i read this for the planejacking adventure but stayed for the zen and shangri-la!

n  4 starsn

Synopsis:
Lost Horizon was written by James Hilton and published in 1933. It won the Hawthornden Prize which is the English equivalent of the Pulitzer Prize. It follows a man named Hugh Conway who is a consul in the middle east. When all foreigners are forced to leave Iran, Conway and three others are sent off to safety in an airplane that ends up being highjacked. The plane crashes and leaves Conway and his companions stranded in Tibet near the Himalayas. They are rescued by a party of people from a Tibetan lamasery and taken to a hidden valley called Shangri-La. Shangri-La is a sacred and hidden place where life is prolonged and where everyone lives in contentment. Conway finds peace in this paradise away from the real world where time is slowed down and moderation is the only rule.

Storyline:
I loved the storyline of Lost Horizon. It was pleasant and unique. It is essentially a story of a utopia and I found that refreshing. These days there are a lot of dystopian novels, and those are always great and have important points to make, but it’s nice for once to be shown a small society where everything is better than it is in the real world. My only problem with the story is that it wasn’t longer. Lost Horizon is a relatively small book and I feel like the story could have been spread out longer.

Setting:
The setting was lovely. Of course the story mainly took place in Shangri-La, which seemed like such a peaceful place. The idea of Shangri-La is beautiful and I’m sure many people having read this book wish Shangri-La were real and that they could escape all the harshness of the world by living there. It seems like such a dreamlike and exquisite place, yet it was so sad because for Hugh Conway it was only transient.

Characters:
There were very few characters in this book and for the most part I liked them. Hugh Conway was the main character and he’s very likable. He was reflective, wise beyond his years, and liking of solitude and peace. It was very easy to sympathize with him. The other two characters that I particularly liked were the High Lama and Chang. They both seemed very wise, peaceful, and the embodiment of the essence of Shangri-La. The one character that I disliked was Mallinson, he was annoying and overly excitable. Another character I want to mention is that of a woman named Lo-Tsen. I was very fascinated by her and I expected her to be more developed, but she never was. She never even said anything the entire course of the book. I was pretty disappointed by this.

How Did I Like It?:
Overall I really liked Lost Horizon. Reading it was like a fleeting dream and it was really lovely. The ending made me sort of sad though. This is an enchanting little novel and I am so glad I finally got around to reading it, as I had been wanting to for a long time.

Do I Recommend It?:
Yes most definitely! If you can get your hands on a copy I do recommend Lost Horizon, particularly if you are into utopian literature, modern classics, spirituality or even magical realism.There are also two films that are based on the novel and they are both pretty good, though hard to find. One is from 1937 and one from 1973.

“Shangri-La” has taken on a meaning of “lost paradise” in our culture. In James Hilton’s Lost Horizon, written in the early 1930s, we probably have its fullest incarnation (albeit fictional). The story takes place prior to WWII, though the handwriting is clearly on the wall for Hilton. The elder at the mysterious monastery warns the protagonist: “It will be such a one, my son, as the world has not seen before. There will be no safety in arms, no help from authority, no answer in science. It will rage till every flower of culture is trampled, and all human things are leveled in a vast chaos.” (p. 198) And again, the elder explains: “I decided to stay in a Tibetan monastery because I was afraid there’d be another war.” (pp. 214-215)

As for the overarching message of the novel, whether intended or not, Hilton’s protagonist sometimes sounds like an authentic Taoist. Early on, he questions the ambitious nature of western civilization: “…he was inclined to see vulgarity in the western ideal of superlatives, and the ‘utmost for the highest’ seemed to him the less reasonable and perhaps more commonplace proposition than the ‘much for the high.’ He did not, in fact, care for excessive striving, and he was bored by mere exploits.” (p. 42) Perhaps, that ambivalent attitude to the world of achievement isn’t pure Taoism, but another passage seems in perfect tune with Lao-Tze. “If you’d had all the experiences I’ve had, you’d know that there are times in life when the most comfortable thing is to do nothing at all. Things happen to you and you just let them happen. The War was rather like that. One is fortunate if, as on this occasion, a touch of novelty seasons the unpleasantness.” (p. 64) “Yet for Conway [Hilton’s junior diplomat protagonist] it did not appear that the Eastern races were abnormally dilatory, but rather that Englishmen and Americans charged about the world in a state of continual and rather preposterous fever-heat.” (p. 83)

