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Lost Horizon

James Hilton

3.93 · Rating details · 17,928 ratings · 1,581 reviews

While attempting to escape a civil war, four people are kidnapped and transported to the Tibetan mountains. After their plane crashes, they are found by a mysterious Chinese man. He leads them to a monastery hidden in "the valley of the blue moon" -- a land of mystery and matchless beauty where life is lived in tranquil wonder, beyond the grasp of a doomed world.

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Paperback, 241 pages

Published June 15th 2004 by Harper Perennial (first published 1933)

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Jun 07, 2013 Henry Avila rated it liked it · review of another edition

Skyjacked! Unheard of in the early 1930's, yet it did happen to four passengers in Afghanistan, during a civil conflict there sounds sadly familiar. A "mad" Asian pilot with a gun does, flying east into the tallest mountains in the world. The aircraft goes above, around and hopefully not through them, a spectacular view for those with the guts to look, beautiful the Himalayas and frightening too. Tibet an almost unknown country with few visitors who return back home to report their findings, the Skyjacked! Unheard of in the early 1930's, yet it did happen to four passengers in Afghanistan, during a civil conflict there sounds sadly familiar. A "mad" Asian pilot with a gun does, flying east into the tallest mountains in the world. The aircraft goes above, around and hopefully not through them, a spectacular view for those with the guts to look, beautiful the Himalayas and frightening too. Tibet an almost unknown country with few visitors who return back home to report their findings, the apparent destination. "Glory" Hugh Conway a British consul, in some half- forgotten and remote city in Asia (suffering shell shock, from W.W.1). His vice -consul young hot- tempered Charles Mallinson, rather impetuous or just a coward. A missionary Roberta Brinklow a little past her prime the unkind would say.. . And the only non -British one on board the plane American Henry Barnard, mysterious, jovial a typical citizen of that country hiding something? Landing at an isolated mountainous spot not really a runway, getting refueled by people with lots of guns, the passengers are encouraged to stay in the plane, and obey , with few arguments, heroes none here. Again in the air, hour after hour always heading higher and higher into the mountains. The fuel is getting very low and must land soon, they do crashing in a valley. Where? Nobody knows since the pilot soon expires ...No food or appropriate clothes for this harsh, frigid climate, no way to get back to civilization. All see their deaths here, though next morning a miracle occurs, people are coming in their direction. An old Chinese man, Chang with a dozen others leads them to mythical Shangri-La. However first a little mountain climbing, up dizzy heights which scare his friends never Conway, a former mountain climber in the lofty Alps. Ropes are used stomachs lost, but at long last they enter the Valley of the Blue Moon (as the natives accurately call it). The impressive Karakal Mountain (Blue Moon), at 28,000 feet in elevation... Looking terrifying to the tiny newcomers... An uniquely contented.. peaceful ..enchanting...breathtaking paradise. A long ways from the constant wars and upheavals of the unstable world, sanctuary for those that need it. An imposing, prosperous Buddhist monastery ( is it still?) overlooking and dominating the valley, a majestic view ... below, a few thousand happy inhabitants . The other monks, seldom are seen there, Chang gives them food, rooms, books to read and even music to listen to in the Lamasery . Played by Lo-Tsen a talented Manchu girl, a teenager (she seems). The High Lama strangely is European and looks like he's 100- years -old, he's older ...And doesn't give much information to the curious Mr.Conway ... Many secrets are kept from the newcomers, questions are asked when can they leave? Much longer to stay for the foreigners? What's the purpose of the valley? How do they make money? And some of them begin to like the unearthly situation here ( others decidedly...the opposite). This Shangri- La, is not a bad place to live in ... A fantasy from the '30's, which has appeal even today, maybe not so strange. ...more

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Jul 12, 2012 Arah-Lynda rated it it was amazing

Shelves: top, i-said

In 1931, four people, including Glory Conway, escape the political unrest in Baskul, China by boarding a plane, bound for Peshawar. The plane, however, much to their dismay, has been hijacked and eventually crash lands deep in the far reaches of the Tibetan Himalayas. Seeking shelter, the group soon finds themselves in the valley of the blue moon, guests at a lamasery, called Shangri-La.

