The Legend of Shangri-La - Adventure Classic

Bought a used copy of the book because it was cheaper and it was heavily used. For good reason, the story is wonderful and very captivating. At 231 pages it's a fairly quick read too and I was unable to put it down.

Well worth the read and I heartily recommend to anyone, especially if they're at all interested in the legend of Shangri-La.

Although this book was first published decades ago, it's not dated at all, it really is written in a timeless writing style. The only reason I knew it was published decades ago was because at some time the text alluded to 1934 as current date. Could not put it down, it was a simple but lovely prose.

The story of a group of people who survive an airplane crash in Tibet and find shelter at a mysterious monastery is extremely well known, but unlike most novels, Lost Horizon is less about its characters and their siutation--interesting though those elements may be--than it is about their thoughts and ideas. Written as it was on eve of World War II, these thoughts and ideas center upon developing a way of life that preserves, rather than destroys, that which is finest in both humanity and the world in general.
The novel is elegantly and simply written and possesses tremendous atmosphere. Although enjoyable as a purely "fun" read, it is also thought provoking, and the thoughts it provokes linger long after the book is laid aside. I can not imagine any one not being moved by the book, both emotionally and intellectually, regardless of their background or interests. If such a person exists, I do not think I would care to meet them.
Although James Hilton wrote a number of worthy novels, Lost Horizon is the novel for which he is best remembered, a great popular success when first published and a genuine masterpiece of 20th Century literature.

This is a tale of a group of Western Europeans allegedly kidnapped to a lamasery somewhere in the Far East. Not unlike Life of Pi, in the end, the reader is not quite sure if it really happened. The style is slow paced.

The book, while well written, was slow and plodding. I am not one to give up on books and read till the end only to be disappointed in the ending as well. An okay read for a couple of bucks if you have nothing else sitting on the shelf. I personally would give it a miss.

Just returned from a trip to Bhutan and saw the Tiger's Nest Monastery which I believe this book was based on. It was majestic as was Bhutan. A wonderful fantasy that is well written. An exciting dream.

this is an old, old story. It has a most unusual plot. It gives us an idea of what life could be like. But do we want this? Good story. I have wanted to read it for years. So glad you put it on Kindle.

I read this recently because it was on a list of “best “books”, it was an enetertaining read but not something I couldn’t put down. Thought provoking though and oddly appropriate for today’s world. Worth the time at least.

This book is only "okay". Disregarding the fact that it is a little outdated, being a literary classic and all, it was still a slow paced story full of the main character's inward introspection. There is a little bit of promising action in the beginning and the Tibetan monastery was mysteriously intriguing at first, but then the story washes out and gets repetitious.

I would recommend this book to those who enjoy literary classic novels. Those mildly interested in Buddhism like myself may also find something here. but I warn that not much really happens in terms of characters facing action or conflict. At least not kinds that most modern readers would find interesting.

I had read "Lost Horizon" many years ago and loved it. I decided to purchase it for my daughter as a gift. The story, of course, doesn't change but I was disappointed at the presentation. The text was tiny and crowded on the pages. It seemed an uncomfortable size to read for even someone with excellent vision. The book was inexpensive but I would have paid a little more for a more presentable version, especially for a gift

Four strangers discover inner hidden strength talent after abduction, while residing in the great solitudes of Himalayan Tibet:

Conway 37yo British Consul in Baskul suffering PTSD after war seeks respite from behaving as someone he is not Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking Susan Cain
Mallinson 24yo Vice Consul inexperienced, insecure fearful, self-congratulatory, immature, blames others for his fear, unable to adapt to the unfamiliar, forces others to be responsible for his well being through whining, chronic complaining angry lashing out manipulations machinations intrigues like Cassius [ASIN:0743482743 Julius Caesar (Folger Shakespeare Library)]: What are YOU going to do about it? The Quiet American Michael Caine Brendan Fraser
Brinklow 40yo self righteous proselytizer who feels impelled to impose her beliefs on immoral barbarians Rain Joan Crawford, "really quite a selfish person, as most unhappy people are" Incident at Badamya Dorothy Gilman ISBN-13: 978-0449217214
Barnard 50yo American financier swindler constantly devising ways of making money. Joe Dominguez Your Money Or Your Life: Transforming Your Relationship With Money And Achieving Financial Independence,The Millionaire Next Door: The Surprising Secrets of America's Wealthy interviews over 25 years with American Millionaires whose savings are spent by impoverished third generation.

James Hilton's Lost Horizon is similar to memoir The Empty Mirror: Experiences in a Japanese Zen Monastery Janwillem Van de Wetering a 24yo Dutchman's comedic reminiscences of a flight from self knowledge. Time is required to marinate experience, understand and accept oneself and one's frailties, and the young are too impatient to learn. National Geographic: Stress - Portrait of a Killer documentary research on the connection between hurry and disease.
The Meaning of Human Existence E O Wilson. Slave holders are ferocious warriors uninterested in chores, instead conduct raids, abduct infants to raise as slaves.
[ASIN:B0040J1RZO Dhamma Brothers] documentary of meditation over 10 days, years later follow up.
Healing & the Mind (Programs 1-5) Bill Moyers 5 episode series how attitude affects well being

Even paradise may be rejected by those incapable of opening the heart to possibility or too dependent on outer manifestations of power to self question.

[ASIN:6305416222 Lost Horizon] DVD 1937 alters the storyline characters and relationships of the abductees while still embodying the sense of serene tranquility possible with self acceptance, and internal willingness to change in Valley of Blue Moon Departures Oscar. James Hilton's description of the danger of war to destroy all human efforts toward civility, and the effort at Shangrila to preserve all that is beautiful respectful and fragile are mesmerizing. Although Hilton places Shangrila in Tibet, the locale is a thinly disguised Bhutan recognizable from the terrifying approach into the secluded Paro valley from the air and the mile high altitude shift of climate from tropical through temperate to Himalayan peak.

My spouse and I have a tendency to mark notate underline and gloss our books so we buy two copies in order to hold personal copies. Lost Horizon is one reread from time to time for renewal and a reminder of civility. Civility and Psychology Robert Coles Daedalus 1980.

having seen the movie several times over the past many years, there is no comparison.the onset plot in the movie is a much better and more interesting story. as i do with books i read and the movies from the book i try to compare the characters. the people in the book are so radically different from those in the movie.i hope whever wrote the screenplay for the movie got an academy award.

In 1933, British author, James Hilton (1900-1954) wrote Lost Horizon, the now classic novel about the mystical land of Shangri-La (notice I didn’t say mythical because I’m hoping someday to discover its existence for myself). Hilton won a Hawthornden Prize for the book, the British literary award akin to the Pulitzer, given for best imaginative work of literature. The feted writer who met with success early in life also penned another classic, Goodbye, Mr. Chips, which is perhaps why he lived the latter part of his life in Hollywood, writing scripts and hosting a radio show for CBS.

Lost Horizon had the uncanny good fortune to be the first “pocket book,” or paperback ever made (thereby bringing literacy and joy to the masses!). After a long lead in -- the dictates of what constitutes a great start to a book were likely much different in 1933 -- the book takes off, literally, with four passengers being hijacked for unknown reasons while on their way to India. Of the four passengers, two are military types known to each other, one is a missionary and the fourth an American business man. The hijacker takes them at gun point over the perilous mountain passes of Tibet, stopping only once to refuel. The wary passengers attempt to speak with the pilot, demanding to know where they are being taken, but before the first words are out of their mouths, the pilot sticks a gun through the cockpit window, ending the conversation. Yet even the most trying of situations are met with English equanimity in this book and when the plane crashes and the pilot dies a day later from internal injuries, no one really panics despite that they are stranded in this remote region of the world without food, water or even a map to guide them. So begins their perilous journey over craggy mountain passes, headed toward an august mountain, standing apart from the rest and shimmering against the morning sky. Now the real story begins.

As luck would have it, the stranded passengers are rescued by a small caravan of traveling lamas who bear a litter carrying an elderly Chinese man, Chan. The lamas are enthusiastic and hospitable and welcome the stranded passengers to return with them to the lamasery. The group agrees, hoping to rest, recover and make further arrangements to return home. So begins their immersion into Shangri-La, a utopian land located in an obscure location in the Tibetan Mountains. The aura of mystery surrounding Shangri-La is tremendous, yet the guests are treated like royalty, and since their immediate needs are met there is no cause for alarm. The place has an air about it that settles into your bones and it’s not just the altitude. After several weeks, all but one of the four are in sync with the rhythm of Shangri-La, no longer in a hurry to return to the mainland. Of course, not everyone is happy, particularly Mallinson who has left a girlfriend behind. More weeks, more inquiries concerning when the porters will be arriving to take them back to civilization, and then a strange transformation occurs: three of the four passengers decide they may just like to stay after all. For behind each door lies a secret: art and music and literature and rooms filled with exquisite antique treasures in this mansion in the sky.

For Conway, an intellectual military man whose life had lost much of its flavor, his stay in Shangri-La activates a zest for life he had long since forgotten. As is customary for each person who comes to Shangri-La, Conway is invited to visit with the head lama, but when that invitation is repeated over and over, it sets in motion unprecedented events. During these visits, the head lama reveals the secrets of Shangri-La. Because of his newfound knowledge, the life Conway has lived until now can never be lived in the same way again. Much more I cannot tell you without giving the book away and ruining its mystery, but as you may have guessed, Conway must make a life-altering decision. Lost Horizon is reflective of every man’s story, the search for paradise lost. Or is it found?

I thoroughly enjoyed 'Lost Horizon.'

First, the writing is strong and functional, with intelligent phrasing and sharp description, plus a calm, concise narrative that lends to the story. The story, too, is generally pleasing (for my tastes, anyhow), with an engaging prologue, believable characters, and a satisfying arc. It grabbed my attention from the start, and delivered as a good, classical adventure-tale. Another strength: it reads well for today's audience, without coming off as dated, or with obsolete language. Thus, in a nuts-and-bolts sense, I thought 'Horizon' to be a successful literary work.

As for the content itself, the book is as polished and rich, both in substance and in its deep, multidimensional nature. Yes, the overt story is enjoyable and entertaining; and, furthermore, there is no small amount of philosophical metaphor, perceptive observation, and sociological commentary, as to enrich the text even more. However, the true standout, for me, was the thread of valuable, real-world wisdom running through the story. A keen, timeless intelligence shines from between 'Horizon's' lines, and in it can be found many pearls of truth, from the worldly to the metaphysical (or, at least, truth as I presently perceive it). Ultimately, the classic tale of Shangri-La and its extraordinary occupants serves as a human- and spiritual study, as relevant today as at the initial publication, from which much can be learned, and in ways unexpected of a "mere" novel. Few books can boast such depth, in my experience.

Due to its exceptional, multi-faceted nature, 'Lost Horizon' receives a rare five-star rating from me.

My sincere thanks goes out, posthumously, to this book's author and publisher. I am grateful for, and have benefited from, your work.

* * *

Some notable quotes from 'Lost Horizon':

"Mallinson, who had watched the [gun] incident, was only partly satisfied. 'I don't suppose he'd have dared to shoot,' he commented. 'It's probably bluff.' 'Quite,' agreed Conway, 'but I'd rather leave you to make sure.'" -- p.25

"'Must we hold that because one religion is true, all others are bound to be false?'" -- p.54

"'What is it the lamas do?' she continued. 'They devote themselves, madam, to contemplation and to the pursuit of wisdom.' 'But that isn't _doing_ anything.' 'Then, madam, they do nothing.'" -- p.70

"'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." -- p.113

"'I'm unmarried; I have few close friends and no ambitions.' 'No ambitions? And how have you contrived to escape those widespread maladies?'" -- p.113

"'People make mistakes in life through believing too much, but they have a damned dull time if they believe too little.'" -- p.161

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 highly recommend the Audible version.

I can see why this short book about Shangri-La written in 1933 is a classic. The approach of telling the story as one person relating it to another about a third person makes the character of Conway all the more intriguing. This is the story of a hijacked plane with 4 passengers crashing in the Himalayas and being rescued and brought to a remote, mysterious monastery for lamas called Shangri-La. The outside world doesn’t know about this place and it’s not on any maps. Each of the 4 characters react differently to their circumstances and one of them is an agitated young man who only wants to return to the outside world. Eventually, Conway has an audience with the High Lama and finds out the history and the amazing fact that people age very slowly and are never permitted to leave. But the young man doesn’t know all this and eagerly awaits the arrival of porters who bring supplies so he can be guided out of the treacherous mountain passes that protect this enclave. There are messages about the destruction of war and the corruption of power. Hilton envisioned this utopian oasis where ego and material things are unimportant. Thought provoking and timeless.

A Review by Anthony T. Riggio of the book “Lost Horizon” by James Hilton August 18, 2017

I first read this book in 1957, as part of a reading assignment during my second year of high school. I was captivated by the story for reasons I can not exactly remember but I loved reading it then. There is nothing that I remember presently as to why this book was so captivating. There was no romance or exciting adventure but it became tattooed in the recesses of my brain. Every now and then, the title of this book is mentioned or the location Shangri-La would pop up and it would bring warm memories of my original reading of it when I was a sophomore at Mount St. Michael Academy in the Bronx and Brother Adrian Norbert, a Marist brother awakened in me the love of reading.

I searched for this book on the store and found it in a Kindle format bur I wanted to read this in a hardbound edition and luckily found two copies of it, for less than the Kindle price and I bought two copies in a used book store, in hardbound edition and in pristine shape. I gave my grand daughter a copy of the better edition of the two hardbound copies I bought, as a birthday gift.

I recently re-read the second copy and I was amazed at how different my reaction was sixty years later. The book was still interesting and I enjoyed the re-reading, but was amazed at the fact that my memories of it were so romantically warm in my thinking. The book was published originally in 1933, and I now saw it as a book written at a tumultuous time in world history. There was so much going on and because of my love and increased exposure to history, my perspective was so different.

