“Now he perceived that the unreasonableness, however fantastic, was to be swallowed. That flight from Baskul had not been the meaningless exploit of a madman. It had been something planned, prepared . . . For what possible reason could four chance passengers with the British Government aeroplane he whisked away to these trans-Himalayan solitudes?” (Ch.5, 103)
A British group of four, one of whom consular officer Hugh Conway, leaves India in the 1930s by plane only to be skyjacked and whisked away to the distant Tibetan mountains. In the fabled mountainous rampart of Shangri-La, in the valley of warmth and beauty, where a group of lamasery pavilions cling to the mountainside, they find a people leading lives of simplicity, moderation, and peace. Despite the hospitality offered, a part of Conway still insists that there’s something queer about the place that he cannot blame the truculence of his fellow Mallinson, who insists on leaving right away.
We want to return to civilization as soon as possible. (Mallinson) And are you so very certain that you are away from it. (Chang)
As the group becomes settled, a deep anesthetizing tranquility begins to sweep over Conway, who prefers the peace and quiet of Shangri-La over the racket of the world. He undergoes some curious transformation of the mind and becomes comfortable with the surrounding. A meeting with the reclusive High Lama affords him the secret behind the confounding mystery of the place.
This is a strangely absorbing and fascinating story that has sustaining interest in me. The atmosphere of the setting is soothing but the mystery behind is stimulating. There’s a spiritual force and an underlying philosophy that carries the reader’s imagination beyond the scope of the book. The power of this novel is in the sense of potential peace that is evoked. This sense of peace, calm and profundity is available to everyone but is not for everyone. Metaphorically, it’s the personal journey in search of that inner peace that is Shangri-La. That reaching true enlightenment for those who seek it, will find the Shangri-La.
231 pp. Pocket Books. Pocket Paper. [Read|Skim|Toss] [Buy|Borrow]
Filed under: Books, General Fiction, Literature, Mystery | Tagged: Books, General Fiction, James Hilton, Literature, Lost Horizon |
A Guy's Moleskine Notebook 
This is one I’ve always wanted to read, but have never made the time for.
It’s a comfort read for me when I need a quick story. I’ve been reading something kinda obscure by Howard Sturgis (a friend of Henry James, not surprised), and need a breath of fresh air. Lost Horizon has tickles my curiosity but uncharted territory. It also asks a moral question about personal paradise.