The plot of Lost Horizon would fit perfectly within the classic pulp adventure genre, except for the fact that the protagonist isn’t interested in being a “man of action” (for reasons indicated above). Though billed as a “love story” or “romance,” it doesn’t build beyond the complications which make such a story interesting. The denouement is more like an ending for an episode of The Twilight Zone than that of pulp adventure or even romantic adventure. The idea of a hijacked plane of westerners from an Asian hot spot (post-WWI) doesn’t catapult one into the tense “life-on-the-line” sequence one expects. There is a bit of a mystery to be pondered as the mystery flight ponderously moves toward its destination. All one has to do is look at the front cover or read the back cover and one knows that the flight will end up near the proverbial “Shangri-La.”

Where John Carter would have shouted, “I still live!” and found some way to get back to his lost civilization, Hilton’s protagonist seems entirely content as opposed to his more impetuous (and obnoxious) colleague, Mallinson. Even Mallinson is not heroic, expecting Conway to pave the way for the party’s escape and return to “civilization.” There are some interesting revelations in the unfolding of the background stories of each member of the hijacked party, as well as interesting insights in the conversations between the monastery’s elder statesman and Conway, but anyone looking for an H. Rider Haggard-style scene will look in vain. That’s not necessarily bad; it just means that the pacing of the action will not please some people and that the set-up would be wasted for some tastes.

Hilton’s writing offers little jewels from time to time. I liked the elder’s observation when he responded to Conway saying, “Your very doubt pleases me—it is the basis of profound and significant faith…” (p. 153). I also liked the following line which serves a particularly important dilemma faced by Conway: “It came to him that a dream had dissolved, like all too lovely things, at the first touch of reality; …” (p. 216).

Indeed, it is easy to see why Lost Horizon served as fodder for two film productions. Although I’ve never seen either film, a college friend’s father was caretaker on an estate in Ojai, California where the elaborate garden was used as an exterior location for “Shangri-La” in the earlier production. So, I’ve been to “Shangri-La” in one sense without ever braving those mountain peaks. One should also be aware that at least one famous tourist attraction near Guilin, China claims to be “Shangri-La.” The latter is certainly a beautiful garden with extensive waterways to explore. So, one individual’s “Shangri-La” may be very different from another’s. Hilton’s Lost Horizon is well worth reading, but even though I keep it on my “literature” shelf, I’m not sure that it has stood the test of time like many classics.

I found "Lost Horizon" on a list of fantasy novels that, apart from Tolkien and Lewis, everyone who is interested in the genre should read. The one thing everyone remembers from this novel is Shangri-La, but what should really be remembered is the meditation on the post-WWI state of young men. The reason the protagonist, Conway, is open to the moderate unhurried ways of Shangri-La is because the War burned all the passion out of him. If you read this as a Lost generation book, it's just as rewarding as a purely fantastical read.
Something I loved, apart from the great storyline, was the frequent narratorial interjections. Little observations on life from a somewhat middle-aged, even dispassionate, point of view that gave the book even more of a Lost generation flavor, like in the opening pages when the author notes how awkward it is to meet former schoolmates and discover that you no longer have anything in common with them. Or what it means to be truly wise.
Anyone in the mood for a meditative, often exciting, and wonderfully told story should read "Lost Horizon."

It’s been ages since I saw the movie, long enough that I didn’t recall the details until after I was in the middle of re-reading them, but this is such a classic story with some mystery, some history, some religion, some culture and some cultural differences, some fantasy (or maybe not, depending on your view) - all put together in a charming story which feels very much like it’s from another time, another place.