The main character in the this book was a British embassy functionary, whose exact work is not defined but was probably part of the British spy network in Afghanistan. You quickly realize the he is scarred by his experiences in the Great Was (World War I) and lives a confused directional life but is quite educated and knowledgeable in several languages. He escapes from a rebellion which takes place in his duty station along with four other people in a stolen airplane (aeroplane in the British vernacular). Unknowingly to the four refugees, they are being kidnapped by a Tibetan pilot and embark on a strange journey where they crash land somewhere in mountains of Tibet.

The four are rescued by monks from a nearby Lamastery (monastery) and are led back to the Lamastery where they are exposed to the disciplined life of the lamastery and experience a life of “moderation” in a seemingly incongruous setting of modern conveniences and a library housing all of the works of knowledge existing but no communicative devices known at that time, i.e., newspapers, magazines or radio. The four each have different reasons for being in that part of the world at that time and when confronted with the reality that they would be “guest” of lamastery for the rest of their lives, different reasons for embracing the concept. One of the four is the youngest of the group becomes obsessed with leaving the lamastery, notwithstanding the promise of a life of immortality.

There is a young and beautiful girl of about 18 living there who plays the harpsichord and is captivated by Conway and the young Brit and eventually the young Brit convinces the young Chinese girl to leave Shangri-La and through her assistance the “escape” is facilitated. There is an interesting debate between the young Brit and Conway as to the reasons for staying or leaving Shangri-La.

I enjoyed this book twice, for different reasons during the maturation process of both my mind and my education. I would have been convinced to leave Shangri-La during my high school years and to stay during my more advanced years. I highly recommend the reading of this book and consequently still give it a five star review.

The philosopher Maimonides (1138-1204) considered the biblical story of the Garden of Eden as a parable, not an actual event, in his Guide of the Perplexed 1:2. He states that the Torah is speaking about morality. I think his interpretation is correct. I will not summarize it here, but I will add that I always thought that an additional interpretation of the parable, with the first humans disobeying God and eating forbidden fruit, is that there are many people living in a paradise who are unable to appreciate what they have and enjoy it. This message is also in the timeless 153 page 1933 international best-seller by James Hilton, Lost Horizon. In his book, Hilton shows that not everyone can appreciate a paradise.
Lost Horizon is the story of a 37-year-old English diplomat, Hugh Conway, who discovers that his pilot has kidnaped him and his three companions, Conway’s young 24-year-old assistant, a female missionary, and a man who is later revealed to be a criminal trying to escape capture by the police. They are flown to a city far from where Conway intended to go, somewhere in Tibet. Conway does not know why the pilot did so. In fact, the man who piloted the plane was not the man who was supposed to fly it. The city, called Shangri-La, is in a plain which is surrounded by huge snow covered mountains which protect the inhabitants from the cold. Unlike elsewhere, everybody in the city is friendly, welcoming, and smiling.
Conway discovers that the inhabitants of the city live in peace. A unique culture flourishes “here without contamination from the outside world.” The rule in this paradise is that one must respect others and be moderate in everything, even with moderation itself, and virtue generally, and even in regard to religion, which made the female missionary among the four newcomers remark that the inhabitants were obviously barbarians. There is no money in the city. The mountains have gold, but the inhabitants have no need of it. Remarkably, the climate is such that people live in Shangri-La for a long time. Beside the climate, the lack of stress, worry, and strife in the city, replaced by tranquility, contributes to the health of the population. The founder of the city began to live in it “in the year 1734, when he was fifty-three years of age.” He was still alive in 1931 when Conway met him in Shangri-La. People are told that if inhabitants who had longevity leave Shangri-La they will age and die.
Conway’s assistant wants to leave. While Conway prefers to remain, he agrees to accompany his assistant because he is certain that the assistant would be unable to make the trip without his help. The assistant takes with him a woman who seems to be twenty years old but has been in Shangri-La for many decades. She does not believe she will age when she leaves the paradise.
Two film versions were made of this splendid book. The first was in 1937 and is well worth the time to view it. The second version is a musical from 1973. Contrary to what is advertised, this musical is based more on the 1937 movie than on the book, it adds events that are not in the book and earlier film, some of the people are different, and there is lots of nice singing and dancing.
The two film productions make many changes from the Hilton novel. For example, in the book, Hugh Conway is not a very high British official, in the films he is very high. In the films, Conway is accompanied to Shangri-La by his younger brother, who is not in the book, instead of being Conway’s assistant. In the films one of the people accompanying Conway is a sick woman who recovers her health in Shangri-La, while the woman in the book is a healthy missionary. Also, in the films, Conway falls in love with a woman of Shangri-La, but this is not in the book. These and other changes in the films add drama.

There is a civil war in Baskul. Four people escaping the conflict are shanghaied: Miss Roberta Brinklow, of the Eastern Mission; Henry D. Bernard, a U.S. citizen; Hugh Conway, H.M. Consul; and Capt. Charles Mallison, H.M. Vice-Consol.

We follow their adventure, slowly earning about each personality and how each personal experience formed the characters he/she are today.

During the adventure we find different from the movie that they were a “Random Harvest” instead of purposely pilfered as the movie version would have us believe. There are other differences in learning about a lamasery named Shangri-La and its various mysteries.

I will not go through the details as you will want to discover for yourself.
Howe the book is more about human nature than the magic in the moonlight.

I had do slow down as here were references to German words (concepts) and Swiss Alps that I had to research to see why they were mentioned.

I have a hard copy of the book. However I had to try the Kindle version with wisper-sync. The narrator made each character sound different. However the script that the narrator read was slightly different than the printed wording.

There is a civil war in Baskul. Four people escaping the conflict are shanghaied: Miss Roberta Brinklow, of the Eastern Mission; Henry D. Bernard, a U.S. citizen; Hugh Conway, H.M. Consul; and Capt. Charles Mallison, H.M. Vice-Consol.

We follow their adventure, slowly earning about each personality and how each personal experience formed the characters he/she are today.

During the adventure we find different from the movie that they were a “Random Harvest” instead of purposely pilfered as the movie version would have us believe. There are other differences in learning about a lamasery named Shangri-La and its various mysteries.

I will not go through the details as you will want to discover for yourself.
Howe the book is more about human nature than the magic in the moonlight.

I had do slow down as here were references to German words (concepts) and Swiss Alps that I had to research to see why they were mentioned.

I have a hard copy of the book. However I had to try the Kindle version with wisper-sync. The narrator made each character sound different. However the script that the narrator read was slightly different than the printed wording.

There is a civil war in Baskul. Four people escaping the conflict are shanghaied: Miss Roberta Brinklow, of the Eastern Mission; Henry D. Bernard, a U.S. citizen; Hugh Conway, H.M. Consul; and Capt. Charles Mallison, H.M. Vice-Consol.

We follow their adventure, slowly earning about each personality and how each personal experience formed the characters he/she are today.

During the adventure we find different from the movie that they were a “Random Harvest” instead of purposely pilfered as the movie version would have us believe. There are other differences in learning about a lamasery named Shangri-La and its various mysteries.

I will not go through the details as you will want to discover for yourself.
Howe the book is more about human nature than the magic in the moonlight.

I had do slow down as here were references to German words (concepts) and Swiss Alps that I had to research to see why they were mentioned.

I have a hard copy of the book. However I had to try the Kindle version with wisper-sync. The narrator made each character sound different. However the script that the narrator read was slightly different than the printed wording.

There is a civil war in Baskul. Four people escaping the conflict are shanghaied: Miss Roberta Brinklow, of the Eastern Mission; Henry D. Bernard, a U.S. citizen; Hugh Conway, H.M. Consul; and Capt. Charles Mallison, H.M. Vice-Consol.

We follow their adventure, slowly earning about each personality and how each personal experience formed the characters he/she are today.

During the adventure we find different from the movie that they were a “Random Harvest” instead of purposely pilfered as the movie version would have us believe. There are other differences in learning about a lamasery named Shangri-La and its various mysteries.

I will not go through the details as you will want to discover for yourself.
Howe the book is more about human nature than the magic in the moonlight.

I had do slow down as here were references to German words (concepts) and Swiss Alps that I had to research to see why they were mentioned.

I have a hard copy of the book. However I had to try the Kindle version with wisper-sync. The narrator made each character sound different. However the script that the narrator read was slightly different than the printed wording.

There is a civil war in Baskul. Four people escaping the conflict are shanghaied: Miss Roberta Brinklow, of the Eastern Mission; Henry D. Bernard, a U.S. citizen; Hugh Conway, H.M. Consul; and Capt. Charles Mallison, H.M. Vice-Consol.

We follow their adventure, slowly earning about each personality and how each personal experience formed the characters he/she are today.

During the adventure we find different from the movie that they were a “Random Harvest” instead of purposely pilfered as the movie version would have us believe. There are other differences in learning about a lamasery named Shangri-La and its various mysteries.

I will not go through the details as you will want to discover for yourself.
Howe the book is more about human nature than the magic in the moonlight.

I had do slow down as here were references to German words (concepts) and Swiss Alps that I had to research to see why they were mentioned.

I have a hard copy of the book. However I had to try the Kindle version with wisper-sync. The narrator made each character sound different. However the script that the narrator read was slightly different than the printed wording.

There is a civil war in Baskul. Four people escaping the conflict are shanghaied: Miss Roberta Brinklow, of the Eastern Mission; Henry D. Bernard, a U.S. citizen; Hugh Conway, H.M. Consul; and Capt. Charles Mallison, H.M. Vice-Consol.

We follow their adventure, slowly earning about each personality and how each personal experience formed the characters he/she are today.

During the adventure we find different from the movie that they were a “Random Harvest” instead of purposely pilfered as the movie version would have us believe. There are other differences in learning about a lamasery named Shangri-La and its various mysteries.

I will not go through the details as you will want to discover for yourself.
Howe the book is more about human nature than the magic in the moonlight.

I had do slow down as here were references to German words (concepts) and Swiss Alps that I had to research to see why they were mentioned.

I have a hard copy of the book. However I had to try the Kindle version with wisper-sync. The narrator made each character sound different. However the script that the narrator read was slightly different than the printed wording.

There is a civil war in Baskul. Four people escaping the conflict are shanghaied: Miss Roberta Brinklow, of the Eastern Mission; Henry D. Bernard, a U.S. citizen; Hugh Conway, H.M. Consul; and Capt. Charles Mallison, H.M. Vice-Consol.

We follow their adventure, slowly earning about each personality and how each personal experience formed the characters he/she are today.

During the adventure we find different from the movie that they were a “Random Harvest” instead of purposely pilfered as the movie version would have us believe. There are other differences in learning about a lamasery named Shangri-La and its various mysteries.

I will not go through the details as you will want to discover for yourself.
Howe the book is more about human nature than the magic in the moonlight.

I had do slow down as here were references to German words (concepts) and Swiss Alps that I had to research to see why they were mentioned.

I have a hard copy of the book. However I had to try the Kindle version with wisper-sync. The narrator made each character sound different. However the script that the narrator read was slightly different than the printed wording.

There is a civil war in Baskul. Four people escaping the conflict are shanghaied: Miss Roberta Brinklow, of the Eastern Mission; Henry D. Bernard, a U.S. citizen; Hugh Conway, H.M. Consul; and Capt. Charles Mallison, H.M. Vice-Consol.

We follow their adventure, slowly earning about each personality and how each personal experience formed the characters he/she are today.

During the adventure we find different from the movie that they were a “Random Harvest” instead of purposely pilfered as the movie version would have us believe. There are other differences in learning about a lamasery named Shangri-La and its various mysteries.

I will not go through the details as you will want to discover for yourself.
Howe the book is more about human nature than the magic in the moonlight.

I had do slow down as here were references to German words (concepts) and Swiss Alps that I had to research to see why they were mentioned.

I have a hard copy of the book. However I had to try the Kindle version with wisper-sync. The narrator made each character sound different. However the script that the narrator read was slightly different than the printed wording.

There is a civil war in Baskul. Four people escaping the conflict are shanghaied: Miss Roberta Brinklow, of the Eastern Mission; Henry D. Bernard, a U.S. citizen; Hugh Conway, H.M. Consul; and Capt. Charles Mallison, H.M. Vice-Consol.

We follow their adventure, slowly earning about each personality and how each personal experience formed the characters he/she are today.

During the adventure we find different from the movie that they were a “Random Harvest” instead of purposely pilfered as the movie version would have us believe. There are other differences in learning about a lamasery named Shangri-La and its various mysteries.

I will not go through the details as you will want to discover for yourself.
Howe the book is more about human nature than the magic in the moonlight.

I had do slow down as here were references to German words (concepts) and Swiss Alps that I had to research to see why they were mentioned.

I have a hard copy of the book. However I had to try the Kindle version with wisper-sync. The narrator made each character sound different. However the script that the narrator read was slightly different than the printed wording.

There is a civil war in Baskul. Four people escaping the conflict are shanghaied: Miss Roberta Brinklow, of the Eastern Mission; Henry D. Bernard, a U.S. citizen; Hugh Conway, H.M. Consul; and Capt. Charles Mallison, H.M. Vice-Consol.

We follow their adventure, slowly earning about each personality and how each personal experience formed the characters he/she are today.

During the adventure we find different from the movie that they were a “Random Harvest” instead of purposely pilfered as the movie version would have us believe. There are other differences in learning about a lamasery named Shangri-La and its various mysteries.

I will not go through the details as you will want to discover for yourself.
Howe the book is more about human nature than the magic in the moonlight.

I had do slow down as here were references to German words (concepts) and Swiss Alps that I had to research to see why they were mentioned.

I have a hard copy of the book. However I had to try the Kindle version with wisper-sync. The narrator made each character sound different. However the script that the narrator read was slightly different than the printed wording.

I have both the 1937 movie and the 1973 movie version on DVD and enjoy them both very much. However, in reading the book (found a Readers Digest printing at Salvation Army for $1.00) I am left, shall I say, a bit flat. I have a problem with a 'utopian society' which has to resort to kidnaping people to restock its population. That is my biggest problem with the story and of course, leave out the kidnap/plane ride and we may only guess if Hilton would have a story here at all. While the kidnaping is bothersome, I compare this with such societies as the Shakers, once very numerous, now almost extinct. Shakers let most anyone 'in' and the practice of celibacy as well as the difficulties of dealing with communalism led to their long term decline. I thought the book ending interesting as Hilton relies on the reader having, or using, some imagination. So, while I have a problem with a major plot element, I do find the story very interesting and will probably reread it sometime. Perhaps on a reread I will not be constantly looking at how certain characters and events were developed in the movie versions.

