User Reviews
Rating: really liked it
Skyjacked! Unheard of in the early 1930's, yet it did happen to four passengers in Afghanistan, during a civil conflict there sounds sadly familiar. A "mad" Asian pilot with a gun does, flying east into the tallest mountains in the world. The aircraft goes above, around and hopefully not through them, a spectacular view for those with the guts to look, beautiful the Himalayas and frightening too. Tibet an almost unknown country with few visitors who return back home to report their findings, the apparent destination. "Glory" Hugh Conway a British consul, in some half- forgotten and remote city in Asia (suffering shell shock, from W.W.1). His vice -consul young hot- tempered Charles Mallinson, rather impetuous or just a coward. A missionary Roberta Brinklow a little past her prime the unkind would say.. . And the only non -British one on board the plane American Henry Barnard, mysterious, jovial a typical citizen of that country hiding something? Landing at an isolated mountainous spot not really a runway, getting refueled by people with lots of guns, the passengers are encouraged to stay in the plane, and obey , with few arguments, heroes none here. Again in the air, hour after hour always heading higher and higher into the mountains. The fuel is getting very low and must land soon, they do crashing in a valley. Where? Nobody knows since the pilot soon expires ...No food or appropriate clothes for this harsh, frigid climate, no way to get back to civilization. All see their deaths here, though next morning a miracle occurs, people are coming in their direction. An old Chinese man, Chang with a dozen others leads them to mythical Shangri-La. However first a little mountain climbing, up dizzy heights which scare his friends never Conway, a former mountain climber in the lofty Alps. Ropes are used stomachs lost, but at long last they enter the Valley of the Blue Moon (as the natives accurately call it). The impressive Karakal Mountain (Blue Moon), at 28,000 feet in elevation... Looking terrifying to the tiny newcomers... An uniquely contented.. peaceful ..enchanting...breathtaking paradise. A long ways from the constant wars and upheavals of the unstable world, sanctuary for those that need it. An imposing, prosperous Buddhist monastery ( is it still?) overlooking and dominating the valley, a majestic view ... below, a few thousand happy inhabitants . The other monks, seldom are seen there, Chang gives them food, rooms, books to read and even music to listen to in the Lamasery . Played by Lo-Tsen a talented Manchu girl, a teenager (she seems). The High Lama strangely is European and looks like he's 100- years -old, he's older ...And doesn't give much information to the curious Mr.Conway ... Many secrets are kept from the newcomers, questions are asked when can they leave? Much longer to stay for the foreigners? What's the purpose of the valley? How do they make money? And some of them begin to like the unearthly situation here ( others decidedly...the opposite). This Shangri- La, is not a bad place to live in ... A fantasy from the '30's, which has appeal even today, maybe not so strange.
Rating: really liked it
In 1931, four people, including Glory Conway, escape the political unrest in Baskul, China by boarding a plane, bound for Peshawar. The plane, however, much to their dismay, has been hijacked and eventually crash lands deep in the far reaches of the Tibetan Himalayas. Seeking shelter, the group soon finds themselves in the valley of the blue moon, guests at a lamasery, called Shangri-La.
Reading this is like stepping slowly into a hot, fragrant bath while strains of your own audio preferences delight; lapping against your tired muscles as you immerse yourself deep within its hypnotic scent. Even silence has a melody.
Though I have no specific memory of having read this before or having seen the movie, Hilton’s story is very familiar to me. More legend really, it transcends its medium, provoking deep, meaningful thought on spirituality, love and life’s purpose.
The water is just warm now; I have long since found my sweet spot and I tarry, reluctant to leave this precious paradise.
Be sure and read what gave birth to this legendary utopia.
Rating: really liked it
The last time I loved a book as much as I loved this one was when I read Dune. Even though Dune is considered one of the masterworks of science fiction, I'm not really a sci-fi kind of girl, per se, I just love places that are so well-imagined by the author that you can't believe they're not real SOMEWHERE. Lost Horizon presents Shangri-La as such a place.
