Trevanian's Identity
Thanks goes to Chris Roth for telling "Tudlik" about Poundstone's book.
Since Tudlik put his site up, he got numerous E-mails asking who
Trevanian is. The most credible theory heard to date is that of
William Poundstone in his book Biggest Secrets [Quill, William
Morrow and Co., 1993]).
The short version is that Rodney Whitaker is Trevanian. Poundstone's
evidence is as follows.
* Someone at Crown Publishers told the New York Times that Trevanian
submitted The Eiger Sanction while he was teaching film at the
University of Texas.
* The name Rodney Whitaker appears in the credits of the film version
of The Eiger Sanction.
* LeCagot is the pen name of a friend of Whitaker (or possibly Whitaker
himself), who died some years before Trevanian wrote Shibumi.
(LeCagot is also a character in Shibumi)
* Jonathan Hemlock quotes Rodney Whitaker during a lecture in
The Loo Sanction.
Quite a number of idiots popped up on FR to say just that about Scooter Libby. ;)
Hm. I thought Shibumi was egregiously awful, and found Trevanian to be a crashing bore whose footnotes ("Some peopole took this seriously in my last book, so don't try this at home!) were odd, to say the least.
LOL! Yeah, that one stuck with me, too. Having heard raves about it, I actually dug through the whole damned thing, hoping to find a pony.
I saw an airplane crash once, when I was four, and can still describe it to you in vivid detail. You no doubt recall the words to a lamentably large number of bad songs. RayStacy and I remember Shibumi in that way. Recollection of disaster is not an endorsement.
Thank you kindly. I am a tad bit amazed that this thread has started an argument. Let me be clear again. I have only read shishitti. Every other word written by the man may be so wonderful that God Almighty Himself would swoon at his creativity. Shishitti was a. incredibly juvenile, and b. rabidly anti-american. ANYBODY who reads the book and does not discern that fact is a goddamn idiot. The americans (the c.i.a. especially) are stupid, incompetent bludnering morons, whose attempts to match wits with the glory, beauty, and sophistication of the Eastern way of thought are doomed to miserable failure. EVERYTHING European or Eastern (Japanese mysticism) is good. EVERYTHING American (even barbecues, if I recall) is bad, stupid, and UNSOPHISTICATED. There's that John Kerry word again. Who on this website will defend that liberal P.O.S.?
I was thinking more along the lines of the guy and his girlfriend being far in advance of mere mortals in the realm of sex -- only the world's very best sex-havers can effectively use things like razor blades in the bedroom....
The whole thing was freaky. I DO remember Treshittian seemed to have some hang-ups; lots of weird sex stuff. That line about "don't ruin her forever, by giving her the real Shibumi" was just too classic!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.