Lost Horizon maybe for some more then ‘just’ an adventure story, but I cannot wait till Steven Spielberg makes it into a blockbuster action movie in addition to his Indiana Jones quartet.

Alto there already exits a successful film from this novel made in 1937 by Frank Capra, and even a musical from 1973. The novel itself is written in 1933 and was in 1936(9?) published as the first paperback ever and by now a guess also the longest running paperback.

What is wrong with just an adventure story?
I think the writer James Hilton aimed for nothing more. Naming the French priest who brought to ‘Shangri-La’ a philosophy which is a mix of Christianity and Buddhism ‘Perrault’. Yes, Perrault like the French fabulist Charles Perrault who wrote beautiful tails like Sleeping Beauty and Little Red Riding Hood.

So yes just an adventure story with an interesting setting, characters, dialogues and point of view, and beautiful sentences, making us dream about the mountains of the Blue Moon … were the roofs of the scattered houses float in a cloudy sea like colorful boats … and steel my heart away!

Last month (October 2015) I was in Chiang Mai (Thailand) and saw the famous temple there Doi Suthep floating on the clouds, with the roofs of the scattered houses floating in a cloudy sea like colorful boats …

So yes again, just an adventure story, but sometimes even they hold some truth.

This book is a like an onion. You can read it for one reason but find so many others to enjoy it too. For instance, it is an adventure (although I believe that Hilton could have played up that aspect more), it is a philosophy of modern life (moderation seems to be the key to contentment) and a warning (in light of WWIII, do we still need a place to keep a kernal of civilization alive?). The characters are interesting: Conway, the leader who only seems to lead out of habit, not conviction, Brinklow, the missionary who believes she must help ignorant non-Christians, Barnard, an American who is on the run for financial fraud, and Mallinson. Mallinson, who was Conway's assistant before they escaped Baskul, is the most disturbing. While you can see Brinklow and Barnard eventually settling down to a life of study and contemplation in Shangri-La, Mallinson tells Conway he wishes he could come back with an airplane and destroy it, because of what it represents.

The book asks the question: are we all looking for Shangri-La? And if we found it, would we be able to recognize it?

Lost Horizon is a lost world story, presumably one of the last of the genre. By the 1930's the weren't too many blank spaces left on the map. A very popular novel in its time, it seemed to me to be a little slight. Very pleasant story to read but lacking any kind of drama. Shangri-La is presented as a perfect place and not surprisingly there is not a lot of drama or conflict in a perfect place.
Lost Horizon is an example of the interwar ethos. Conway is changed by the horrors of The Great War, but even in 1933, when the novel was published, new war clouds were already on the horizon. It is interesting that Shangri-La was envisioned, as not just a sanctuary, but also a repository of culture and knowledge, that would remain hidden during the next great war, preserving knowledge for when civilization would rebuild itself (cf. Asimov's Foundation)

This was a pretty great book, but the prologue was horrible and almost made me stop reading 7 pages in. It starts out with these guys drinking in a bar or restaurant talking about people they used to know and one of those people was a guy named Conway (that's the basic prologue-you can skip it because it was hard to follow and useless). Conway is the main character of the book. Rutherford writes a book about what Conway told him and leaves the manuscript with some nameless dude. The nameless dude is telling Conway's story by reading Rutherford's manuscript. The book is about Conway's journey to a lamasery in Tibet...Shangri-La. Was he sane and telling the truth or is he crazy and Shangri-La is all in his head? That's the question. The book should've been titled "Shangri-La". "Lost Horizon" is a boring and deceptive name. It was a great book and very insightful.

I first read Lost Horizon about fifteen years ago at a low point in my life, when I was going through a period of doubt as to whether my career was making progress and, if it was, whether it was worthwhile. I picked James Hilton's little novel up on a whim and found this story of a man asking himself some of the same questions and being confronted with an enviable alternative a really pleasing and thought provoking work. Within a few months I had worked through most of my own feelings of disillusionment and went on to enjoy the best years of my teaching career. I can't say Hilton's little book was a huge influence on me during that period, but reading it when I did did give me some new energy and hope to get past some dark times.

Lost Horizon is the story of Conway, a young British official in an enviable position of power and influence who nevertheless feels somewhat distant and at a loss as to what to do with his life. Chance or fate brings him with some companions into a mysterious lamasery high in the mountains of Tibet, where a different life path reveals itself. James Hilton wrote some very appealing fiction, including one of my favorites Goodbye Mr. Chips, but Lost Horizon's beautiful story ranks far above them all.

It's important to recall that Lost Horizon was written in the early 1930s, a very dark period in world history, and that inevitably flavors the story. There's a sense of approaching doom and cataclysmic destruction (even more remarkable when we remember that it was written before the Nuclear Age). In contrast the life offered by the residents of Shangri-La is one of peace that necessarily involves hidden, permanent, seclusion. We might not all make the choice Conway makes at the end, but it is certainly understandable why he made it. Lost Horizon may seem to be a light book which can be easily read in a few hours, but the atmosphere it evokes and the questions it makes us ask ensure that it will linger within us for much longer.

One of my all time favorite books. How many out there mix this kind of sweeping physical adventure with so much interior adventure? I wish there were more.....

On another note, if they remake this movie again (and they should to wipe out the Michael Yorke musical) they need to get Chris Evans for the main character, Conway, even if Evans isn't English. Look at how Conway's described: "There was something Elizabethan about him--his casual versatility, his good looks, that effervescent combination of mental with physical activities....Our civilization doesn't often breed people like that nowadays." "He had a peculiar charm, a sort of winsomeness that's pleasant to remember...with a core of attractiveness to him." "He's got a sort of way with him of dealing with people." "What most observers failed to perceive in him was something quite bafflingly simple--a love of quietness, contemplation and being alone." "He was tall...with brown short cropped hair and slate-blue eyes. He was inclined to look severe and brooding until he laughed and then...he looked boyish."

Obviously this is the role Chris Evans was born to play.

Lost Horizon, originally written by James Hilton in 1933, has the great distinction of being the first paperback book ever published. It also possesses the minor notoriety of being the first work of literature that I read on my own in high school. I was absolutely captivated by this novel some four decades ago! Upon completing Lost Horizon once again, I am equally enthralled with Hilton’s work, but am clearly in a much better position (due to my maturity in age) to appreciate its artistry and message. Certainly, this novel is an "exciting yarn" full of "the most artful kind of suspense and ingenuity," as one early reviewer had remarked. Too often, however, critics have branded Hilton's work as a “romantic” or “Utopian” novel. This interpretation, however, is very far from the intent of its author! In reality, besides being a very "good read," Lost Horizon is a prescient warning of the threat to human civilization posed by the rising tide of fascist and militaristic regimes across the globe in the 1930s. Hilton foresaw that the coming “dark age” of Nazism, Stalinism, and the like would lead to the widespread destruction of humanity’s great literary and artistic heritage. He envisioned Shangri-La as a refuge in which much of these cultural treasures could be preserved during the cataclysmic Second World War and later restored after the totalitarian threat had passed. As the High Lama of Shangri-La relates to Conway, the novel's principal protagonist: "Here we shall stay with our books and music and our meditations, conserving the frail elegancies of a dying age, and seeking such wisdom as men will need when their passions are all spent. We have a heritage to cherish and bequeath." "And then?" Conway inquires thoughtfully. "Then, my son, when the strong have devoured each other, the Christian ethic may at last be fulfilled, and the meek shall inherit the earth," replies the High Lama.

Although Shangri-La is clearly a literary construction drawn from Hilton’s own imagination, nevertheless, it is not a chimerical and unattainable society -- like Moore’s Utopia or Plato’s Republic. Tucked away somewhere beyond the remote and imposing Himalayas, in the shadow of the “Mountain of the Blue Moon,” Shangri-La is Hilton’s workable blueprint for an urbane, humane, and sustainable society. Certainly, the latter is somewhat “elitist,” governed as it is by a benevolent and educated class dedicated to the preservation of humanity’s cultural achievements as well as to the pursuit of wisdom. The working classes participate willingly (to their degree of understanding) in this noble enterprise, by providing the necessary foundations of labor and food surplus for any organized human society to exist. They, in turn, benefit materially and emotionally from the rule of "moderation" by their overlords living in the upper lamasery. Based on its mission, however, Shangri-La’s existence is ultimately to be a temporary one: it is to “weather the storm” in order to provide a necessary cultural and ethical support for whatever human society, purged of its proud and warmongering elements, survives the upcoming global holocaust. Accordingly, Hilton's "haven in the Himalayas" was not the Disneyesque fairy-tale land often portrayed in motion picture or television productions of Lost Horizon, one in which its inhabitants live "happily ever after!"

As our world today is clearly entering a new “dark age,” Hilton's message is all the more poignant and pressing. Humanity’s priceless cultural heritage, perhaps the only redeeming aspect of our species, is once again under threat by waves of contemporary “barbarian hordes.” In the Middle East, ISIS and Taliban fanatics have demolished irreplaceable works of ancient art and architecture in accordance with their narrow sectarian beliefs. In the West, fascism is clearly on the rise once more, with cultural and religious bigots demanding the wholesale destruction of “offensive” works of art. Mankind is desperately in need of some new “Shangri-La,” perhaps even a digital one, to preserve its precious legacy in art, architecture, literature, music, and dance. When our world emerges from the upcoming apocalypse of rampant militarism, brutal fascism, and bloody religious fanaticism, hopefully a portion of humanity’s great cultural heritage will be preserved – assuming, of course, that some human remnant survives this global maelstrom of our own making! (Certainly, humanity is now in possession of "weapons of mass destruction" undreamed of in Hilton's day!) But, then, to end this review on a high note, with the same guarded optimism that infuses Hilton's book, I present the dying words of the High Lama: "But I see, at a great distance, a new world stirring in the ruins, stirring clumsily but in hopefulness, seeking its lost and legendary treasures. And they will all be here, my son, hidden behind the mountains in the valley of Blue Moon, preserved as by a miracle for a new Renaissance..." Amen!

LOST HORIZON was written just as the shadows of the conflict that was to become World War II were beginning to darken the world. Not for nothing is the "narrator's" note to the reader dated 1933; that was the year of Hitler's ascension to power. The story begins in Berlin. It's evident that James Hilton wrote LOST HORIZON as an elegy to a world that had vanished forever at Ypres and the Somme. His protagonist, Conway, is a survivor of the European slaughter of 1914-1918, who has been rendered dispassionate by his experience in war, much like Somerset Maugham's Larry Darrell in The Razor's Edge, in many respects a similar work.

No doubt Hilton recognized that whatever shards were left of the Century of Human Progress were going to be ground to dust motes in the coming cataclysm. LOST HORIZON is Hilton's prayer that something of worth survives the coming Dark Age. Since LOST HORIZON was written, violence has been the coin of the human realm, and our technology has outpaced our thought and enslaved us. Time has accelerated beyond our ability to tolerate it. Many human beings have suffered and are suffering from their perceived inability to slow everyday life to a manageable speed. Domestic Violence, street violence, bullying, substance abuse, rudeness, anger, and many other social and personal problems have been the result. The pacing of LOST HORIZON is, by comparison, as languid as a river of honey. Anyone who comes here expecting an Action/Adventure yarn is going to be bitterly disappointed. However, for those of us, like Conway, who are preservationists, a visit to the Valley of the Blue Moon is a delight.

There are a few flaws in Hilton's tale, mostly surrounding his less than thorough grasp of both Chinese culture and Tibetan culture, and the differences between them. He hardly addresses Buddhism. Though typical for their era, they occasionally cause Hilton to fall into the patronizing tone of the imperialist era. His Orientals are all stereotypically inscrutable. His main protagonists (even the Lamas) are Westerners. There's a decidedly European feel to Shangri-La, and there's actually very little of the "East" in LOST HORIZON. Even the philosophy of "moderation," attractive as it is, is an imperfect interpretation of the Buddhist Middle Way. At the same time, these "flaws" help to make this story more accessible to its intended European-based audience, most of whom (reasonably or unreasonably) probably can't find Tibet on a map nowadays.

Conway's story begins in Afghanistan. He is a British Consul serving in that country, along with his young assistant, Mallinson. Tribal violence has broken out, and the two emissaries are being forced to flee back to British India, in the company of two chance companions, Miss Brinklow, a Missionary, and a Mr. Barnard, from America.

They are not long aloft when they realize that their flight has been hijacked by a pilot whose apparent design is to fly them across the Kunlun Shan Range and into Tibet. The plane crash lands, causing the pilot's death. Weather conditions are hideous; a fierce blizzard has caused a whiteout along with subzero temperatures and stocks of food and water are nonexistent. Each one of the four survivors addresses what seems to be imminent death differently. Conway is unperturbed and accepting. Barnard evidences a dry humor. Miss Brinklow reaches for her Bible. Mallinson is full of plans to trek back to India in the teeth of the storm.

Rescue comes on the first clear day in the form of a line of porters headed by a man in a sedan chair, a Mr. Chang, who invites the four to the remote lamasery of Shangri-La in order to rest and recuperate. Although Mallinson agrees to visit Shangri-La merely to collect supplies and hire porters so that they can set out for India the next day, he is overruled by Conway, Barnard and Brinklow, each of whom recognizes the need to marshal themselves.

The lamasery is in a virtually impregnable valley called Blue Moon, and it is a surprise, being equipped with all forms of modern conveniences like hot water plumbing and steam heat. Chang, who has become a kind of Social Director for the four, explains that Shangri-La is a monastery whose belief system centers around the idea of moderation. Thus, modern conveniences are melded appropriately with traditional practices. Beyond that, Chang does not put himself out to answer questions.