More personally, though, I read this book at the precise right moment in my life. Conway, the main character, has a sort of dispassionate detachment from life as a result of having fought in WWI (the story takes place right after the stock market crash) and has subsequently become an official in the British Government. His job is sort of middle management, not a great deal of responsibility, but it takes him to odd corners of the world where he has opportunities for heroism by virtue of being in foreign, unstable lands during the last years of the British Empire. Basically, he's seen enough to have made him more or less unflappable, and because of this he often is viewed as calm under pressure and courageous; at the end of the day, though, all he really wants is peace and quiet.
When the English are evacuating India, Conway and three other passengers have their airplane hijacked, and they are whisked away to Shangri-La. I won't say anymore except that he and his companions find a great deal of mystery there, but Conway also senses immediately that he's found his place of repose.
I say I read this book at the exact right moment in my life because I can identify with Conway's dispassion at times. Not that I've seen nearly all of the world or have experienced anything as dramatic as war, but having lived in Asia for two years, I know what it's like to do something out of the ordinary and to then return to the everyday. I know what that hollow space feels like that you long to fill with something else amazing. The fact that his retreat also happens to be a place that reminds us of the evils of being shackled to the march of time and desire is also no small thing for me. The West truly is obsessed with time--doing things faster and more efficiently, and more importantly, getting angry when things aren't done on the timetables we expect. Then there's the element of desire; wanting what we feel we are entitled to, seeking accolades, craving attention and adoration, and everything we are willing to sacrifice for these things. We are willing to sacrifice no less than the wisdom of the world and of this earth. Lost Horizon goes into all of this and much more, and I loved every second of the philosophical exploration wrapped up in gripping mystery.
So, in case I haven't been clear enough--read this. It's a quick read, only took me two days, a few hours. It's well worth it.
Rating: really liked it
This is a fun read. They did a pretty good job with the film. Given that Hilton was a major screenwriter that makes sense. It is very Victorian in its feel, a sort of Kipling-esque yarn, in which depression era westerners find themselves in a version of paradise. The place is rather communistic, with elements of free love that no doubt raised some eyebrows when it was published. On the other hand, the place is run by a Belgian cleric. On the other hand, their motto is all things in moderation, even ethics. It was a fun, quick read and is recommended for anyone who enjoys 19th century tales of adventure.
Rating: really liked it
During British colonial days,four
westerners are on their way to Peshawar in an aircraft when their pilot takes them to the mountains of Tibet,where the aircraft crashes.They are rescued and taken to a lamasery.
It does have some beautiful writing,when describing the mountain scenery. For a while,I remained fairly interested to know why the four people were brought to Shangri La,and were being held there,against their will.
But when the mystery was revealed,it felt like an anti-climax. It also took away the rather favourable impression of the book I had till then.
As a fantasy,it didn't appeal to me,nor as a vision of utopia. The book describes the horrors of one war (World War I) and the possibility of a second,which was yet to begin,at the time.
A mixed bag,which began well,but left me disappointed with the ending.
Rating: really liked it
Paradise is hidden in a dangerous, steep, and almost inaccessible mountain cleft. Four strangers are kidnapped and flown there by a foreign pilot for unknown reasons. Written in 1933, this brought back visions of the pilots of the 9/11 carnage who learned how to fly in American flight schools as this book's pilot does.
Lost Horizon's kidnapper has altruistic reasons for his act, but it still is horrific to be plucked out of your life on another person's whim. What turns out to be paradise for you, is not so for others and there is soon dissension in the kidnapped travelers. This is a thriller in the beginning, but devolves into a treatise on the ills of western society in the middle. I am not blind to the faults of the western world, but am not so sure any one society has all the answers or a solution to our problems.
Rating: really liked it
4.5★
Shangri-La!I'd heard the term of course, used for an imaginary paradise, but didn't realise it came from this book.
Which (other than at a couple of points where it became a bit talky-talky) I loved.
