"Lost Horizon" by James Hilton: Woodford Green is lunching with some old school chums when the casual mention of another former classmate, Hugh Conway, brings to light a most remarkable story.
In 1931, a revolution in Baskul, China, forced Conway, who was serving as British Consul, to flee the country. He is accompanied into a waiting escape plane by Charles Mallison, his assistant consul; Roberta Brinklow, a religious missionary; and Henry Barnard, an American businessman. While the four think they're being evacuated to safety, it's not until they're in the air that they realize they've actually been hijacked. All attempts at reasoning with their abductor are met with silence and the barrel of a gun. After one refueling stop and several hours of travel, the aircraft crash lands somewhere in the Himalayan Mountains, killing the pilot and stranding the four passengers in the middle of nowhere. The immediate pressing needs for survival are barely up for discussion when the foursome is rescued. Salvation comes in the form of a bizarre traveling party, consisting of several men carrying a seated, serene Chinese gentleman named Chang. An invitation is made for Conway and the others to accompany Chang back to the lamasery of Shangri-La. With no other option at their disposal, Conway graciously accepts the invitation.
The journey to Shangri-La is long and arduous. There's simply no way Conway and crew would have found it on their own. And what they find is almost beyond belief. The lamasery, tucked away on a remote slope of Mount Karakal, is a beautiful, sprawling complex, complete with modern plumbing and every imaginable amenity. Even more remarkable, Shangri-La's unique locale, the perfect combination of altitude and geographic topography, gives it and the surrounding Blue Moon Valley a tropical climate, providing a heavenly oasis from the otherwise harsh wintry landscape.
The newcomers are treated to a lavish dinner and are each given their own sleeping quarters. Chang informs his guests that they are welcome to stay as long as they wish. While the environment is peacefully serene, and all are grateful for being rescued, Mallison, a fiery young man, finds the whole situation unsettling and wants to return to civilization as soon as possible. Unfortunately, Chang is unable to arrange safe passage, suggesting the four wait until the next shipment of provisions arrive, and then they can negotiate a return with the porters.
The others don't share Mallison's disdain for Shangri-La. Miss Brinklow sees the lamas and the people of the valley as a test of her religious faith. She feels it's her duty to try and spread proper religion to their poor, backward souls. Barnard likewise embraces the prospect of an extended stay. Not only is he running from his past, but he realizes there must be big money behind the luxurious lamasery.
As for Conway, Shangri-La is as good a place as any. Conway's life began with untold promise. He earned the nickname "Glory" in his youth due to his unlimited potential and knack for achievement. However, his service in the Great War seemed to sap his life of all emotion. He had spent the years since slacking, drifting from place to place without any real purpose. Others perceived this aloof, cold nature as a sign of courage, when actually his calmness in the face of adversity is nothing more than blissful apathy. Now, at 37, Conway is falling into middle-age with nothing on the horizon. All in all, not a bad place to be.
During their weeks of waiting for the porters to arrive, Conway has numerous conversations with Chang, trying to unlock the mysteries of Shangri-La. But for all his cordial hospitality, Chang is extremely guarded with information, revealing little more than the lamas' sincere belief in moderation. Then one day, without warning, Chang brings word that the High Lama wishes to meet with Conway. It's an honor granted to very few. In his dealings with the High Lama, Conway learns everything, from the origins and history of Shangri-La to the reason why he and the others were abducted. He's also told that the lamas have discovered a means of slowing the aging process. Life within the realm of the lamasery can easily span two hundred years. But residence in Shangri-La comes with a price. The exact cost of which will be left up to you, the valued reader, to discover on your own.
It seems as though the term "Shangri-La" has come to mean any dream circumstance, a heaven on Earth, if you will. That perception can not be more wrong. Truth be told, Shangri-La is the last place any person of sound mind would want to live. It was built as a safe haven from the dangers of the outside world, completely removed from war, strife, and conflict of any kind. The lamas' suspension of time has even rendered death a mere afterthought. Without the haunting specter of death, there is no longer an impetus to drive man. The result is a dissolution of passion. That's why Conway feels so at home amongst the lamas; he's been a man devoid of emotion much of his life. At one point in his meetings with the High Lama, Conway even suggests, "Perhaps the exhaustion of passions is the beginning of wisdom." Actually, it's quite the opposite. It's more like the exhaustion of passions is the beginning of death. The lamas, for all their longevity and wisdom, are dead. The joyous wonder of life can only be experienced in the shadow of death. Remove the wages of time from the equation and life isn't worth living.
The structure of the book is also brilliant. As mentioned earlier, the subject of Conway is first brought up at a lunch between old friends, one of whom is a writer who heard the tale of Shangri-La firsthand from Conway himself. This writer, Rutherford, produces a manuscript of Conway's story and shares it with Woodford Green. So the events in Shangri-La are told in Conway's own words, framed by Green and Rutherford's initial meeting and their reunion months later, after Green has read the manuscript and Rutherford has done some extra investigating into the current whereabouts of Conway.
Thanks to its deft craftsmanship, memorable lead character, and philosophical examination of life, "Lost Horizon" is as good a book as 70 proof has encountered. It's a true top ten contender. Read it immediately.
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