Each of the four settles down to wait, with varying degrees of patience. Miss Brinklow convinces herself that she must save the "heathens" living in the Valley from themselves; min her eyes, "moderation" is sin and their obvious happiness is inexplicable and most unacceptable. Barnard, for his part, admits that he is a Bernie Madoff-type character on the lam from the authorities after contributing mightily to the Great Depression. However, he reasons that his discoveries of precious metals in the Valley will redeem him in the eyes of the world.

Conway, for his part, falls in love with Shangri-La. He is quickly introduced to the High Lama, who reveals himself to be a former Capuchin Priest, Father Perrault, who was born in 1689. Perrault explains to Conway, in a long centerpiece to the book, that he first came to Shangri-La by chance. As with Miss Brinklow, he was seized with conversionary fervor, but as time has passed, he has come to see Shangri-La as a refuge and repository for world culture, a place that will be overlooked in the coming World War, which, he prophesies, will be infinitely more destructive than Conway's war, and will end in an unprecedented conflagration that will devour everything. His own incredible longevity he attributes to the air of the Valley, which seems to confer great vitality. Here, he assures Conway, a man will have time to explore even the deepest mysteries of the most seemingly improbable knowledge. Several of the monks he introduces to Conway are studying obscure subjects and dedicating their lives to minutae. One man is Chopin's student, perfecting his teacher's unfinished musical pieces.

Mallinson merely wants to leave. He mocks Conway's belief in the High Lama. He hates everything about Shangri-La, and is shrill in his denunciations of the "Chinks" and old men who "wait like crouching spiders" in the place, working toward some unknowable, undoubtedly horrible, end. "I wish I had a plane," he tells Conway angrily. "I'd bomb this place into bits." All he wants to do, in his youth, is return to the British cantonments for tea dances and flivver races. Quite unexpectedly his is the voice of reason to whom Conway listens, and they depart Shangri-La as the story ends.

There is so much here. Conway, dispassionate, nevertheless falls under the spell of the mysterious Valley of the Blue Moon, while the seemingly more credulous and superficial but passionate Mallinson reflects the thinking of a modern skeptic. Where Conway has always doubted the outside world and yet accepts the magic of Shangri-La, Mallinson believes wholeheartedly in the modern world and sees no magic in the lamasery. And although Conway accompanies Mallinson out, as the narrator finishes his tale, it is obvious that Conway is attempting to return to Shangri-La.

Whether Mallinson or Conway is the hero all depends on the reader's outlook. Shangri-La promises freedom, but is the old Lama telling the truth? Are we called upon to act? Are we called upon to reflect? Is reflection action, and action reflection? Given conditions in the modern world, is a retreat to a genteel, timeless place an act of surrender or an act of bravery? When and where are we prisoners in our own lives? Or are we always free?

I have not read a book this quickly in ages. This book is so good--That I want to keep it for myself and not share it with anyone--As if it was written just for me. "Lost Horizon" is a mainstream novel and a masterpiece making use of a succinct yet uncomplicated writing style. Recently I had a memory of Frank Capra's film version of this novel--That I first saw over 40 years ago--And I decided to watch it again. I was so impressed and moved by the picture that I decided to read the novel. The film captures the essence of the novel; although the on-screen characters were significantly changed by Capra--Presumably to pull at the heart strings more effectively. Yet despite the characters, and their relationships to each other, having been modified for the movie version of "Lost Horizon"--The film and its definitive message still end up resembling the book quite closely. This novel--That the store categorizes as "metaphysical"--Will melt any cynic's heart. The idea of living peacefully, serenely and stress-free may be compelling in theory to many Westerners--But their fascination would not be enough for them to give up their striving, competing, overworking and generally not enjoying life to the fullest. In Buddhism all suffering is created in the mind, and so the lamas of Shangri-La use their practice of clairvoyant meditation to keep it at bay. Yet ultimately what guides Shangri-La is the principle of moderation, where one avoids being "too virtuous" as well. Reading "Lost Horizon" I could not help but be reminded of Herman Hesse's "The Glass Bead Game"--Another masterpiece which also deals with the themes of a Utopia influenced, and intertwined with, aspects of Eastern philosophy / religion--In particular the practice of meditation. In closing--The idea of a "world apart"--Where mankind is encouraged to be the "highest possible version" of itself--Is a timeless notion that will always be seductive.

Stephen C. Bird, Author of "Any Resemblance To A Coincidence Is Accidental"

Within the past couple of weeks I re-watched the film "Lost Horizon" (the only real version starring Ronald Colman), and reread the book by James Hilton. I first read the book when I was a teen, so I remembered little about it. But, I have watched the film countless times, it being one of my favorites. And, as I completed the book this time, I discovered that experiencing both media at the same time that I had changed my view about books being turned into movies. By most generous comment about Hilton's book is to give him credit for something we may overlook. When my friends and I talk about reading books by Grishom or Baldacci (for example), we sometimes have trouble remembering one book from the other after time has passed. It's not that they're not wonderful books, but the authors today tend to write in one specific genre for most of their careers. But, like Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol", which you don't mistake for any other Dickens work, and which is unique in fiction, "Lost Horizon" is a book of Hilton's which you don't mistake for "Goodbye, Mr. Chips" or "Random Harvest"; or for that matter, its unique story isn't confused with any other author's work. Shangri La holds a unique status in fiction, and it belongs to Hilton for all time.

And then you have the film version from Frank Capra in 1937. And here is where my thoughts have changed regarding to translating books into movies. We all know that sometimes it is done well, and sometimes it is a massacre. But I have begun to look at it as evolution in story telling. In my view, Capra changes, but actually improves upon Hilton's story telling. For example, in the Hilton book you get the impression that Conway is a COMPETENT, but MIDDLING person in the British diplomatic corps. So why would the head lama be so enthusiastic about him that he would kidnap an airplane full of people to bring him to Shangri La? Capra painted Conway as the marvel of the British diplomatic corps and explained that the head lama had read books by him and saw a likeness in thinking. That makes more sense in explaining why the kidnapping. Similarly, the book provides no love interest for Conway, while the film does...which gives Conway even more purpose in fighting the odds to return to Shangri La.

That's why this is one of those situations in story telling where I suggest you read the book and watch the film...in that order. Both are true gems.

Hilton's Lost Horizon is often credited with being the origin of the Shangri-La myth, and indeed it is a compelling story. Written in the 1930s, the book is both a product of the turmoil and chaos created by the First World War and subsequent worldwide depression and anticipatory of the conflagration to come. Nestled in-between in both time and place is Shangri-La - an oasis of calm and "moderation" in a world of excess and fanaticism.

Four people, the world weary Conway, his deputy Mallinson, a 1930s American Bernie Madoff named Barnard, and a missionary named Miss Brinklow, are kidnapped and flown high into the Himalayas. When their plane crashes they find themselves drawn into a secluded valley utopia where they find things aren't always what they seem.

Hilton does a wonderful job describing the beauty of Tibet, and has a way of inspiring, through Conway's own recounting of his adventures, a sense of wanderlust. There were times when reading this that I found myself actually holding onto images of white-capped mountains and green florid valleys with incredible vividness and a growing desire to just be out of doors (this book would make excellent camping reading). There were moments of Western Eurocentrism, as to be expected of a 1930s novel that mainly centers on a British consul's adventures in areas of their far reaching empire, and occasionally the dismissive tone of the narrator toward native Tibetan society and culture were annoying. But, again, one has to remember the context of its construction, and at that, these attitudes become part of the story itself in it's theme of East vs. West. Many of the characters represent the dichotomies of those two cultures and Hilton consciously blends them to produce a utopian world in the valley in-between those two worlds. Shangri-La has running water and heated plumbing, combined with lonely solitude and contemplation reminiscent of a Buddhist monastery. It combines a feudal agricultural economy and authoritative political system, while simultaneously allowing for the absolute freedom of individuals living in the valley.

Throughout, one gets a sense of a sad desire to avoid what Hilton can see on the Horizon: the Second World War - this is especially so once the lamas reveal what the purpose of Shangri-La actually is. Aside from all the social and cultural commentary the book provides, Lost Horizon is just a really fun mystery that reminds one of the old travel novels of the 19th and early 20th century, when there were still places to be explored and customs that seemed odd. It definitely was the perfect follow-up for Moloka'i and if anything has stoked my desire to read more good historical fiction.(

This 1939 story is a classic and created the legend of Shangri-La. But in the years since, the book has grown a bit outdated and upon second reading it's not quite the five-star novella that one recalls.

I loved this book when young and hadn't read it in at least 25 years--when I recently picked it up again I was surprised by many things I hadn't noticed before. The author has not just created an ideal world where time slows down, but has also created a place where there is no right or wrong, Christianity (and Catholicism) are changed to the point where they become meaningless, and war is always just beyond the horizon. There are also references to everything being done in moderation in this perfect world, including vices such as doing drugs and having sex with strangers. It isn't quite the spiritually uplifting message that some claim it is.

All these years later the message of the book now seems odd--it paints an almost perfect world where everyone gets along by allowing some people to get away with doing what is now considered wrong. It says that the way to live longer is to give up all your passions and become passionless. That seems the opposite of conclusions from studies about people who age successfully today.

Having seen the 1970s movie more recently than I had last read the book, I was surprised how different the film story was. In some ways I like some of the movie's changes better. In comparison, the book doesn't flow as well (using an opening and closing narration), but that was Hilton's style to intentionally make the narrative rather choppy and even understated. He did it in Goodbye Mr. Chips and it happens again here.

Today his writing style seems dated and it takes awhile to get fully into this book. He is still a great author who raised fascinating issues in this book, especially as they apply to what was happening just before World War II. If you give it time the last half speeds by to a very intriguing conclusion.

Yes, I am guilty of having purchased and read this wonder-filled book several times. I would no sooner give it away to a friend, than a year or so later, a 'thirst' for it would develop, and I'd have to purchase it anew for a re-read.

Why?

Initially, it was because I was looking for such a place (as Shangri-La) on planet earth. But after the passage of a few years, I gave up on my search, thinking that this personal wish was simply an impossible dream. Luckily, deep inside me, that wish failed to go away. My heart knew that 'if you want something badly enough, you will attract it.'

The author, James Hilton, may have had knowledge about such a place (besides what was merely in his artistic imagination).

Did Hilton find his Shangri-La? Apparently not, but that should not prevent others from finding it. James Hilton could have been serving as an 'instrument' through which others would be led to their own Nirvana.

Shangri-La was a place where people were truly free, living under a loving benevolence, able to pursue their interests - interests that tended to become more and more noble over time. These seekers (finders) were also fortunate to live to an extraordinarily advanced age - 'living forever.' Shangri-La was a place removed from the rest of the world (and from today's world as we know it).

But what about today? Does Shangri-La still exist? In France? Yes. In Italy? Yes. In Russia? Yes. In the U.K.? Yes. South of the Border? Yes. In Canada and Australia? Yes. In the U.S.? Yes. Everywhere? Yes. Then how many Shangri-Las are there? There is only One Shangri-La.

Is Shangri-La Buddhist? Christian? Islamic? Jewish? Zen-ish? Sufi-ish? Yes. As in James Hilton's book, residents of Shangri-La have many backgrounds and come from several nations.

Can anyone find this exalted place? Not 'anyone', but 'someone' can. Perhaps one in a million may find it - yes, even today. If You seek it, don't abandon your quest. Keep seeking and you will be attracted to it . . . and you will live forever - truly.

"Lost Horizon" (the original 1933 novel by James Hilton) is a 'must-read.'

James Kowalick

Lost Horizon is the story of four airplane passengers who are kidnapped amid civil strife in post-World War I Afghanistan and flown into a mysterious mountain range near Tibet. When they crash land on a high plateau and are almost instantly met by a caravan of porters carrying a monk, they realize that their kidnapping was not by chance or a random incident.

They are taken to the mysterious Shangri La, a monastery that sits above a bustling town nestled secretly in a valley. The monastery is complete with a library, music room, and all sorts of modern comforts. The guests inquire about returning to civilization, but their hosts, the monks, are extremely vague regarding the details of how they might do so. Soon the four guest begin to suspect that something sinister is lurking in the background of this utopia.

The main character, Conway, takes a liking to Shangri La, and is eventually invited to meet with the Head Lama. Conway is told the history of Shangri La, and learns the secret that has been covered since their arrival: the monks of Shangri La practice a combination of meditation and narcotics that enables them to achieve extreme longevity. Some of the monastery's monks are over two hundred years old. The novel moves toward a climax in which one of the guests tries to escape, just after Conway witnesses the Head Lama die and is asked to succeed him.

This story is full of twists and turns, though for a large portion of the text nothing really happens. The author uses a very subtle tool to introduce the story, and it pays off in the epilogue, when the reader is left wondering whether or not Lost Horizon is a true story. The mix of Buddhist and Christian teaching is interesting, making the philosophic dialogues between Conway and the Head Lama intriguing. The only negative point is the book is filled with 1930's British jargon, so it can be easy to get lost at times. But overall, Lost Horizon is a great read

James Hilton's Lost Horizon, first published in 1933, is the enchanting, though cerebral, short novel that gave birth to the utopia of Shangri-La, a paradise set in a Christian-Buddhist monastery and largely self-sufficient village in the isolated high mountains of Tibet. Told as a captivating story within a story, the drama revolves around a cluster of enticing mysteries: Why are protagonist Hugh Conway and the other foreigners being flown by a seemingly mad pilot high above the remote Kuen-Lun mountains of China? Is Conway's story of his two-month stay in Shangri-La believable?; Does this almost timeless utopia, where people live in equanimity and age ever so slowly, actually exist?; Does Conway find his way back to Shangri-La to take charge following the death of the 250-year-old High Lama?

The basic storyline, including Conway's love for a youthful Tibetan girl he meets in Shangri-La, is provocative enough to have served more than once as material for an entertaining Hollywood movie, but, in my opinion, the greater value of the work lies in the author's articulation of an emotionally appealing and intellectually intriguing life-philosophy. Conway is a British consul whose mild personality and muted career ambition lead to his assignments in far-away places outside the mainstream of power and politics. As such, he is the perfect newcomer to Shangri-La, where people are moderately hard-working and honest, where different ethical systems and religions are condoned as being "moderately true," and, above all, where the lamas who run Shangri-La "are only moderately certain" of their own beliefs! After entering Shangri-La, often more by chance than choice, lamas-in-training find that their youthful desires gradually recede, to be replaced by a deeper wisdom. Over many decades of living in Shangri-La, significant events from their past lives come into sharper focus to serve as reference points for refined scholarly pursuits and purposeful contemplation about the future.