There are four passengers on a plane. They are unaware the plane has been hijacked until they land in a remote part of Tibet. The Lamasery to which they are taken evokes different reactions in the four passengers, & to me, it does sound like heaven - all the books you can read.
"It is significant," [Chang] said after a pause, that the English regard slackness as a vice. We, on the other hand, should vastly prefer it to tension. Is there not too much tension in the world at present, and might it be better if more people were slackers?"
A quote for modern times.
https://wordpress.com/view/carolshess...
Rating: really liked it
I hummed
Lara’s Theme while reading most of Boris Pasternak’s
Doctor Zhivago a couple of years back. Similarly, the first two lines of this Burt Bacharach-composition was inside my ears while reading this book.
♪♫♪Have you ever dreamed of a place
Far away from it all
Where the air you breathe is soft and clean
And children play in fields of green
And the sound of guns
Doesn't pound in your ears (anymore) ♪♫♪
♪♫♪Have you ever dreamed of a place
Far away from it all
Where the winter winds will never blow
And living things have room to grow
And the sound of guns
Doesn¹t pound in your ears anymore. ♪♫♪
But I did not know neither the words nor the melody of the 3rd to the 6th lines of each stanza. So, I went to www.lyrics.com and searched for this song. There is actually a 3rd stanza but I did not know how to sing it too. Do you know how the whole song goes? This is the 1937 theme song for the Frank Capra’s movie adaptation of James Hilton’s 1933 wondrous classic
Lost Horizon and I only know the first two lines. Pity me. It’s very soulful and melodious as it creates images of peace and quiet, of being in harmony with nature, like going to a serene, restful place.
That place is Shangri-La. Not the famous five-star hotel chain although this book inspired the owners of that hotel chain that started in Singapore. “La” in Shangri-La means mountain according to this book and it is the place where aging process slows down, people believe in moderation on everything and everyone loves everyone else regardless of religion, social status, personal beliefs, etc. In other words, this book is a utopian book. So, paging fans of dystopian genre, come and check this book out and give yourself a respite from reading pessimists and doomsayers predicting only bad things to happen in this world.
This book by James Hilton (1900-1954) was first published in 1933 but it was only noticed by readers after he released his other novel,
Goodbye, Mr. Chips.
Lost Horizon was filmed in 1939 the same year when it was released as mass paperback by Pocket Books. In fact,
Lost Horizon is considered as the first pocketbook and officially has this title:
Pocketbook #1. Paperback books have been around since the 1800s but this was the first book that made more people afford to read books and they could place books inside their pockets. Thus, mass paperback books are called pocketbooks.
Hilton’s prose is clear and succinct. The plot is intriguing and intricately woven. The philosophical and religious musings are about right. The characters are well-developed as each are given his/her own back story and motivation on why he/she wants to stay rather than leave Shangri-La. The use of the framework story, narrated by a neurologist is effective and not confusing. The characters voices are clearly distinctive and Hilton’s imagination is just awesome. Wiki says that he was inspired to write this book by reading
National Geographic magazine where a place similar to this in the Tibetan mountains was featured with the corresponding explorer disappeared incognito. My only small gripe is that I found the description of the supposedly breathtaking place lacking. Had Hilton been Charles Dickens, Henry James or even Michael Oondatje (of
The English Patient), I am sure he would have devoted pages and pages of wonderful descriptions about the place. Well, maybe Hilton aimed for his book to be place in a pocket so he made sure that this book would fit into a regular trouser’s pocket.
Overall, a worthwhile read – quick, easy and slightly brain-stimulating. Now, that I am done reading the book and I think I have to find out how to sing the song in full.
Rating: really liked it
For the life of me, I have no idea why anyone dearly loves this book. The narrative is plodding, the characters boring and unsympathetic, and the ending--don't get me started on the ending. This was a book club selection that I was actually excited about since its setting is the mystical Shangri-La. I thought it would be an Indiana Jones-esque action and adventure in an exotic Asian setting. What I got instead was Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Boring Tibetans. There's no action; all they do is prattle on about how perfect existence in Shangri-La is (so perfect, in fact, it's painfully boring to read about). The discussions are predictably didactic ("duh, duh, double duh" I thought as each new mystery of life was revealed). I am so glad that I checked this out from the library. Now I can't wait to go check it back in.