Reading this is like stepping slowly into a hot, fragrant bath while strains of your own audio preferences del ...more

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Feb 15, 2008 Tiffany rated it it was amazing

Recommends it for: Explorers/adventurers of any kind, anyone who wants to hear a damn good story

Shelves: must-read-again

The last time I loved a book as much as I loved this one was when I read Dune. Even though Dune is considered one of the masterworks of science fiction, I'm not really a sci-fi kind of girl, per se, I just love places that are so well-imagined by the author that you can't believe they're not real SOMEWHERE. Lost Horizon presents Shangri-La as such a place.

More personally, though, I read this book at the precise right moment in my life. Conway, the main character, has a sort of dispassionate det The last time I loved a book as much as I loved this one was when I read Dune. Even though Dune is considered one of the masterworks of science fiction, I'm not really a sci-fi kind of girl, per se, I just love places that are so well-imagined by the author that you can't believe they're not real SOMEWHERE. Lost Horizon presents Shangri-La as such a place.

More personally, though, I read this book at the precise right moment in my life. Conway, the main character, has a sort of dispassionate detachment from life as a result of having fought in WWI (the story takes place right after the stock market crash) and has subsequently become an official in the British Government. His job is sort of middle management, not a great deal of responsibility, but it takes him to odd corners of the world where he has opportunities for heroism by virtue of being in foreign, unstable lands during the last years of the British Empire. Basically, he's seen enough to have made him more or less unflappable, and because of this he often is viewed as calm under pressure and courageous; at the end of the day, though, all he really wants is peace and quiet.

When the English are evacuating India, Conway and three other passengers have their airplane hijacked, and they are whisked away to Shangri-La. I won't say anymore except that he and his companions find a great deal of mystery there, but Conway also senses immediately that he's found his place of repose.

I say I read this book at the exact right moment in my life because I can identify with Conway's dispassion at times. Not that I've seen nearly all of the world or have experienced anything as dramatic as war, but having lived in Asia for two years, I know what it's like to do something out of the ordinary and to then return to the everyday. I know what that hollow space feels like that you long to fill with something else amazing. The fact that his retreat also happens to be a place that reminds us of the evils of being shackled to the march of time and desire is also no small thing for me. The West truly is obsessed with time--doing things faster and more efficiently, and more importantly, getting angry when things aren't done on the timetables we expect. Then there's the element of desire; wanting what we feel we are entitled to, seeking accolades, craving attention and adoration, and everything we are willing to sacrifice for these things. We are willing to sacrifice no less than the wisdom of the world and of this earth. Lost Horizon goes into all of this and much more, and I loved every second of the philosophical exploration wrapped up in gripping mystery.

So, in case I haven't been clear enough--read this. It's a quick read, only took me two days, a few hours. It's well worth it.

...more

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Nov 01, 2008 Will Byrnes rated it really liked it

This is a fun read. They did a pretty good job with the film. Given that Hilton was a major screenwriter that makes sense. It is very Victorian in its feel, a sort of Kipling-esque yarn, in which depression era westerners find themselves in a version of paradise. The place is rather communistic, with elements of free love that no doubt raised some eyebrows when it was published. On the other hand, the place is run by a Belgian cleric. On the other hand, their motto is all things in moderation, e ...more

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Aug 23, 2009 K.D. Absolutely rated it liked it

Recommended to K.D. by: 501 Must Read Books

Shelves: adventure, 501, suspense-thriller, religion, philosophical

I hummed Lara’s Theme while reading most of Boris Pasternak’s Doctor Zhivago a couple of years back. Similarly, the first two lines of this Burt Bacharach-composition was inside my ears while reading this book.

♪♫♪Have you ever dreamed of a place
Far away from it all
Where the air you breathe is soft and clean
And children play in fields of green
And the sound of guns
Doesn't pound in your ears (anymore) ♪♫♪

♪♫♪Have you ever dreamed of a place
Far away from it all
Where the winter winds will never blow
An

♪♫♪Have you ever dreamed of a place
Far away from it all
Where the air you breathe is soft and clean
And children play in fields of green
And the sound of guns
Doesn't pound in your ears (anymore) ♪♫♪

♪♫♪Have you ever dreamed of a place
Far away from it all
Where the winter winds will never blow
And living things have room to grow
And the sound of guns
Doesn¹t pound in your ears anymore. ♪♫♪

But I did not know neither the words nor the melody of the 3rd to the 6th lines of each stanza. So, I went to www.lyrics.com and searched for this song. There is actually a 3rd stanza but I did not know how to sing it too. Do you know how the whole song goes? This is the 1937 theme song for the Frank Capra’s movie adaptation of James Hilton’s 1933 wondrous classic Lost Horizon and I only know the first two lines. Pity me. It’s very soulful and melodious as it creates images of peace and quiet, of being in harmony with nature, like going to a serene, restful place.