As voiced through the High Lama's prognostication of a storm that "will rage till every flower of culture is trampled, and all human beings are leveled in a vast chaos," Hilton warned in the 1930s, the decade leading up to World War II and the development of nuclear weapons, about the destructive path our conflict-prone society was on. Along with his warning, however, Hilton optimistically professes faith in "a new world stirring in the ruins," with Shangri-La "preserved as by miracle for a new Renaissance." Assuming this forecast to be moderately true, let's hope that Conway really has returned to Shangri-La, even though the rest of us may never get there!

James Hilton's Lost Horizon had been haunting me ever since the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, so last night I began re-reading it for the first time in decades.

In 1965, when I was a high school senior, Lost Horizon was my own personal book of the year. For those unfamiliar with the story: in the colonial era between the world wars, a plane carrying four refugees (British and American) from an Indian regional conflict is hijacked. It crash-lands in a remote, unmapped area of Tibet. The passengers are "rescued" and taken to a mysterious lamasery, Shangri-La, but it turns out the lamasery was actually behind the hijacking--and for surprisingly commendable reasons. Given the world's history of war to date and the likelihood of even more destructive future wars, Shangri-La's mission is to preserve the best of civilization and culture.

Last night I looked up from my book and found I had read 100 pages, and two hours had flown by. Lost Horizon was every bit as gripping and entrancing as the first time I read it, when I couldn't put it down even during English class (my favorite) and was soundly reprimanded (the only such occasion). I was approaching the book's grand finale then. Would the hero succumb to his persuasive, matter-of-fact, worldly colleague, lose faith, and abandon Shangri-La?

For all my wishful thinking, Flight MH370 was unlikely to have been diverted by a lamasery-designated pilot with the most praiseworthy intentions. I'll remember MH370's crew and passengers in my meditations.

Fantastic story--so much better than the film. The lost city of nearly eternal life does stretch the mind about our possibilities. With cutting edge science hot on Hilton's tale, we may soon discover the secret of life lies within ourselves. just the tweak of a molecule or CRISP wisp of a a DNA wand away. One can still wish such a place as the Valley of the Blue Moon and the Monastery of Shangri-La could still exist in this world as a hedge against nuclear annihilation. But as the novel suggests, all of time could collapse in moment and blow away in the snow. It leaves us hoping the new High Lama makes it back home!

After seeing Frank Capra's film version of this book, I had to read James Hilton's novel. The book and the film are very similar, so my love for the film has transferred to the original work. Lost Horizon is the story of four people, an American, a young British soldier, a middle-aged British man, and a female missionary, who have the misfortune of being kidnapped on an airplane. They are crashed near a mysterious and dismal mountain somewhere in Tibet, and all seems to be lost to them, including their pilot who dies in the crash. However, they are rescued by a group of men who live in a strange valley nearby. They call their oasis Shangri-La.

The middle-aged British man is named Conway; he has the best grasp of the goals of Shangri-La of any of the people in his group. Instead of fidgeting when he is told he and his friends will never leave the villiage, he embraces his new home where everything is done in moderation. He marvels over the expensive library of treasures and begins to love a tiny Chinese girl with a fondness for music. He has the good fortune to meet the High Lama of the monastary there and to be told the secrets of Shangri-La.

Conway's sentiments narrate the story, and his calm personality resonates with the reader and makes the sometimes outlandish beliefs of Shangri-La become vivid and desirable.

This is a magical book with the same feeling of hope and inspiration that is present in Frank Capra's films. Although it was written in the early 30s, the sentiments are applicable in today's world. Thus, it is a timeless classic that every person should have the good fortune of stumbling upon. It will never leave you.

In the depths of the worldwide economic depression as the war drumbeats began in Germany, James Hilton wrote a quirky, imaginative book about the potential to escape the harsh reality. In so doing, he caused each reader since then to wonder what the right balance of tranquility and challenge really is. Like the best books about possible utopias, Lost Horizon leaves much to the reader's imagination. Undoubtedly, you will conjure up solutions to the riddles left open by the author that will be especially pleasing to you.
Although the book is clearly set in the 30's with a British perspective, many of the themes struck me as universal. As the book opens, there's an intriguing prologue that sets just the right tone for the story. You are to read a manuscript about the experiences of one Hugh "Glory" Conway, H.M. consul. The manuscript opens with airplane hijacking that seemed all too realistic. Quickly, the hijacking turns into a surprising adventure as the passengers unexpectedly arrive in a little known part of Tibet and are escorted to Shangri-La, a lamasery sitting atop a hidden valley of peace and tranquility. While there, they await an opportunity to arrange passage with the bearers who are bringing a shipment that is expected in 60 days. Conway, however, learns the secrets of Shangri-La and finds himself faced with an extraordinary set of choices.
To me, Shangri-La is a metaphor for the mental tranquility that many spiritual practices can bring. For anyone who has enjoyed these practices, you will know that it can be tempting to withdraw totally into them. To do so can be delicious, especially for the frazzled soul. At the same time, we are made of flesh, blood and boil with emotions that seek their venting through action. How can the two instincts be reconciled? You are left to come to your own conclusions, and that's one of the great beauties of this fine book.
The book has several weaknesses that will bother most readers. Except for Conway, the character development is minimal. The book is too conveniently filled with people in Tibet who speak perfect English. Morality is held a little bit too much in suspense for the book to be as spiritual as it had the potential to be. There's a heavy overlay of British Empire perspective that will seem remote to current readers as well.
The ideal reader for this book is someone who enjoyed Butler's Erewhon or H.G. Wells's The Time Machine.
I was left thinking that we each need our own personal Shangri-La today more than ever. May you find a way to carry it with you!

My interest in reading Lost Horizon came from having seen the Frank Capra film several times. I was aware that the produces of the film had tried to remain as close to the book as possible but I found the differences between the book and the film to be refreshing.
Lost Horizon is a riveting book that is difficult to put down. One might classify the book as part adventure, part philosophy in the blending of the exotic location and Christian and Buddhist beliefs. It is needless to say that the book is well written; the chapter I found of highest interest is Robert Conway's conversation with the High Lama. The writing of that chapter was so very natural and the discussion of such interest it was like being an observer of the scene, and was a chapter I did not want to break.
The characters of the four kidnapped people, Mallinson, Miss Brinklow, Barnard and Conway are subtly drawn and their different reactions to Shangri-La are interesting. Miss Brinklow wants to create a Christian mission, Barnard is eluding the law and happy to have found a safe haven and Mallinson cannot be reconciled with the peaceful paradise of the lamasery; but it is Conway, of course, who has center stage. The character of Conway, a world-weary man who discovers that Shangri-La as a place of destiny, must reflect much from the personality of James Hilton. Conway is very complex; a person who has wisdom beyond his years but is not, as he confesses, a hero and is partly a coward. Indeed, Conway's firm decision to remain at Shangri-La is successfully changed by Mallinson. The conversation between the High Lama and Conway expresses many ideas that applied to Hilton's time and also to the present day. The description by the High Lama of the "coming storm" struck me as appropriate for today. In Hilton's time there was the threat of war on a vast scale as Japan had its eye on occupying large parts of China and the rise of Fascism. Today, it is world terrorism and leaders that want to take us into war without having a clue to the consequences.
In short, this is a marvelous tale that is fantastic to read; a book that one can re-read with great pleasure.

I first read LOST HORIZON many years ago, after I'd seen the film (which, frankly, rather ruins the tale for me, but not enough to destroy the pleasure in reading it). When on a trip to China, staying in the Xian Shangri-La Hotel and having run out of my own books, I picked up their copy (a very nice little hard-cover available for sale at the Horizon Club).

It was a joy to be transported back in time... when the British Empire was slowly collapsing and world-weary consul, Conrad, is escaping a revolution with 3 others (an American, a missionary and a junior diplomat) when their plane is mysteriously hi-jacked. They find themselves crash-landing with a soon-deceased pilot somewhere in the Himalayas and are rescued by a party of Tibetans carrying an aged Chinese man. He leads them to Shangri-La--a lammasery beneath a high moutain, above a particularly lush, cultivated valley.

Shangri-La has become a sort of archetype for hidden/lost utopian societies. The echoes of this book are discernible in many latter works. But here is the original (or one of the originals, since Shangri-La itself is naturally based on previous ideas). Hilton's work is spare, but still magical, depicting a time of turmoil, just before the death and destruction of the Second World War. Conrad, the hero who is not a hero, has lived through WWI and it has both taken something from him... and given him something--something that seems to culminate in his finding peace and wisdom and himself at Shangri-La. But can modern man truly find peace? Or will the world and its madness be a call that's too strong to ignore?

Visit Shangri-La and see for yourself!

I strongly believe this book should be required reading in college and/or high school. There are no political issues to create opinions and to hyperanalyze it like they do in literature classes, so it will probably never be considered. The message is clear, when you have everything you want, you can still never be happy because you need to be denied something in order to appreciate what you have. Our society now is built on instant gratification and "I want". To be without something like love, material objects or basic needs, creates new ideas, passion and appreciation. It is a concept we take for granted but the message spans generations and socioeconomic levels. Well worth the read.

There's a moment in Frank Capra's adaptation of this story, in which Ronald Colman, playing the lead character, looks back at the paradise he is leaving. The expression is his face is cinematic genius and, frankly, is better, by itself, than this entire book. That said, the book is much better than the movie.

Lean storytelling lends itself to a lack of depth in the plot and the development of the supporting characters. But, all in all, this is a splendid story, brilliant in its juxtaposition of idealism and cynicism, hope and disillusionment. The main character is a delightfully well-rounded person, and the closing chapters are just about perfect.

This timeless and visionary novel, while inflicted with some British chauvinism that was common at the time, deserves to be called a classic. Here we have the story of four Westerners who in the 1930s are kidnapped by plane and crash-landed in an uncharted Tibetan valley. They are welcomed into a life of ease and luxury at a suspicious lamasery, Shangri-La, where the monks speak English and enjoy Western books and modern technologies. It turns out that the four abductees were recruited to add to the population of the local village and can never leave, while the lead character Conway is ordained to become the new High Lama. It turns out that this apparent Utopia may not be so fulfilling after all, and that is the key message of the novel. Hilton gives us the struggles of a man who has been damaged by the horrors of war and the modern rat race, and just wants to find a place to get away from it all. But even a place as peaceful as Shangri-La is not so wonderful under the surface. Maybe Utopia is truly impossible to find in our world, both geographically and spiritually.
This novel does have a few problems in characterizations and politics. Other than Conway the characters are shallow and one-sided. The one female among the Westerners, Miss Brinklow, is very narrow and nearly invisible, while the non-Westerners are mostly anonymous. Most importantly, the book comes close to sinking under what could either be called a lack of political correctness or immense British snobbery from Hilton's writing tradition. The High Lama is a European and actually states that "Europeans of the Nordic and Latin races" are the best candidates for enlightenment, while the Tibetans and Chinese in the story are presented as servants or bureaucrats. This is a condescending and unfortunate slight to Buddhism and the traditions of Tibet. Luckily, higher philosophical insights make this novel much bigger than the sum of its parts. [~doomsdayer520~]

Wars do strange things to those who fight them. The trenches of the First World War have left Conway, James Hilton's most memorable hero, feeling himself old long before his time. When he and three others being evacuated from the British consulate at Baskul find themselves kidnapped - flown to a Tibetan monastery, instead of to safety as they expected - he accepts the situation with an ease that infuriates his hero-worshipping young colleague, Mallinson. Conway takes easily to Shangri-La's life of isolated serenity. When he learns why he and his companions were brought to that remote and secret valley, he's not angry. Instead, he feels so oddly at home that only for love's sake will he leave....

I first read "Lost Horizon" in Grade 8, and remembered it fondly enough to pick up a copy when it recently crossed my path again. I read everything else by James Hilton that I could find during the years between. Definitely, this book is a fine author's master work. Clear and beautiful prose, haunting themes, and - at the end - a twist that once you've read it seems inevitable. Like Shangri-La, this story is timeless.