Cross posted at This Insignificant Cinder
Rating: really liked it
Note, July 25, 2022: I've just edited this to correct a single typo.
Like some other books, this is one that I read only because it was picked as a common read in one of my Goodreads groups. While I'd heard of it before, it had never struck me as something I wanted to read. In some cases, books I read this way proved to be five-star reads. This one didn't impress me to that extent; but I did ultimately like it well enough to give it three stars, and found it thought-provoking on various levels.
It's a somewhat challenging book to review, and even to classify. With regard to the latter point, I finally settled on "science fiction" for its genre, though it's very unlike most American SF from that era. (Nor does it fit into the "lost race" tradition popular on both sides of the Atlantic before and between the World Wars.) But it does have a central speculative element to its plot: the idea of long extension of human life (though not actual immortality, nor anything like it) by purely natural means. This element is squarely in the "soft" SF tradition (more characteristic of the British than the American genre), a literary conceit employed to set up and serve the human social and philosophical questions the author wants to explore. (It isn't based on any serious study of the actual causes of aging, nor on extrapolation from any known technique or effect.)
Apart from two framing sections that filter the main narrative through an effect of, in Washington Irving's term for the technique, "resonance," the premise of the latter is fairly simple. Four people --viewpoint character Conway, a WWI veteran now a British consul; his younger vice-consul Mallinson; a missionary lady; and a rather mysterious American-- being evacuated by air from a local uprising apparently on the northwest frontier of what was then British India, find their plane hijacked by a mystery pilot taking them to an unknown destination far to the East. Any more direct information would reveal plot elements that the author preferred to disclose gradually; and the genuine suspense of reading it with no more knowledge of the plot than is inevitable with normal cultural literacy about a 1933 classic is actually an integral part of the reading experience. For the same reason, I don't recommend reading the cover copy of this edition, nor the Goodreads description; where they aren't inaccurate and misleading, they can be "spoilerish" to a degree.
Basically, however, this is a novel of ideas; the plot exists strictly to serve the author's message(s). These are the messages of a pessimistic, primarily secular humanist British intellectual whose view of the world was deeply shadowed and scarred by the Great War. (The reference to Conway's wartime experience was convincing enough to make me suspect Hilton was himself a veteran. He wasn't, having turned 18 just a couple of months before the Armistice; but he was still part of the rising bourgeois liberal "Lost Generation" that was epochally disillusioned by the scope of the carnage.) He was also clearly hag-ridden by the prospect of a second world war, which he expected to be apocalyptic. (He often gets credit for being brilliantly prescient, but his expectation was more probably the fruit of dogmatic pessimism more than of astute observation of world politics; though the book was published in 1933, I'm guessing it was probably actually written before Hitler became Chancellor. And the actual World War II, though bad enough, was far less apocalyptic than Hilton imagined it would be.) The book is basically a call to preserve the human race's cultural, artistic and philosophical patrimony in the face of its anticipated near total annihilation in the coming war.
Another philosophical undercurrent here is Platonism, which is clearly discernible in the glorification of the supposedly benevolent rule of what are in effect "philosopher kings," morally and intellectually far superior to the docile subject population that they rule for its own good; in the disparaging of emotion and passion as a juvenile enemy of exalted Reason; and in the upholding of "moderation" between two extremes as the all-purpose ideal for human conduct. (Hilton's prep school and Cambridge Univ. education, of course, in his day, would have steeped him in classical thought.) He also has no more real understanding of the religious mindset than a tone deaf person has of music (with the difference that those of us who are tone deaf usually understand that we can't perceive something, whereas that's not an awareness that troubles Hilton). Despite the setting of much of the story in Tibet, actual Eastern philosophy and Tibetan Buddhism doesn't furnish any real contribution to the ideology behind Shangri-La. None of Hilton's basic premises are very similar to mine. But a real value of the novel, for me, was the way it encouraged me to compare and contrast my ideas with his, and to gain insights from that process along the way.