It is a very interesting adventure novel, and it also has a particular way of creating an oasis in time, in which you have all the time in the world to do what you want, and you want to do what you are doing. It is, without a doubt, a form of paradise

I imagine that Hilton must have read 20,000 Leagues as the set up is quite similar in both books. You have a group of people who find themselves in mysterious but interesting circumstances and a conflict between those who wish to stay awhile to uncover the mysteries and those determined to leave.
Of course apart from that the books differ significantly. Rather than the sea we have beautiful mountain scenes. The descriptive writing isn't too long but is very clear. The characters also are very distinct and well defined.
The tale certainly doesn't go where i expected at the end of the normal narrative however I don't feel the prologue and epilogue were as well done as i would have liked. Really compelling and very well written mystery which is also not too long.
A moderately excellent story :) .

Lost Horizon started off quickly and held my interest through the beginning. A group of strangers hijacked and taken to a place called Shangri-La? Yes, please! The tale of adventure became a little ponderous as the story progressed but then the ending picked up again. 3.5 stars rounding down.

Gestoßen bin ich auf dieses Buch in einem Buchladen in Chiang Mai in Thailand. "Der verlorene Horizont" zeichnet eine utopische Vorstellung davon, wie eine Gesellschaft unabhänging von der restlichen Welt existieren kann und welche Gesetzen und Regeln diese folgt. Auch der Preis, welcher für das Aufrechterhalten dieser "Parallelwelt" gezahlt werden muss, wird thematisiert. Natürlich muss der Roman auch im Kontext seiner Zeit (Erscheinungsjahr 1933) betrachtet werden.

En el lugar donde crecí de pequeño, cerca de mi casa había una casa abandonada. Es la típica casa donde nacen y crecen leyendas de todo tipo acerca de misteriosos habitantes, ruidos extraños procedentes de su interior las noches de luna llena, cortinas que se mueven (esto sí que era desconcertante, porque la casa no tenía cortinas) luces que parpadean… Era la típica casa a la que los valientes se retaban a acercarse al caer la tarde. ¿Os cuento un secreto? Era una casa abandonada en medio del campo. Ni más ni menos. Puedo asegurarlo porque hice una inspección exhaustiva después de saltarme el muro…pero ese ya es otro tema.

El caso es que un día, paseando con mi abuelo, pasamos por delante. Yo le pregunté que quien era el dueño, y mi abuelo me respondió que era un señor que se había al río a bañarse una tarde de agosto, se había perdido y no había sabido volver.

No sé si fueron mis ganas de aventuras o que conocía el río como la palma de mi mano, pero al día siguiente cogí merienda (podría decir que fue una cesta con un sándwich y un batido de chocolate, que quedaría mucho más bonito en la historia, pero realmente fue un salchichón, media barra de pan y cartón de un litro de zumo… sí, a esa edad de 7 años ya le había cogido el gusto a eso de comer) y me encaminé hacia el río en busca de aquel pobre hombre al que yo me imaginaba como un neandertal peludo que había sobrevivido alimentándose a base de almendras amargas y moras silvestres.

Tengo que decirte que después de un par de horas de caminata río abajo (bueno, vale, paré para aligerar peso. Llevaba ya un rato cargando con la merienda y las tripas me recordaban a base de rugido que no tenía porque cargar con cosas que podía llevar cómodamente dentro de mí) el señor seguía sin aparecer. Me dije que avanzaría solo hasta el siguiente recodo del río, porque si no me batía en retirada no me daría tiempo a volver a casa con luz del sol. No le tenía miedo a la oscuridad, pero le tenía mucho al cinturón de mi padre.

Y así fue como al atravesar el último zarzal del recodo encontré un lugar mítico conocido como “El Molinillo”. Un lugar que solo existía en las leyendas que se contaban por la zona y donde solo los más mayores juraban haber estado, aunque por supuesto nadie se lo creía. Allí estaban los restos del majestuoso molino hidráulico que daban nombre al lugar. Bueno, eran un montón de pedruscos caídos y maderas podridas, pero a mí me pareció una visión celestial.