When we were kids, our grandparents used to take us to Radio City Music Hall for the movie and Christmas Pageant every year. The year I was 12, the movie was a remake of Lost Horizon--my most graphic memory from that night is my horror when the woman suddenly aged after leaving Shangri-La. As it turns out, that version of the movie is pretty dreadful, while Frank Capra's 1937 original is widely considered to be a classic. At any rate, I liked the film enough to read the book and also Hilton's other classic, Goodbye, Mr. Chips, and I loved them both. Recently, our library got a restored edition of the Capra film and we enjoyed it thoroughly. So I went back & reread the books.
I assume most folks know at least the rough outlines of the stories. In Lost Horizon, Hugh Conway, a British diplomat, is skyjacked and he & his traveling companions end up in the Himalayas. Eventually they are lead to the hidden Valley of the Blue Moon and the city of Shangri-La, where folks do not age and the powers that be are collecting all of the world's knowledge and greatest artworks, so that it will be safe from the turbulent political storms of the outside world. Eventually, the high lama reveals to the diplomat that he has been chosen to take over leadership of Shangri-La and after an abortive attempt to leave (at the insistence of one of his fellow travelers), Conway returns to assume his destined place in Shangri-La.
Good-bye, Mr. Chips, on the other hand, is about an eccentric but lovable British schoolmaster, Arthur Chipping (Mr. Chips). Seemingly destined to be a bachelor for life, he meets and marries a young woman who loosens him up quite a bit, before dying in childbirth. Chips is left alone, except that is for the succeeding generations of boys who pass through Brookfield School. After decades at the school, he retires, telling the assembled alumni, "I have thousands of faces in my mind. ... I remember you as you are. That's the point. In my mind you never grow old at all", only to be called back during WWI, at which point he becomes acting headmaster. One of his duties is to read the list of the school's war dead; for everyone else they are just names, but for Chips, each name has a face attached. After the War he reretires, after 42 years teaching Roman History and Latin at Brookfield.
On the surface, these two stories couldn't be more different, but reading them now I realize how similar they actually are. Shangri-La is an oasis of civilzation in a world that was after all between two World Wars. It is a place where the great achievements of our culture will be preserved, even if war consumes the rest of the World, which for much of this Century seemed like a possibility. Mr. Chips, meanwhile, is the living embodiment of institutional memory. The classes of boys, the teachers and headmasters, even the subjects and teaching methods, come and go, but Chips has remained throughout. He "still had those ideas of dignity and generosity that a frantic world was forgetting." He embodies the pre-War world and its values. In his book Mr. Bligh's Bad Language, Greg Dening says that: "Institutions require memory. A memory creates precedent and order." In the very midst of an epoch that was witnessing an unfettered attack on all of the West's institutions and values, Hilton created Shangri-La and Mr. Chips; both represent the conservative ideal--providing a bridge of memory to all that is beautiful and good and decent in our past, lest, in our zeal to create a perfect world, we forget the qualities and accomplishments which bequeathed us the pretty good world in which we live.
These books are unabashedly sentimental and I'm sure some would even find them mawkish. But I love them and I appreciate the subtley non-political way in which they make the most important of political points: even as we move forward we must always preserve those things and ideas of value in our past.
Mr. Chips GRADE: A+
Lost Horizon GRADE: A

When I read this book, I was transformed! I could actually breath the fresh, cold, Himalayan air that Conway and his entourage and the people of Shangri-La breathed. The language the novel is written in is beautiful and picturesque.
When Conway and his companions flee the warring land they come from, (in a way) they find themselves hijacked, whisked away to paradise: Shangri-La, a place where the air is clean and the living is natural and spiritual and, "moderate." Where people live naturally long lives, hundreds of years, in peace, in love, at one with nature. Hilton's book wisely illustrates that some can never be happy in paradise, they must go on and on searching, but too incredulous to ever actually find anything. In Shangri-La the people, the good, natural people await the destruction of the "outside world," which will surely occur at it's own hand sooner or later as long as people rule themselves with war, lack of moderation, hatred, and a lack of regard for the spiritual nature of humanity. Then the people of Shangri-La will spread the paradise to the far reaches of earth. No doubt, James Hilton has read not only the Bible, but many other spiritual books, because I find myself thinking of Buddism, Judaism, Christianity (as opposed to Christendom), Hinduism, and other Eastern religions and forms of spirituality and well as Western religion and forms of spirituality. What an inspiring view.
The "outside" world will eventually destroy itself if humanity continues on the road of "unintelligent leadership," war, hatred, discrimination, excess, selfishness, lack of moderation, lack of respect and care for nature, lack of conservation, lack of respect for self, and lack of respect and care for other human beings and all our fellow animals. The question is: Will there be a "Shangri-La" there to save us? Do we really want to take that chance?

You know, I'd heard about this book since I was a kid. Never got around to reading it, saw it on the store Unlimited and downloaded it on a whim.

Stayed up most of the night trying to finish it in one go.

Really awesome book I thoroughly enjoyed reading. Hilton uses spare prose with just enough description to keep the story nicely fleshed out but not verbose. Engaging story. And a nearly perfect ending.

I will be purchasing this as a gift for several people. And I can't wait to check out more of Hilton's work.

A decent read but I just couldn't get into it. The majority of the book seemed to be about the main character Conway's internal thought process without as much character development on his three other companions. Definitely an adventure book and it was refreshing to read a novel that wasn't so completely over the top with action as many others can be. By about halfway though I was able to predict the main gist of the ending of the book and so it lost much of its appeal after that.

Lost Horizon is the type of book which can change a person's life, or, at least give the reader some feeling of hope that things can be better and that, somewhere, there is a place where life is a continual joy and the people living there await the day when they can share the joy of life with a lost and dying world. In a way, the book is quite prophetic--the High Llama's dream of a world of continual war is a mirror of what would occur only a few years ahead. (And think about our own--a continual war against terror, lost jobs, and and a dying culture filled with violence and meaningless sex, and lies.) As one reads this novel, at least for me, I found myself wanting to try and find or, if possible, create a place that could be for me and my friends and family a Shangri-La. The book is not perfect, but its message is one necessary in our modern world and life. Pax.

Let me begin by saying I loved this book. I cannot say enough about how much I enjoyed reading it. The thing that is harder to nail down is why I loved this book. It has some of the typical elements I enjoy when reading a novel - engaging characters, a meaningful plot and an ending that leaves you with quite a bit to chew on. But I have read dozens if not hundreds of novels that fit that description and none of them seem to fit on the same plane as this book. I think the thing that struck me the most was how this book captured the sense that there is something wrong with this world, it does not function as it was intended to. The wars, the poverty, the pain, the suffering, all of them part of the everyday world that surrounds us (unless you live in a bubble and simply choose to ignore them), yet it always feels like there has to be a better way. This is expressed so clearly in the driving force behind establishing the monastery of Shangri-La, to preserve the great works of man, and man itself even, from man and the path of destruction he seems to be on. That way when the wars have finally wiped out all we have ever done (and maybe mankind along with it) there will be a preserve, untouched and intact, to begin anew. Ah the thought of beginning anew, without the flaws, without the problems. What person has not wished for that, yearned for it even? I think that is why this novel touched my soul. It so beautifully expressed how man longs for Heaven, though few would label it as such. The common longing is expressed here and Hilton's answer seems to be that of man's salvation brought about by man which is fascinating to compare and ultimately contrast this against my own views of who will bring salvation to man, Christ

I loved this book.

This is a book that tells a deceptively simple story which underneath the narrative, examines the will of man, his ambition and raises the question of whether individualism (which our world holds so dear) is better than the collective mind. (Shangri La) While exploring the fascinating world of Shangri La through the eyes of the 4 kidnapped characters we are drawn to this world of beauty and peace. Is living forever on the earth, boring and unfulfilling as some would have us believe, or does it grant us a beginning to unlock the secrets of life, its meaning, and why we are here?
While Christendom preaches heaven, this gem of a book examines the bibles teaching of the possibility of living forever on the earth under Paradisaic conditions and what that would mean for mankind. It also illustrates the ill effect of Nationalism, War and Greed upon our society and where these values are taking the majority of mankind. In a fascinating tale, this brilliant work of fiction allows us to think outside the box and explore another world, a world far better than our own.

This book is written so well. The author describes the people and the scenery wonderfully. I really enjoyed reading this book and getting involved with the story the author was telling. I started reading this book for several reasons. First, I read a list of the best Novels of all time and this was in the top ten. Second I read an interview in the magazine section of the Sunday, New York Times several months ago. The interviewer asked Donna E. Shalala (served as Secretary of Health and Human Services in Pres. Clinton's cabinet) what was her favorite book and she said James Hilton's Lost Horizon. I then decided I had to read it. I read the book with crib notes with me, so I wouldn't miss any symbolism, but you don't need the crib notes to understand the book. Get the book and read it, jump into the experience; Shangri-la is not far away.

Note: I made some Mormon reader angry over my reviews of books written by Mormons out to prove the Book of Mormon, and that person has been slamming my reviews.

Your "helpful" votes are appreciated. Thanks.

On Lost Horizon: You'll love this story of lost civilization, where people live hundreds of years. Hidden in the Mountains of the Blue Moon, the survivors of an airplane crash wonder into a charmed valley, where no one thinks of death. The hero falls in love with one of the women.

I don't want to tell too much, but I do highly recommend this classic adventure first published in 1933. It has all the ambiance of that era, and as one the store reviewer said, it is the perfect book to curl up with on a slow day.

I read this years ago, and have revisited it over and over again. The first time I read it, I accidentally rode all the way through to the end of the line on the LIRR, passing my stop by many miles! I will never forget that feeling of being utterly transfixed by this novel. But I was an adult when I read this, and I brought lifetime of experience to the reading. Teens may not get it, but they will be fortunate if they at least try to understand. Just so wonderful!

"Lost Horizon" is widely considered to be one of (if not the) seminal science-fiction works. It speaks to the universal human desire to find utopia and live long enough to enjoy it. This is one of the rare books that I was semi-reading, reading a dozen or so pages a month, and became so involved when I reached the plot twist I immediately had to finish it.

While I love the book, especially the massive twist in the middle, the ending leaves me wanting. Without giving away too much, while I like the open-ended quality, I found the plausibility of one of the main characters finding their ideal world and, with hardly a second thought, abandoning it almost on impulse rather remote. This left a sour taste in my mouth of what was otherwise an amazing book.

This novel was beautiful, almost more like a long poem than a novel because of its unhurried pace and evenness of plot. I enjoyed the part of the book when the four spent their time at Shangri-La the best....it was a very relaxing, yet mind-opening read. I only wish that Mr. Hilton had portrayed Conway's "new position" at the end of the novel, rather than having him exit in the manner he did.

I don't want to spoil any of the outcome, but the ending was a bit brisk....I wanted to know more about the second chapter for Conway. Overall, though, an absolute must-read for any hard-core literature fan. It is easily devoured in one sitting...think of it as a 'deep tissue massage' for the mind - the depth and intricacy of the concepts hit you immediately, but the relaxation and peacefulness linger for a while.

How convenient that Shangri-la has so much gold that it can afford bringing in extravagant outside goods like the bathtubs from Ohio. Apart from that obvious weakness in the plot, though, this is still a pleasant book, and the reason Hilton gives us for Shangri-la's existence -- a refuge for civilization during the next war -- is a haunting one considering the book's being written so close to World War II, and then doubly haunting considering its eventual nullification by the atom bomb (whose effects could reach Shangri-la and destroy it along with the rest of the world). The novel is somewhat long on talk and short on action, and all but the main character are too one-dimensional (hence I must downgrade to a "6"), but you're still better off reading it than not. Certainly beats the heck out of "The Celestine Prophecy" and its like, both in content and delivery.

What can be said of a book that has been in print for 80 years and read by millions? Conway was a golden boy in school, went to war and was "scratched on the inside." He began drifting and searching although he appeared perfectly well adjusted. Then circumstance or providence led him to find the thing he sought. He found tranquility, purpose, insight, perfection... but he was willing to give it up to prove to himself that it was real and that he was indeed sane.

What a beautiful and wondrous book! I was completely captivated by the mysteries of Shangri-la. Our hero Conway's adventure was an awe-inspiring tale of a monastery hidden deep in a Tibetan mountain range, where the lamas lead extraordinary existences. Theirs are privileged lives steeped in wisdom and secrecy. Their isolation and longevity allows them a unique position in the world and very few outsiders are privy to their secrets. Hilton's use of the high lama's telepathy is certainly prophetic, considering the book was written prior to World War II.

Lost Horizon was a great adventure story as well as a picture of an ideal society. Hilton's dream on utopia was brilliantly written and enchanting.

A very diverse group of four people is attempting to leave war torn Afghanistan in 1933 when their plane is suddenly hijacked and taken to a remote Himalayan monastery . The carefully hidden monastery is an incredible Shangra-la, but some of them are unwilling to accept paradise, and a plot to escape is quickly collaborated. Escaping and trying to survive in an unknown land is a great adventure story by itself, and Milton's choice of characters shows a great understanding and disappointment for human kind as a whole. But some of the characters rise above this abyss and demonstrate a great optimism, and a chance for a tattered war torn world to survive. This book is an all time classic, and shows that the state of the world hasn't really changed in 75 years. The story of the hijacked plane is carefully hidden from the mainstream press, and the friends of the hostages are left to wonder what has happened to their friends.Dancing on the Edge of an Endangered Planet

What struck me most about this book is how non-dated it was for having been written in 1933. First of all, the story starts in Afghanistan during an airlift to evacuate foreign nationals during an anti-western revolution. Next, the main characters are essentially skyjacked to an unknown destination against their will for unknown purposes. As for the characters, they seem very familiar and contemporary also: a world-weary and burned-out government bureaucrat, a gung-ho and impatient young military officer, a business man that has stolen over 100 million dollars from investors through stock fraud, and a fundamentalist Christian missionary that believes in one "true" religion and holds all others in contempt. There is also the conviction among several of these characters that globally "the whole game's going to pieces."

However, there is also something hauntingly timeless about this story. It occurs to me that the hidden civilization of Shangri-La is based on the mythical kingdom of Shambhala, where immortal masters live that look after the evolution and welfare of mankind. The great mountain of Karacul that looms over the valley also seems symbolic of Mt. Meru- the axis of the cosmos- and where the gods are reputed to dwell. It is certainly no coincidence that most of the people that find Shangri-La are the world weary- and the journey comes close to killing them. That would seem to be a metaphor for spiritual enlightenment. For this is what the lucky and the worthy find in Shangri-La, all the time in the world, or rather out of the world, for contemplation, preservation of all the worthy attainments of the human race, and the pursuit of wisdom. Sounds pretty close to heaven to me....

An interesting side note is the fact that _Lost Horizon_ was the first paperback title ever published by Pocket Books in 1939. This particular edition bears the same classic cover art as the original.

To completely enjoy this book, you must understand the time during which it was written. Prior to WWII, the world was a different place. People had just come out of a worldwide depression and they wanted to enjoy a place to escape to and this book is about such a place.

This is one of those maddening concept books like "Brave New World" that you should read once in your life, but you're very, very annoyed that it isn't better fleshed-out. "Lost Horizon" is about a group of four people hijacked and flown to a remote, mountain lamasery somewhere in Tibet or China, to the fictional (and now legendary) Shangri-La. The unofficial leader of the four is Conway, a British embassy relations-sort of man. Rather than being outraged, Conway is content in the serene and spiritual surroundings.
*** None of the female characters ever develop beyond a paragraph or two, and the scope of the plot only involves arriving at and possibly leaving Shangri-La.
*** The prologue and epilogue to the story, however, are very well done and extend the mystery of Shangri-La. Does this place truly exist? Are people able to prolong their lives in spiritual and intellectual enlightenment? Was Conway just spaced out on herbal drugs or perhaps suckered by cult fanatics?
*** The book has no final answers. Its main goal is to detach people from the modern sense of time and the often unhappy pursuits we impose on ourselves and each other. But the otherworld retreat of Shangri-La isn't perfect either, and it's more interesting to consider the place from the outside than to be stuck in it.