That place is Shangri-La. Not the famous five-star hotel chain although this book inspired the owners of that hotel chain that started in Singapore. “La” in Shangri-La means mountain according to this book and it is the place where aging process slows down, people believe in moderation on everything and everyone loves everyone else regardless of religion, social status, personal beliefs, etc. In other words, this book is a utopian book. So, paging fans of dystopian genre, come and check this book out and give yourself a respite from reading pessimists and doomsayers predicting only bad things to happen in this world.

This book by James Hilton (1900-1954) was first published in 1933 but it was only noticed by readers after he released his other novel, Goodbye, Mr. Chips.Lost Horizon was filmed in 1939 the same year when it was released as mass paperback by Pocket Books. In fact, Lost Horizon is considered as the first pocketbook and officially has this title: Pocketbook #1. Paperback books have been around since the 1800s but this was the first book that made more people afford to read books and they could place books inside their pockets. Thus, mass paperback books are called pocketbooks.

Hilton’s prose is clear and succinct. The plot is intriguing and intricately woven. The philosophical and religious musings are about right. The characters are well-developed as each are given his/her own back story and motivation on why he/she wants to stay rather than leave Shangri-La. The use of the framework story, narrated by a neurologist is effective and not confusing. The characters voices are clearly distinctive and Hilton’s imagination is just awesome. Wiki says that he was inspired to write this book by reading National Geographic magazine where a place similar to this in the Tibetan mountains was featured with the corresponding explorer disappeared incognito. My only small gripe is that I found the description of the supposedly breathtaking place lacking. Had Hilton been Charles Dickens, Henry James or even Michael Oondatje (of The English Patient), I am sure he would have devoted pages and pages of wonderful descriptions about the place. Well, maybe Hilton aimed for his book to be place in a pocket so he made sure that this book would fit into a regular trouser’s pocket.

Overall, a worthwhile read – quick, easy and slightly brain-stimulating. Now, that I am done reading the book and I think I have to find out how to sing the song in full.
...more

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Apr 11, 2020 W rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction

During British colonial days,four
westerners are on their way to Peshawar in an aircraft when their pilot takes them to the mountains of Tibet,where the aircraft crashes.They are rescued and taken to a lamasery.

It does have some beautiful writing,when describing the mountain scenery. For a while,I remained fairly interested to know why the four people were brought to Shangri La,and were being held there,against their will.

But when the mystery was revealed,it felt like an anti-climax. It also too ...more

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Aug 23, 2008 Amanda rated it did not like it

Recommends it for: No one. Run the other way!

Recommended to Amanda by: Trey Brewer

Shelves: book-club-made-me-do-it, crap, book-rape, blog

For the life of me, I have no idea why anyone dearly loves this book. The narrative is plodding, the characters boring and unsympathetic, and the ending--don't get me started on the ending. This was a book club selection that I was actually excited about since its setting is the mystical Shangri-La. I thought it would be an Indiana Jones-esque action and adventure in an exotic Asian setting. What I got instead was Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Boring Tibetans. There's no action; all they ...more

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Aug 31, 2018 Werner rated it liked it · review of another edition

Recommends it for: Readers interested in fiction from that period

Recommended to Werner by: It was a common read in one of my Goodreads groups

Shelves: books-i-own, classics, science-fiction

Like some other books, this is one that I read only because it was picked as a common read in one of my Goodreads groups. While I'd heard of it before, it had never struck me as something I wanted to read. In some cases, books I read this way proved to be five-star reads. This one didn't impress me to that extent; but I did ultimately like it well enough to give it three stars, and found it thought-provoking on various levels.

It's a somewhat challenging book to review, and even to classify. With Like some other books, this is one that I read only because it was picked as a common read in one of my Goodreads groups. While I'd heard of it before, it had never struck me as something I wanted to read. In some cases, books I read this way proved to be five-star reads. This one didn't impress me to that extent; but I did ultimately like it well enough to give it three stars, and found it thought-provoking on various levels.