Some reviewers have expressed dissatisfaction with the ending; and, without resorting to spoilers, I can say that I understand why. However, I don't share that dissatisfaction. IMO, the ending was perfectly crafted, both to preserve the element of mystery and ambiguity that's often seen as essential in the speculative fiction tradition, and more importantly to make a human element central to the story arc, rather than reducing it exclusively to a message-driven essay just dressed up as fiction about human beings. That's something the author deserves credit for as a writer.
Rating: really liked it
This short book is regarded a classic, and I found it quite enjoyable.
Commencing in Persia, where a plane preparing for evacuation is hijacked and flown of route. Eventually, it is established by the abducted persons that they are in the Tibetan Himalaya, and the plane attempts to land, crashing and killing the pilot / kidnapper, leaving our main characters stranded. A British consul, his deputy, a (female) missionary, an American financier are 'rescued' and taken to a Tibetan monastery (Shangri-La) and put up in some comfort, but as the story rolls out, strange details emerge about the circumstances of their kidnap, the occupants of the monastery, and their expectations around returning to 'civilization'.
Not aiming to throw out any spoilers, so that is about the extent of the plot outline.
For a book written in 1933 it still stacks up pretty well - the themes and situation are relevant, and the writing while relatively simple makes the story interesting, and there are plenty of parts where I didn't want to put this down. Set after WW1 and before WW2 it has element so utopia and projected dystopia woven through, and is largely a roll-out mystery of thoughts rather than actions. The characters are written interestingly, have various revelations in their own stories, and are all effected by the situation differently.
Worth seeking out, to cross another classic off the list in relatively easy form.
4 stars
Rating: really liked it
Lost Horizons is a very silly, dumb book, but charming and fun for all that.
It's racist and sexist, in that casual and unmalicious way that you see in, like, Mad Men. The "hard, mocking, sex-thirsty voices of women" are mentioned at one point, and the inhabitants of Shangri-La are described as "cleaner and handsomer than the average" Chinese. Compare it to Sax Rohmer's The Insidious Dr. Fu Manchu from 30 years previous: that book is obsessed with the danger of cunning, diabolical Chinamen, while this one is obsessed with how romantic and wise they are. Both are dumb.
It indulges shamelessly in adolescent wish fulfillment: just an inordinate number of pages given over to explaining (never showing) how wise and interesting its hero, Conway, is. It's certainly one of those books that threatens to make your eyes roll right out of your head. Here's a great passage:
[Conrad's] love demanded nothing, not even reply; it was a tribute of the mind, to which his sense added only a flavor. She stood for him as a symbol of all that was delicate and fragile; her stylized courtesies and the touch of her fingers on the keyboard yielded a completely satisfied intimacy."
Oh my God, right? Hoo boy.
But, again, for all of its many and glaring flaws, it's...sortof fun. I mean, for one thing Hilton is inventing Shangri-La here, and that's pretty cool.
And he's dealing - ungracefully, but in his own dumb way - with a real debate between faith and atheism: do you believe that Shangri-La is magic? Or is it an asylum run by ancient nutty inmates? To his credit, Hilton gives you plenty of evidence each way. He does that part competently.
So, I mean, it's fine. It reads quickly and pleasantly. If your young adult is reading it, you might use it as an opening to talk about how Asian fetishes are racist. (Show him some porn as a visual aid!) If you're reading it yourself, just try to watch the eye rolling. You can sprain those things.