The Lost Horizon really brings to mind the question of what is your paradise?
This is a book about a man who, along with three other companions, ends up in a mysterious civilization in some community lost among the mountains. This new life offers immortality (or close to it), but there is one catch. You may not leave. Some are able to become used to the confines of the little city but others (mainly one of the main character's companions) refuse to accept and make an attemt at an escape.
The main character has to decide if he will stay, because for him this new place is paradise, or if he will help the other young man escape.

It is an interesting book and, once you get past the first couple of pages, it goes by fast. I would recommend this book to anyone.

I remember the movie very well and enjoyed the story line. The novel is very well written, the author shows what the craft of writing can do. And we get the added benefit of an author who has a good acquaintance with philosophy on a wide scale. The book is a masterpiece of writing, plot, and character sketches. James Hilton puts modern writers to great shame.

If you're a bookworm or should I say, if you're really a book lover, then you'll thoroughly enjoy this book. This book is a masterpiece in its own right and fortunately or unfortunately the subject which the author deals with has been the centre point of many controversies(I mean the Shangri La that is).

The book starts off with a few friends chatting about their experiences and about their lives after a long interval. Their conversations lead to one of their friends named Hugh Conway whom many haven't met since many years and who was thought to be dead. This is how the story begins and it continues thorugh various twists and turns and of course through the much-publicized Shangri-La.

Many people I know think that this novel is just a work of fiction and revolves around the life of a tired disillutioned soldier. I know not if you're one of those people but if you're, I must say, I beg to differ. Thi s book is not just about the Shangri La. Its about the various twists and turns life has to offer and the various dilemmas every human being has to face throughout one's life. In thatrespect this novel is "enlightening" if that is the correct word for it. A must reda for everyone who wonders what meaning life has or what importance life means to him.

This nopvel has made me see life from a different perspective and that's something books are supposed to do!

I always like to read "classics" and "masterpieces." I don't understand why this book falls in that category (or others that I have read). A slow moving story with only a few really interesting points. It would have received even fewer stars, but the ending throws in a twist that makes you pause and think about what has happened throughout the book. At least it is a short book.

A spiritual journey into the Tibetan mountains. This is a classic story from a time when the ideas in the book were quite unique. Today we see dozens of books on the same topic, but I consider this one of the originals, if not THE original.

I have read this book off and on since I was in high school. It's one of my favorite ones. I just recently decided to look for it on e-books and got it for my Kindle. I love the idea that I can read it more often now, as I wore out my high school paperback copy and haven't been able to find it very often in the library.

Hilton's story of the struggle between the real world and utopia is sure give you a pleasing read. The story opens as four Westerners flee from Baskul to avoid a oncoming war. Soon they find themselves highjacked and deposited by the valley of the blue moon also known as Shangri la. The story line then follows the lead character (Conway) and the supporting characters as they struggle to understand the valley, their place in the world and ultimately they must decide to either stay in the valley or return the outside world. Obviously written for the pre-WWII generation Hilton brings to the front the philosophical ideas of peace and warnings of "man's upcoming struggle that will eventually destroy civilization".
The story line is dated and one can, at times, question it's political correctness but it's a good, quick read for anyone interested in religion and spiritual matters. I saw the movie years ago and liked it. After reading the book I would have to say that I like the book more.

The horizon's just a line from a book I lost, in Shangri-La, in fact--or was it in fiction? Don't answer. Let the high lama respond. Which he will--all in good time, which it was, wasn't it? Don't answer. Let the high lama drive. Read your book and be quiet. Or, if you can't do that, just pretend you're in an airplane, that you've crashed in the Himalayas, that you've been rescued by monks, monks on llamas, lamas on llamas, and, well, you know the rest. Now take a rest. Take a big rest. Rest forever and ever and ever.And don't forget to stay young while you're at it. O.K. Now the high lama's stopped driving. He's ready to respond. Wake up, wake up. I can't, I'm asleep. Don't give me that old line. It's as flat as the horizon. Wake up or get lost. Hey, where did you go? Shucks. I did't even get to say good-bye, good-bye, Mr. Chips.

If you're a bookworm or should I say, if you're really a book lover, then you'll thoroughly enjoy this book. This book is a masterpiece in its own right and fortunately or unfortunately the subject which the author deals with has been the centre point of many controversies(I mean the Shangri La that is).

The book starts off with a few friends chatting about their experiences and about their lives after a long interval. Their conversations lead to one of their friends named Hugh Conway whom many haven't met since many years and who was thought to be dead. This is how the story begins and it continues thorugh various twists and turns and of course through the much-publicized Shangri-La.

Many people I know think that this novel is just a work of fiction and revolves around the life of a tired disillutioned soldier. I know not if you're one of those people but if you're, I must say, I beg to differ. Thi s book is not just about the Shangri La. Its about the various twists and turns life has to offer and the various dilemmas every human being has to face throughout one's life. In thatrespect this novel is "enlightening" if that is the correct word for it. A must reda for everyone who wonders what meaning life has or what importance life means to him.

This nopvel has made me see life from a different perspective and that's something books are supposed to do!

I always like to read "classics" and "masterpieces." I don't understand why this book falls in that category (or others that I have read). A slow moving story with only a few really interesting points. It would have received even fewer stars, but the ending throws in a twist that makes you pause and think about what has happened throughout the book. At least it is a short book.

A spiritual journey into the Tibetan mountains. This is a classic story from a time when the ideas in the book were quite unique. Today we see dozens of books on the same topic, but I consider this one of the originals, if not THE original.

I have read this book off and on since I was in high school. It's one of my favorite ones. I just recently decided to look for it on e-books and got it for my Kindle. I love the idea that I can read it more often now, as I wore out my high school paperback copy and haven't been able to find it very often in the library.

Hilton's story of the struggle between the real world and utopia is sure give you a pleasing read. The story opens as four Westerners flee from Baskul to avoid a oncoming war. Soon they find themselves highjacked and deposited by the valley of the blue moon also known as Shangri la. The story line then follows the lead character (Conway) and the supporting characters as they struggle to understand the valley, their place in the world and ultimately they must decide to either stay in the valley or return the outside world. Obviously written for the pre-WWII generation Hilton brings to the front the philosophical ideas of peace and warnings of "man's upcoming struggle that will eventually destroy civilization".
The story line is dated and one can, at times, question it's political correctness but it's a good, quick read for anyone interested in religion and spiritual matters. I saw the movie years ago and liked it. After reading the book I would have to say that I like the book more.

The horizon's just a line from a book I lost, in Shangri-La, in fact--or was it in fiction? Don't answer. Let the high lama respond. Which he will--all in good time, which it was, wasn't it? Don't answer. Let the high lama drive. Read your book and be quiet. Or, if you can't do that, just pretend you're in an airplane, that you've crashed in the Himalayas, that you've been rescued by monks, monks on llamas, lamas on llamas, and, well, you know the rest. Now take a rest. Take a big rest. Rest forever and ever and ever.And don't forget to stay young while you're at it. O.K. Now the high lama's stopped driving. He's ready to respond. Wake up, wake up. I can't, I'm asleep. Don't give me that old line. It's as flat as the horizon. Wake up or get lost. Hey, where did you go? Shucks. I did't even get to say good-bye, good-bye, Mr. Chips.

The Lost Horizon, by James Hilton, is possibly the best book that I have read in the past year. Published in 1933, it remains relevent and provocative to this day.

The Lost Horizon, much like Catch-22, is part of an elite group of books whose name or central characters have become a permanent part of the English vocabulary. In this book, this was done with Shangri-La, the land high in the mountains of Tibet where a group of worldly men and women stumble upon a valley of mystery and matchless beauty. A quick search on dictionary.com reveals that it means

1. An imaginary remote paradise on earth; utopia.

2. A distant and secluded hideaway, usually of great beauty and peacefulness.

While the term Shangri-La is famous, the book is not nearly as wide-known or wide-read in recent years. Countless books by countless authors depicting utopia have been published, but only a couple has grabbed the attention of and lingered in the imagination of the public long after its initial publish. So what is special about Shangri-La, the valley of the Blue Moon? Read to find out.

I could not put this book down. I had an mid-term exam the next day, but I stayed up to read the book past midnight. The basic plot of the book can be found by a simple glimpse of the editorial write-up on this site. The actions are fast-paced, the characters intriguing in their peculiarities. Yet this book has a philosophical edge that distinguishes it from a mere thriller. The true center of the book is ideas and thoughts rather than actions. Much thinking is done by the characters, trapped in the monastery of Shangri-La by the mountains and the snow. When Mallinson, the hot-blooded young captain who is desperate to get out of Shangri-La and return to Britain, snaps 'Well, if you happen to like prison,' to Barnard who was observing the beauty of the landscape, Barnard remarks that 'My goodness, if you think of all the folks in the world who'd give all they've got to be out of the racket and in a place like this, only they can't get out! Are we in the prison or are they?'

In Shangri-La, the appreciation of beauty and the pursuit of wisdom is valued above all else. Rejecting the virtues of hard work and ambition, they adopted a philosophy of moderation in all things, 'avoiding excess of all kinds - even excess of virtue itself.' The author, Hilton, was not merely creating entertainment (although this he does) in this book. He was concerned about the future of England and all mannkind. Written after the aftermass of the destruction of the WW1, and the whole of western world being driven to a state of pessimism and despair by the worldwide economic condition, Hilton was concerned with another dark cloud that gathered on the horizon, namely the first signs of WW2. The lamesery of Shangri-La was imagined to be a living, breathing time capsule designed to salvage a gentle, civilized way of life from the destruction Hilton sensed had been unleashed by the Great War. Above all Hilton hated wars, which had the potential to 'destroy the fragile beauty and learning, accumulated over centuries of humanity, in the matter of a second.' With the invention of the atomic bomb after his time, this could now literaly come true. Out of the barbarism of the war rose Shangri-La, even if only in the imagination. In an age where the Western and the non-Western world alike engage in meaningless wars and acts of terror, this book is more relevant than ever in this century than ever before.

Buy this book and read this book. The 7 bucks or so that you pay for it is more than worth the price of admission into Shangri-La.

The first time I read Lost Horizon, was in the summer of my sophomore high school year, for a reading requirement. I didn't think I would enjoy any of the other books on the list: The Red Badge of Courage, The Old Man And The Sea, A Tale Of Two Cities. That was literature, and I learned that literature meant alot of beautiful passages, finely crafted human emotions but all terribly and painfully boring. Lost Horizon was going to be another preachy epic, about the human condition.

I was wrong.

Turned out I consumed the novel in two afternoons with my 16-year old adolescent mind. I was lost in a world, where a woman stayed beautiful for ninety years, a land protected as secret from society, an eden.

Bangkok is attacked and four passangers find themselves on a plane, being evacuated from the burning city. Barnar - a mysterious american with oil fields in north, Miss Brinklow - a dellusioned missionary who thinks she can convert anyone to christianity, Mallinson a british youth and Conway the adored hero of the novel.

They find themselves abducted into paradise, where no one grows old, where wars can't find their way over high peaks, where the vanity of the world stops, and art masterpieces and books are hid away from a 'dying world'.

The only way back to the rest of the world is to wait for porters that come into Shangri-La and trade goods. The problem is the porters have no regule schedule, they may show up next month or next year. Mallinson the youth, misses his girlfriend left back in london and his family. He's anxious to get back and watches the other comrades daze into a fatefull sleep, earning to stay in Sri-Lanking, the perfect paradise.

Conway is 38. He's tired after the war, with no real purpose in life. He thinks about settling down and Sri-Lanka is the perfect place.

Barnar has other reasons to stay. A bit sinister, but who can blame him to leave paradise? It's his perfect escape from his crimes and the punishment that awaits him on the outside.

Miss Brinklow views the settlement as a perfect mission ground where she can convert the 'non-believers' to christianity.

The day of escape comes and Mallinson finds he's the only one trying to leave.

I've read the Lost Horizon this week. Four years later and I've never grown out of it. It's still just as good, literature mixed with thriller, page turner, and rivaling modern bestsellers.

Enjoy your summer. Pick up this read.

Since Heinrich Harrer's "Seven Years in Tibet" (based on author's true story) and "Return to Tibet", I had caught myself in a reading spree on everything related to Tibet, whether fiction or non-fiction. Tehn I came across James Hilton's "Lost Horizon". I had to admit that the book caught my attention with an engaging plot that four people brought against their will to mysterious Shangri-La, set in the hidden mountains of the Blue Moon, a place where nobody ages. The mysterious and suspending plot is what makes this Hawthornden Prize-winning novel catchy and was made into motion pictures several times.
Despite the splendidly written text, the storyline itself was not developed very extensively. Most of the text describes the story of Hugh Conway, who was trapped by the fascination of eternal life. The sudden and abrupt ending of the novel was somehow disappointing to me.

Lost Horizon is a very introspective book. Metaphors abound perhaps, but what I'm inclined to take from the book each time I read it are the questions asked. Questions of purpose and what it all means. It's very thought provoking without being tendentious.

Stylistically, Hilton is economical, but very capably sets a mood that permeates the entire narrative whether in describing the landscape or the more subtle aspects of the different characters. For me, the mood is one of relaxed contemplation.

In another context, it's a wonderful travel book. It takes the reader to a faraway place and implicitly invites him to make choices and contemplate weighty issues in this most unlikely of settings.

Lost Horizon is not a literary masterpiece, but it's a good story and very clever in its presentation.

I first read Lost Horizon when I was twelve years old. It was my favorite book as a child. Years later I re-read it, a little apprehensive that I would find it dated and contrived. It is neither. Lost Horizon is, quite simply, a triumph of the story-teller's art. A simple tale of idealistic faith in the human spirit, James Hilton's famous novel is crafted in unadorned, crystalline prose. It is, by turns, moving, mysterious, surprising and, ultimately, profoundly inspiring. Lost Horizon may not satisfy those too sophisticated to allow themselves to give in to its sentimental simplicity. But I highly recommend it to readers willing to suspend disbelief and to surrender to the wonder of a transporting fairy tale as they take a magical and unforgettable journey to the Valley of the Blue Moon. I am fifty-four years old now and Lost Horizon is still my favorite book.