It's a somewhat challenging book to review, and even to classify. With regard to the latter point, I finally settled on "science fiction" for its genre, though it's very unlike most American SF from that era. (Nor does it fit into the "lost race" tradition popular on both sides of the Atlantic before and between the World Wars.) But it does have a central speculative element to its plot: the idea of long extension of human life (though not actual immortality, nor anything like it) by purely natural means. This element is squarely in the "soft" SF tradition (more characteristic of the British than the American genre), a literary conceit employed to set up and serve the human social and philosophical questions the author wants to explore. (It isn't based on any serious study of the actual causes of aging, nor on extrapolation from any known technique or effect.)

Apart from two framing sections that filter the main narrative through an effect of, in Washington Irving's term for the technique, "resonance," the premise of the latter is fairly simple. Four people --viewpoint character Conway, a WWI veteran now a British consul; his younger vice-consul Mallinson; a missionary lady; and a rather mysterious American-- being evacuated by air from a local uprising apparently on the northwest frontier of what was then British India, find their plane hijacked by a mystery pilot taking them to an unknown destination far to the East. Any more direct information would reveal plot elements that the author preferred to disclose gradually; and the genuine suspense of reading it with no more knowledge of the plot than is inevitable with normal cultural literacy about a 1933 classic is actually an integral part of the reading experience. For the same reason, I don't recommend reading the cover copy of this edition, nor the Goodreads description; where they aren't inaccurate and misleading, they can be "spoilerish" to a degree.

Basically, however, this is a novel of ideas; the plot exists strictly to serve the author's message!s). These are the messages of a pessimistic, primarily secular humanist British intellectual whose view of the world was deeply shadowed and scarred by the Great War. (The reference to Conway's wartime experience was convincing enough to make me suspect Hilton was himself a veteran. He wasn't, having turned 18 just a couple of months before the Armistice; but he was still part of the rising bourgeois liberal "Lost Generation" that was epochally disillusioned by the scope of the carnage.) He was also clearly hag-ridden by the prospect of a second world war, which he expected to be apocalyptic. (He often gets credit for being brilliantly prescient, but his expectation was more probably the fruit of dogmatic pessimism more than of astute observation of world politics; though the book was published in 1933, I'm guessing it was probably actually written before Hitler became Chancellor. And the actual World War II, though bad enough, was far less apocalyptic than Hilton imagined it would be.) The book is basically a call to preserve the human race's cultural, artistic and philosophical patrimony in the face of its anticipated near total annihilation in the coming war.

Another philosophical undercurrent here is Platonism, which is clearly discernible in the glorification of the supposedly benevolent rule of what are in effect "philosopher kings," morally and intellectually far superior to the docile subject population that they rule for its own good; in the disparaging of emotion and passion as a juvenile enemy of exalted Reason; and in the upholding of "moderation" between two extremes as the all-purpose ideal for human conduct. (Hilton's prep school and Cambridge Univ. education, of course, in his day, would have steeped him in classical thought.) He also has no more real understanding of the religious mindset than a tone deaf person has of music (with the difference that those of us who are tone deaf usually understand that we can't perceive something, whereas that's not an awareness that troubles Hilton). Despite the setting of much of the story in Tibet, actual Eastern philosophy and Tibetan Buddhism doesn't furnish any real contribution to the ideology behind Shangri-La. None of Hilton's basic premises are very similar to mine. But a real value of the novel, for me, was the way it encouraged me to compare and contrast my ideas with his, and to gain insights from that process along the way.

Some reviewers have expressed dissatisfaction with the ending; and, without resorting to spoilers, I can say that I understand why. However, I don't share that dissatisfaction. IMO, the ending was perfectly crafted, both to preserve the element of mystery and ambiguity that's often seen as essential in the speculative fiction tradition, and more importantly to make a human element central to the story arc, rather than reducing it exclusively to a message-driven essay just dressed up as fiction about human beings. That's something the author deserves credit for as a writer. ...more

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Apr 02, 2017 Connie G rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: classic, adventure, byt-group-read, asia, fantasy, tibet

Hugh Conway, a veteran of the Great War and a British diplomat, told a novelist friend an incredible story. He and three other people were being evacuated from a rebellion in Baskul when their plane was hijacked and flown to Tibet. After they crash landed in the frigid, windy mountains, their dying pilot told them to go to the lamasery of Shangri-La. The four passengers were guided there by porters and a postulant from the lamasery. After winding through dangerous mountain passes for hours, they ...more