Me hubiera encantado ver las estrellas desde aquel lugar… pero por supuesto las únicas estrellas que vi fueron las que el cinturón de mi padre tan clarividentemente me invitaron a observar. Y nunca más volví a llegar de noche de una excursión (que él supiera)

Pero de esta forma fue como aprendí que las leyendas pueden tener bases muy reales, que no siempre es cierto lo que cuentan y que en el siguiente recodo puedes descubrir algo que te deje con la boca abierta.

Supongo que algo así pudo experimentar Conway y sus acompañantes en este libro, cuando un avión los dejó muy cerquita de Shangri-La. Tuvo que pensar: “Madre mía, esto es una leyenda hecha realidad”. Supongo que ese valle también tiene muchas similitudes con el lugar donde crecí, ya que son lugares que solo puedes encontrar si ya has ido con anterioridad (Y hasta así es difícil). La cuestión es que a ellos alguien los estaba esperando y no sabemos si para darle la bienvenida o por motivos más truculentos. Bueno, nosotros sí lo sabemos. Eres tú quien tendrás que embarcarte en esta aventura llena de misterios, secretos y conflictos que harán que este viaje sea extraordinario). Esperamos que disfrutes de esta historia y no te asustes si tus páginas no te permiten marcharte, escapar o alejarte demasiado del libro. Es algo totalmente normal. Pide ayuda a Conway si estás en apuros, si es que aun existe o está por allí y no lo olvides, los Horizontes Perdidos existen solamente para ser encontrados.

PD + Spoiler: El dueño de la casa abandonada apareció al poco tiempo en un restaurante de Málaga. No me podía imaginar que el río pudiera llegar tan lejos. Fin del misterio.

Os preparamos un vuelo privado a Shangri-La aquí:

https://www.lalibreriaambulante.es/es...

A new and enjoyable find. Once again, the classics section took me into new territory with an author I have never read before. James Hilton took not only my mind but also my spirit on a great adventure that I will long remember. A young Englishman along with three other passengers is taken on an adventure when his plane is hijacked, and they end up in a Tibetan Monastery. Thought-provoking as well as enlightening, I was drawn into the inner drama of a man who must consider his entire life from a new perspective. Believable with honest characters, I am still working out what the ending really meant.

Lost Horizon is magic and mystery. It tells the story of 4 Westerners who stumble rather forcibly (kidnapping) upon the hidden city of Shangri-La in the Tibetan mountains, in the valley of Blue Moon. This is the original tale of Shangri-La, where all the legends arise. Here in the valley they find no answers to their questions about how to return to civilization. Instead they find reasons not to return. For, though they were brought there against their will, they had been stumbling through life at a point of crisis.

What would it mean to find yourself “the master of Shangri-La; hidden behind the mountains in the valley of Blue Moon? Could you unravel the mysteries of time and wisdom? Would you choose to return to “civilization” to find a way –any way to prevent the next world war, or would you remain enthroned in Shangri-La, preserved as by a miracle for a new Renaissance with the secret of a protracted youth?

As James Hilton said in this mysterious book, “Laziness in doing stupid things can be a great virtue.” But, is happiness to be found, or is it only realized when we cease to search? Is it the fulfillment of passions or in the end of passion? Can joy exist in moderation? It really reminds me of the old John Lennon song, Imagine. If there is “nothing to live or die for,” then why live or die? If we strive merely to preserve life, then haven’t we really missed the point of living?

Hilton does not give answers. He presents a philosophical set of arguments. And, uniquely, he provides a ‘devil’s advocate’ in the form of a character named Mallinson. A Brit, Mallinson argues against the idea of Shangri-La, in all the arguments going through the reader’s own head. And, Shangri-La is an idea. It is the idea that you could…

…achieve calmness and profundity, ripeness and wisdom, and the clear enchantment of memory. And, most precious of all, you will have Time—that rare and lovely gift that your Western countries have lost the more they have pursued it…

In the end the reader is left with the question of Shangri-La. Do you think you will ever find it?

I enjoyed reading this classic in the Audible version read by the voice of Michael de Morgan, a voice full of character and perfect for this book. I downloaded the free ebook from Project Gutenberg to follow along.