Do not order the version published by "Important Books!" The text in the book is impossibly small and tight. I had such a headache after struggling through 3 pages that I gave up. I will order another version so I can read what looks like a fascinating story, but unfortunately I ordered it too long ago to return this inexcusable piece of cheapskate publishing.

This story is about a young man named Conway. Through past experiences and actions became a legend. He and three others have been kidnapped and brought to Buddhist monastery in the Tibetan Plateau. They are at first unwilling to stay at the valley of the blue moon, but they have no choice. Throughout the story Conway learns the history of the valley and it's high lama. The high lama has left Conway with an imperative choice. He bestowed upon Conway the future of Shangri-La, and Conway must choose between loyalty to the high lama or loyalty to his companion Mallison.

This story is what originally began my interest in the oriental cultures, and also my interest in classic literature. It was entertaining to read because of the style in which it was writ. The tradition shown by the lamas, the moderation shown by them began the learning of these cultures that I have taken upon myself. Also how the high lama's explanation of Shangri-La was not vague nor was it in depth. The respect shown to the high lama by the people has also contributed to the code of behavior I now follow. I enjoyed this book because it was entertaining and educational.

The story of Conway is received by Rutherford. He had been interested enough in the story to prepare a manuscript. Conway, Mallinson, and Barnard were in an airplane headed for Peshawar, but going in the wrong direction. They had left Baskul, Persia. In their company was a missionary, Miss Brinklow. Miss Brinklow used to belong to the LMS, London Missionary Society, but she disagreed about infant baptism. The plane landed. The pilot was unconscious and died that evening. Everyone but Conway was affected by the altitude and it was cold. Part of Conway, (his record at school had been brilliant), was always an onlooker.

A robed figure emerged from the lamasery of Shangri-La. The name of the mountain was Karakul, twenty eight thousand feet high. Conway surmised they were in Tibet. He knew very little Tibetan. Chair-bearers transported the members of the party to shelter. The atmosphere of the lamasery was Chinese rather than specifically Tibetan. (Conway was to find out later that the religion practiced was a mixture of Buddhism and Christianity.) There were about fifty lamas present and others who had not completed their studies, including the guide, Chang. Some of the lamas were neither Chinese not Tibetan.

Mallinson, only twenty four years old, wants the party's return journey to be arranged right away. Conway senses that their arrival had been expected by the inhabitants. The puzzle of their arrival at Shangri-La begins to fascinate Conway. It is deemed by the guide that it is unlikely anyone from the outside world would be visiting Shangri-La to carry supplies to the community sooner than two months hence. Miss Brinklow and the American, Barnard, do not consider staying at Shangri-La for two months a hardship. Conway is used to service in exotic places, but the situation for Mallinson is difficult.

The lamasery has collections of books and art of China and Tibet. It is discovered that Barnard is traveling on a forged passport and is wanted by the authorities. Chang advises Conway excitedly that the High Lama has agreed to see Conway which is contrary to usual practice and is obviously a great honor. It seems that for thirty eight years there was a Christian mission in Lhasa.

Conway learns the members of their party are supposed to stay forever. The place is known as the valley of the Blue Moon. The lamas are ageless. In the end Conway sees the High Lama on a number of occasions and learns he has been designated the successor. Barnard, having worked as a mining engineer, ascertains that the place is a gold mine. Mallinson and Conway are determined to leave and, thus, Conway becomes the subject of the traveler's tale compiled by Rutherford.

This was a great summer read. It goes quick, i keeps your attention, and its just good fun. The suspense definitely boils as the plot unfolds which truely makes it hard to lay this one down. Although a bit dated, i found it to be very well constructed. A good story, interesting characters, and alot of mystery. Simply put, one of the better classic adventure tales i have had the pleasure of reading. Highly recommended if your not looking to for something to deep.

Hilton does what so many others wish to do. He writes the sublime novel in an attempt to provoke the reader. His style is fluid and mysterious. His message is powerful and at the time of the novel preemptive. He saw nastiness on the horizon and wished for something better. He found it in this novel. I leave the rest for you. I hate to give too much away. If you are of a certain mind you will love this book and love the questions it makes you ask yourself.

I wasn't sure what to expect upon first reading Lost Horizon. I thought that since it invovled a group of people stranded in some uncharted land, that it wouldn't be anything unique.

However, I was pleasantly surprised. As the story unfolds, the passengers of the plane discover that their pilot is in fact not the one they had originally hired. As a result, they end up at some strange destination far from where they had planned.

As the weeks pass, however, the main character secretly learns from one of the head monks that it is very unlikely a transport will actually come to the area anytime soon. Eventually the rest of the group learns of this, but only one of them really finds it bothersome. The rest have found the new land very comfortable and heaven-like. The character who wishes to leave for home in America actually falls in love with a young native woman who lives at the monastary (she appears to the be the only female in the area). In the end, they both manage to return to America, and the rest of the group remain, in love with their new home.

Although Lost Horizon is not the same genre I am usually interested in, I must say that it was a very pleasing read. James Hilton describes the landscape beautifully as if you were actually there. He causes the reader to take a step back from the fast pace of contemporary life as he brings to life an environment of true serenity and happiness.

I recommend Lost Horizon to those that appreciate intelligent writing as this novel is bursting with it. It should be required reading for all English and philosophy classes.

A classic in fiction writing.Variations on the plot abound in fiction for a good reason. Is the magical land of of the book real or illusion? If for some reason you have never read this please do. A truly timeless tale.

True to the Shangri-La concept, the book - like the High Lama,Chang et al - has a moderate plot, is moderately paced & reading time is moderately short. Aside from the mysterious start (which caught my attention) & the famous ending (as shown in the film), there was nothing much in between except Conway's thoughts & justification of his indifference & patience - which perfectly fits with the Shangri-La lifestyle.

For an easy read, this is on a par with King Solomon's Mines for the interest in the plot and the whimsy of the story. Sure, you have to suspend disbelief a little, but it's a fun little book worth the time.

Not only a grand read, beautifully written, but a thought-provoking story on passion, love, and the meaning of life. Interesting discourse on the contemplative life vs. one that joins body and soul in the real world. Reminds me of "Children of Men" by P.D. James in its exploration of mankind's future and the consideration of what constitutes a life well and fully lived.

Short and the novum of this fantasy was not necessarily explained to the reader. The background of the monks in total meditation yet there is not a full explanation of how they were fed and exactly who the servants were. Also the pilot who flew the four into the valley under the understanding of a member of Shangri-La's longevity would have been killed when he left.

Hilton's novel still has the power to take you away to a land frozen in time. Knowing the 'secret' as you read still doesn't diminish its impact, but I'm jealous of those readers in 1933 who had the advantage of mystery as they read on.

There is nothing to be quick about except buying this book, reading it, selling the car, selling the house, selling the kids, and going to look for Shangri-la. This book is really good, I think I put it down twice. It is full of suspense.

I know where the real Shangri-la is located, it's not Zhongdian, I COULD tell you but I won't. Not until I go back there.

I think the first thing that struck me was how timeless this story is, the search for a personal utopia, the subtle morality, the ideal of moderation. The quotes struck me as so appropriate for the modern age, even though the book was written in 1933. "laziness in doing stupid things is quite a virtue." "Time enough for everything" and the ever popular "the meek shall inherit the world," an old time biblical favorite. The book is charming and elegant, about a magical place for everyone.

This has now become my favorite book. It's simply a joy to read. One page flows into the next. The story transports you to another time and another place; to an ideal. Could such a place exist? Does it? I like to think so. It is true that this book stays with you in a way few books do. It might even have the power to change you; to make you feel a little less cynical in this world in which we find ourselves... A masterpiece.

I stay frequently at a Shangri-La hotel, where they place bookmarks with quotes from Hilton's tale on my pillow. After several years, I finally picked up the book, and it was worth it. The adventure and suspense of finding the isolated land and learning the price that must be paid to keep it so seemingly pristene make for a great read.

When the topic of great novels comes up, this book definitely ranks right up there. It is a metaphor for anything that anyone has lost and can't get back; youth, beauty, idealism etc. The only real problem with this story is that you never want it to end!

Lost Horizon is a wonderful novel with a well written plot. The story starts when a plane of four passengers gets highjacked. Which takes them in a journey to a wonderful mysterious and mystical place, located in the himalayas Shangri La a monastery has many secrets to be uncovered by the main charecter Hugh Conway who at the beginning struggles to understand some of the secrets kept hidden by Shangri La. Some would compare this magical place to a paradise, but man once had paradise and lost it what will man choose to do this time...well i guess you'll just have to read it.

I loved the book, since the first time I read in 1969 for a tenth-grade English class. I have read it over and over and each time I feel like I am reading for the first time. Mr. Hilton wrote in such a way, that you feel that you are right there and you can't put the book down until you finish it. I too would like to know Mr. Hilton's life story; although I had wondered if his book "Time and Time Again" was somewhat of a biography. I find it amazing that a book written over sixty years ago can still have such appeal.

A great, classic, short read! 20th Century Orientalism at it's most appealing with interesting post-war/colonialist themes. I read this hiking in Yunnan China next to a beautiful mountain (similar to one in the book) that borders Tibet.

I have always loved the sort of literature that deals with lost worlds, hidden cities etc. This well-crafted and reflective book is a much more subtle treatment of this theme than people who have only watched the movie version might anticipate. If you like this book, read Hilton's wondeful, 'Goodbye, Mr Chips.' Hilton's clear sentences are still models of good English expression.

I read this 10 years ago after staying at a Shangri-La hotel for the first time - I was 33 years old. Thankfully I've travelled much more since then and lived overseas - the mystique of the Shangri-La hotel chain has worn off a bit, but the book still holds a place in my heart. Don't try to read this when you're in a hurried state or peace of mind is elusive - in the middle of a vacation near palms rustling in tropical breezes is what I recommend.

I had to read this book for a book report and found it difficult to follow. If I had to stop in the middle of a chapter, I would start reading and be confused. If I had the time to read whole chapters without interruption, I think I would have had an easier time reading and comprehending this book.
At first, I wasn't sure if the beginning was the present and Shangri-La was a flashback/narrative or if the beginning of the book was the prelude to ending up at Shangri-La.

A book that takes you away to a utopian way of life in Tibet. Recommended to me by an eccentric old gentleman in the Bahamas, this book delves into a culture and way of life many of us would like to experience at least for a little while.A good book for vacation.

I had to read this book for a book report and found it difficult to follow. If I had to stop in the middle of a chapter, I would start reading and be confused. If I had the time to read whole chapters without interruption, I think I would have had an easier time reading and comprehending this book.
At first, I wasn't sure if the beginning was the present and Shangri-La was a flashback/narrative or if the beginning of the book was the prelude to ending up at Shangri-La.

A book that takes you away to a utopian way of life in Tibet. Recommended to me by an eccentric old gentleman in the Bahamas, this book delves into a culture and way of life many of us would like to experience at least for a little while.A good book for vacation.

Sorry, this novella didn't arouse any passion but did stir up some frustration in me. Perhaps it's because of my own expectations and the multitude of 4 & 5 star ratings here or the british reference writing or the somewhat choppy style; perhaps it's that the morals it teaches have been exhaustedly dissected with parallel novels at the time and since this book was written. I suppose it's all of the above. The story is good, the ending is good, even the sparse development of the characters is good, albeit I was not able to wrap myself around anyone's humanity except partially the main character's.

It's Marxist "ends justifies the means" message is striking but never dealt with; a huge moral hole. But that's also the reality of the Marxist road map. This cultural utopia denies man's drive to do better with his position and his material betterment. An inner drive in all of us that should never be ignored or quelled. The parallel lesson that Shangri-la is not so much a place as a growth within oneself makes for some good thought provoking cud. The addictive draw of a utopian society is a political demon we face everyday. But hopefully, eventually, we experience our own confrontations that draw us back to the reality of our lives with a lesson to try to do better.

Anyway, it's good. For the time it was written it was probably great. Read it. Just don't make the mistake I did of getting your hopes up too high. The message has been beaten to death.

Anyone with any interest in Buddhism will be fascinated by this book. It's not a how-to-meditate guide nor a scholary history, but rather a colorful and wonderful portrait of a complex man, seen through a Tibetan glass.

"Lost Horizon" is definitely not the best book I have ever read. It starts out with four men talking about different things when they come to the conclusion that they all know Hugh Conway, who was kidnapped along with three others. Their plane crashes in the mountains, and they are rescued and taken to a place called Shangri-La. Here they experience a lot of peace because Shangri-La is away from the ongoing war. Many things happen, and Conway along with one of the others decides to leave. This is the way the book ends, except for the Epilouge where Rutherford again talks about Conway and tries to figure out where he is. This book is definitely for those who like weird things. It was not the best book for my tastes.

After the most unimaginable trip to the Philippines in October 2001 I purchased Lost Horizon at the hotel Shangri-la on the island of Cebu.
This book extended my trip as I read it at home in Vancouver, I felt I was there?!?

I thoroughly enjoyed this quick read. It takes you on an mystery and adventure with many parallels to society at large. I like the way the book leaves you hanging and longing for more at the end. I would recommend this read.

This is one of those rare books where a screenwriter improves the details of a book to come up with something better. In this case, much better.
The plot belongs to Hilton, but if you want a much better story, watch the movie.

I ordered this thinking I would get a lovely hardcover edition of a favorite novel. What I got was a cheesy production that was not even typeset properly. Unfortunately I don't see another new hardcover edition on the store to order instead. I have ordered used a first edition from 1933 in hopes of getting something worth looking at.

No, I don't at all understand how anyone can assign even the first star to this putative literary work. I invested a goodly fifty pages without noting the first scintilla of action or intrigue, although I did suffer through reference after reference to 1920s practices and customs at Oxford--couched in impenetrable Edwardian slang. I had absolutely no idea what was going on, other than that I was bored witless.