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Jul 14, 2018 Fred Shaw rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Four passengers hurriedly boarded a small single engine plane to leave Afghanistan. Two Englishmen, one English woman and an American male were escaping the war as it escalated in the 1930’s. The plane though small, was powerful and was specially built to fly at 25000 ft. and above, though unheard of at the time. The pilot acted mysteriously and flew in a different direction than expected. After refueling in a obscure runway in the desert, the plane headed toward Tibet and the high mountains. Fl ...more

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Aug 05, 2019 Daren rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: uk-author, tibet, china, north-east-asia, 4-star, fiction, historical-fiction

This short book is regarded a classic, and I found it quite enjoyable.

Commencing in Persia, where a plane preparing for evacuation is hijacked and flown of route. Eventually, it is established by the abducted persons that they are in the Tibetan Himalaya, and the plane attempts to land, crashing and killing the pilot / kidnapper, leaving our main characters stranded. A British consul, his deputy, a (female) missionary, an American financier are 'rescued' and taken to a Tibetan monastery (Shangri ...more

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Oct 28, 2014 Alex rated it liked it

Shelves: 2014

Lost Horizons is a very silly, dumb book, but charming and fun for all that.

It's racist and sexist, in that casual and unmalicious way that you see in, like, Mad Men. The "hard, mocking, sex-thirsty voices of women" are mentioned at one point, and the inhabitants of Shangri-La are described as "cleaner and handsomer than the average" Chinese. Compare it to Sax Rohmer's The Insidious Dr. Fu Manchu from 30 years previous: that book is obsessed with the danger of cunning, diabolical Chinamen, while ...more

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Nov 09, 2014 El rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: society-went-boom, 20th-centurylit-early, wanderlust

It wasn't until I finished the story and read the Afterword that I realized that this book was written by the same guy who wrote Goodbye, Mr. Chips, another story I had pretty much put out of my mind. Much, I think, like I expect to happen with this one.

So, okay, here's Shangri-La. We all know the name, but this is where it started. And that's fine. Shangri-La is this utopian society-place in the Himalayan area, where the inhabitants are almost immortal. It's supposed to be this perfect society ...more

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Jun 21, 2016 Steve rated it really liked it

Shelves: fiction, sci-fi-and-fantasy

Not the best book I've read, but certainly one of the more magical ones. It does cast a spell. I was a bit surprised at the WW I element in "Lost Horizon." Hugh Conway, the emotionally damaged hero of the novel, is a part of the Lost Generation. Hilton's turning his Valley of the Blue Moon into a kind of post-War Brigadoon is a brilliant one, especially since he sandwiches events between the known war and the worse one Hilton foresees as coming. I'm sure others in 1933, when the novel was publis ...more

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Mar 21, 2009 Chad rated it really liked it

Recommends it for: Chris Walters, Harry Haladjian

The plane that launched a thousand derivatives...

Before there was the ABC juggernaut that is LOST, there was James Hilton's afternoon read Lost Horizon. This fantastical tale, billed as the first paperback, introduced four characters, and a world audience, to Shangri-La, a time capsule of knowledge and wisdom hidden in the crevasses of the Himalayas.

The conceit: a plane crashes and the motley crew of survivors (two British officials, and American, and a missionary) are left to fend for themselv ...more

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Aug 20, 2017 antiquarian reverie rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: poltical-bend, own, english-writer, war-related, book-made-to-movies-i-have-seen, 1900, james-hilton, philosophical-bend, old-time-radio-reference

Again I am reading a novel that I saw the movie long ago that Frank Capra's 1937 Lost Horizon version with Ronald Coleman and Jane Wyatt and also my favorite Edward Everett Horton. Both are wonderful but like always the book has more into Conway's mind than in the movie. There are also romantic and plot differences but the jist of the story is priceless and Capra does a great job. It is also interesting that in Hilton's Random Harvest (Ronald Coleman was in that one too) and Lost Horizon deals w ...more

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Oct 31, 2015 Terris rated it really liked it