Rating: really liked it
Hugh Conway, a veteran of the Great War and a British diplomat, told a novelist friend an incredible story. He and three other people were being evacuated from a rebellion in Baskul when their plane was hijacked and flown to Tibet. After they crash landed in the frigid, windy mountains, their dying pilot told them to go to the lamasery of Shangri-La. The four passengers were guided there by porters and a postulant from the lamasery. After winding through dangerous mountain passes for hours, they arrived at the lamasery overlooking a protected fertile valley. It's a place of peace and contemplation where everyone is satisfied by practicing the ethic of moderation.
The lamasery is also a repository of great books, knowledge, wisdom, culture, and art. The High Lama "foresaw a time when men, excultant in the technique of homicide, would rage so hotly over the world that every precious thing would be in danger...."(144) Conway has never been the same since living through a horrible experience in the Great War, and is drawn to a peaceful, scholarly life in Shangri-La. But another member of his party feels differently and tries to convince Conway that he is losing his mind.
Published in 1933, the book points out how the world is in turmoil and foresees another huge war in the future. The story is a wonderful fantasy set in a beautiful utopia. The epilogue gives hints about what might have happened to Conway, but leaves a lot to the reader's imagination. It left me hoping that Shangri-La is real, hidden and protected by the mountains of Tibet.
Rating: really liked it
It wasn't until I finished the story and read the Afterword that I realized that this book was written by the same guy who wrote
Goodbye, Mr. Chips, another story I had pretty much put out of my mind. Much, I think, like I expect to happen with this one.
So, okay, here's Shangri-La. We all know the name, but this is where it started. And that's fine. Shangri-La is this utopian society-place in the Himalayan area, where the inhabitants are almost immortal. It's supposed to be this perfect society essentially created out of moderation, which is bogus, right, because moderation is boring and, c'mon, haven't we all agreed that nearly immortal longevity is a real drag?
But Shangri-La has other good stuff, apparently, like toilets and libraries, so it's not all bad. It's just not my thing. I don't want to live forever.
It's a cute story, but just like
Goodbye, Mr. Chips was a cute story. By "cute" I mean sort of annoying. Hilton was an average writer who wanted to make his readers feel good, which was important for the 30s, right? All that economic and psychological depression, that lull between two great wars. I mean, sad times all around. So why not write a short novel about a really great place that may be magic or may just be run by some nut?
I will say that I enjoyed the ambiguity of what Shangri-La really was. That spoke to me. But not enough to really get into the story the way I had hoped. There's some adventure here, but the watered-down kind of adventure that people sometimes write wherein they don't want to be too exciting or offensive, so they just write really offensive and one-dimensional characters, like Asians and women.
Fine enough, and a quick enough read. Whatever, it won't knock your socks off. Mr. Chips at least gives the occasional warm-fuzzy.
I will say that my Reader's Digest version of this book included illustrations by Robert Andrew Parker, and those were actually pretty neat.
Rating: really liked it
Four passengers hurriedly boarded a small single engine plane to leave Afghanistan. Two Englishmen, one English woman and an American male were escaping the war as it escalated in the 1930’s. The plane though small, was powerful and was specially built to fly at 25000 ft. and above, though unheard of at the time. The pilot acted mysteriously and flew in a different direction than expected. After refueling in a obscure runway in the desert, the plane headed toward Tibet and the high mountains. Flying into a storm, the plane crashed. As the pilot died, the passengers were told to seek out the lamas of the local lamasery.
If you hear the term Shangri-la, what comes to mind? A beautiful spot on a remote island with your every need taken care of? Or, for you Goodreaders, a library with 30,000 books? How about all the time you need to do anything you want with no deadlines or pressure. Shangri-la is where the passengers ended up, though not on a sunny island, but in the Himalayas.
In fact the author of this book, James Hilton, created the fictional phrase Shangri-la for this story. Lost horizon was the first of 2 books published in 1933 and 1934 that lifted Hilton into a successful career in writing. The second book was Goodbye, Mr. Chips. An Englishman himself, he wrote mostly stories about the times between the 2 World Wars. His creative talent paints pictures of the characters and the scenery where they blend together seamlessly. The storyline brings the reader along as part of this wonderful story.
Highly recommended.