Shelves: classics, re-read

This was a reread for book club, but I enjoyed it as much as I did (1990) 26 years ago!
It's not too long. It's kind of mysterious. It was first published in 1933 which I think is an interesting era. It's about 4 people who get kidnapped and accidentally end up in Shangri-La. Or do they? I enjoyed it :)
Also, the same author wrote Goodbye, Mr. Chips, it's a good one too! ...more

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Feb 10, 2014 Laurel Hicks rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2016-11, books-read-in-2016, audible, 0-kindle, books-read-in-2014

Hilton's beautiful tale is hard to classify. It reminds me, in a way, of "The Twenty-One Balloons," by William Pène du Bois, and in another, curious way, of C.S. Lewis's "Till We Have Faces." I do know that I want to go back to Shangri-La. ...more

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Sep 28, 2010 Rose rated it it was amazing

Shelves: classics, utopian

A beautiful story set deep with in the Himalayans, sits a mysterious place known only to a few as Shangri-La.

Four people are kidnapped in a plane and land in the unknown regions of Tibet. There they embark on a physical and spiritual journey to a Utopian society of Lamas living deep within the beautiful mountains of the east. Here they are learning about transcending their lives to something wonderous and more meaningful.

Our story opens when our lead character, Conway, is found in a hospital by A beautiful story set deep with in the Himalayans, sits a mysterious place known only to a few as Shangri-La.

Four people are kidnapped in a plane and land in the unknown regions of Tibet. There they embark on a physical and spiritual journey to a Utopian society of Lamas living deep within the beautiful mountains of the east. Here they are learning about transcending their lives to something wonderous and more meaningful.

Our story opens when our lead character, Conway, is found in a hospital by a friend of his and he has no memory of anything before he came to be there. His friend takes him out and puts him on boat back to England. On this boat a man is playing Chopan on a piano and this seems to stir something deep within Conway. As the pianist is leaving the room, Conway goes to the piano and begins to play a unknown piece of music that is however obviously Chopan's. But how can this be? The pianist is truely confused as to where he learned this piece of music and how can it be Chopan's? Conway's memories come alive that evening and he in turn recites his long, mysterious tale of Shangri-La to his friend. Once they land, Conway is no where to be found. His friend discovers he has booked a boat heading east hoping to find his way back.

The story that Conway tells is a a wonderous tale of a utopian society that not only brings long life, but peace and tranquility as one has never known. To leave your attachments behind and to embrace serenity and calmness is so enticing. To never be confined by the handcuffs of time and be surrounded by such beauty. I think for those of us who are seeking enlightenment, can only dream of a place like Shangri-La. I for one would love to just know a place like this really existed.

I really felt I needed to add to this review. The more I thought about Shangri-La, the more I felt this place was a more of a metaphor than an actual physical "place". I believe the author was trying to convey a message to the world. That reaching true enlightenment for those who seek it, will find their Shangri-La. It's right in front of them. If they learn to let go of their attachments, and find a way to grow from their hurried lives and learn to be peaceful, they will find what they are looking for. I believe in my heart that Shangri-La lives in each of us if we truely want it. However, it will be forever elusive to those who fail to not only understand it, but cannot move forward towards true enlightenment. James Hilton was a truely progressive author and it amazes me that this book was written in 1933!!! ...more

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Mar 19, 2012 Samantha Glasser rated it it was amazing

Shelves: classics, fiction, i-own-a-copy, favorites, adapted-to-screen

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, includin ...more

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May 23, 2009 Evan rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: asia, religion, 2016-reads, __in-my-collection, adventure-fiction, philosophy

[To fully capture my moment of reading this book and re-watching Frank Capra's 1937 film version of Lost Horizon simultaneously, I've penned a mighty review of both that exceeds the Goodreads 20,000-character limit. To get around this, I have posted the rest in my personal writing section, where it fits snugly. It can be found: here. First part of the review starts here. Continuation link is below.]

In 1937, director Frank Capra made a masterful, heart-rending movie out of James Hilton's immensel ...more

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Dec 10, 2020 Susan's Reviews rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, reading-again

Loved the crisp writing style, but boy, this author's world view does not stand the test of time.

Ironic that the author writes about Utopia but doesn't realize that he too has a long way to go before attaining ultimate enlightenment and freedom from the world's chains of greed and bigotry.

I was inspired to read this book as a youngster because of the second movie adaptation of this novel. In retrospect, the musical version that I saw was so "lightweight" in comparison to the 1930's Frank Capra ...more

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Oct 22, 2013 Thomas Holbrook rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fiction

There are reasons books become classics. They speak with a voice that is ageless, have a plot that reflects the human experience and/or connects with a deep part of the psyche. Reading a classic work of literature for the first time is akin to discovering an unknown family member - someone who: expresses a familiarity of experience that is rooted in genetics, needs no explanation or translation to be understood and is a friend upon meeting. When this classic was offered by one of my dealers, th There are reasons books become classics. They speak with a voice that is ageless, have a plot that reflects the human experience and/or connects with a deep part of the psyche. Reading a classic work of literature for the first time is akin to discovering an unknown family member - someone who: expresses a familiarity of experience that is rooted in genetics, needs no explanation or translation to be understood and is a friend upon meeting. When this classic was offered by one of my dealers, the price was such that I could no longer avoid reading it. My only regrets in doing so are: 1) I wanted so long to read it and 2) I now have a renewed craving for classic works of literature.
Between the World Wars, there was trouble in a part of the world that continues to be a cauldron of discord. Due to revolution, all foreigners were evacuated from Baskul, India to Peshawar, Pakistan. In the turmoil, an airplane fitted to carry out high-altitude, long distance missions was absconded with four people aboard: Conway, British Consul; Millison, his young assistant; Bernard, an American and Miss Brinklow, a British Missionary. The story of what happened to these four is told via the account given by Conway (detailed in the prologue) of being taken to a land that is known as Shangri-La. What is found in that valley hidden high in the Himalayan Mountain range must be experienced to be grasped. This is a place of great learning, indoor plumbing, central heat (the story is set in 1931), excellent food and air that renews the soul. What is discovered by those taken to that location is far more amazing than the things they can touch.
Mr. Hilton’s ability to transport the reader into experiencing the transformation that occurred to Conway is nothing less than exquisite. He has Conway realize there is Something beyond his Self, “There were moments in life when one opened wide one’s soul just as one might open wide one’s purse if an evening’s entertainment were proving unexpectedly costly but also unexpectedly novel.” (p.46) Conway continues to “wake-up” to a world that is his “home” but to which he had never visited, “. . . was physically happy, emotionally satisfied, and mentally at ease; but in his intellect, which was not quite the same thing as mind, there was a little stir.” (p.75). He must confront realities with which he is not comfortable, “The jewel has facets,” said the Chinese, “and it is possible that many religions are moderately true” (p.80). All this brings about a moment for Conway to grasp that everything he desires rests within the Moment itself.
This book has stayed with me long past the time most reads remain. Rarely has any book seized my imagination as quickly nor held it as firmly as did Lost Horizon. There were points where I had to stop reading and reground myself in the present, so real was the feel of Shangri-La. Its ending lends itself the possibility that finding that “lost” world exists. I have an idea of where to find it, too.
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Mar 02, 2018 Philip rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: filmed, tibet, 4-stars, fiction, 1930s, classic-fiction, mountains

I'm sure most people are familiar with the basic story of Lost Horizon, and of course everyone knows the concept of "Shangri-La," but I'm not sure how many people have actually read the book. I certainly hadn't, but was surprised that it still holds up fairly well, (and is far better than either the original 1937 film version of the execrable 1973 remake as a musical - although the latter did have a very nice theme song by the under-appreciated Shawn Phillips).

There is a lot of dialogue here - I'm sure most people are familiar with the basic story of Lost Horizon, and of course everyone knows the concept of "Shangri-La," but I'm not sure how many people have actually read the book. I certainly hadn't, but was surprised that it still holds up fairly well, (and is far better than either the original 1937 film version of the execrable 1973 remake as a musical - although the latter did have a very nice theme song by the under-appreciated Shawn Phillips).

There is a lot of dialogue here - both spoken and internal - and very little action. But it tells an interesting story that fits in well with both the British fascination with Tibet (beginning with the Raj and early Survey of India, and running through the Younghusband expedition/invasion of the early 1900's before reaching a sort of nadir with the embarrassing T. Lobsang Rampa episode of the 60's and 70's), and the uncertainly of the later between-war period.

The hero of the book is a scarred veteran of "the War" (i.e., World War I), but the true message of the book as related by the High Lama involves preparing for the next war, not revisiting the last. According to the Lama, the world is soon to face an even worse disaster, one which could throw the entire planet into a new Dark Ages, and only isolated pockets of civilization and culture such as Shangri-La could possibly help the world to recover. At the time of its writing, Hitler was just rising to power in Germany, and the Japanese had already bombed Shanghai in the "January 28 Incident" of 1932 that presaged not only the Marco Polo Bridge and Rape of Nanking in 1937 but ultimately the entire war in the Pacific as well.

Well, we more-or-less survived that war; but reading the book today I find the Lama's warning perhaps even more relevant to today's world - standing once again on the brink of nuclear conflict; facing (but largely failing to address) a looming environmental catastrophe; terrorism, disease, Trump...maybe it really is time to head up into the hills and look for a cone-shaped mountain...

NOTE ON THE AUTHOR: James Hilton wrote over 20 novels, but is really only remembered for Lost Horizon and Good-bye Mr. Chips, which he wrote back to back. As a long-time fan of Tibet and Central Asia in general, I give kudos to Hilton for dropping in without further explanation references to Aurel Stein and Sven Hedin, the Karakoram and the Kunlun mountains, and quotes from Gordon about the Mahdi. Should probably credit the British reading public as well for (I assume) understanding such references - doubt many Americans today would recognize these names, much less be able to place this story on a map. Oh, and one final note - while this book is often called "the world's first paperback" (it even says so on the cover of this edition), it was not; paperback books had been around since the mid-1800s. However, is was the first "mass market paperbook," reprinted in 1939 as Pocket Book #1. ...more

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Apr 12, 2017 Ally rated it really liked it · review of another edition

This is a great book. It is a short read but provokes deep thought and questions about what we want of life and existence. It's very much rooted in the time it was written and, without any direct references, reflects the emotional, societal and physical damage that WWI created and that tipped reality on its axis. It is a sort of adventure story but, be warned, it's not pacey...it takes a while for both the characters and the reader to get to a point of understanding but its worth the wait. A ver ...more

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Feb 21, 2014 Duane rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: rated-books, english-calssics, reviewed-books

If you don't believe in Shangri-La, well you might after reading James Hilton's Lost Horizon. Four people on a plane, hijacked and taken to a remote and secret location in the Himalayan mountains where they find a visual and spiritual paradise. A short fantasy, action, adventure. I use the word action loosely. ...more

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May 16, 2020 Mariangel rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Read it in two days. Enjoyable book with more discussion than action.
Most of the first third of the book happens on the airplane, where the four passengers keep discussing hypotheses for what is happening to them. The second third is getting to know Shangri-La and its mysteries, little by little as they gather information from Chang. In the last one, through a series of conversations with the High Lama which involve history and philosophy, we learn about the founding of the monastery and some of ...more

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Jan 10, 2018 Vicky Hunt rated it it was amazing

Shelves: vicky-s-favorites, jungle-desert-sea, classics-read-2018, gaming

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Mar 16, 2009 Marty Reeder rated it really liked it

Shelves: bedroom-bookshelf

This was part of a book recommendation swap between myself and my brother-in-law. I recommended Ender's Game and he recommended Lost Horizon. I wasn't sure at first if either of us anticipated our tastes in literature very well, but I at least read Lost Horizon with interest.

There is no doubt that it is well written. Hilton is able to tap into the deeper philosophies of life in a non-intrusive yet succinct way that avoids most of the heaviness that accompany philosophical reads. In other words, ...more

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Sep 12, 2008 Greg rated it really liked it

Shelves: fiction-and-humor

A British group leaves India in the 1930s by plane, the plane goes down, and thereafter they find themselves in the fabled Shangri-La. In this valley of warmth and beauty in the midst of the Himalayan mountains, they find a people with astounding longevity leading lives of simplicity and wisdom and peace. They eventually find their way out of Shangri-La and back home, but Conway (the main character), consumed by regret for the peace that he left behind, returns in the end.

For me, the power of t ...more

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About James Hilton

James Hilton

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James Hilton (1900–1954) was a bestselling English novelist and Academy Award–winning screenwriter. After attending Cambridge University, Hilton worked as a journalist until the success of his novels Lost Horizon (1933) and Goodbye, Mr. Chips (1934) launched his career as a celebrated author. Hilton’s writing is known for its depiction of English life between the two world wars, its celebration of ...more