Binding: Paperback
Format: Bargain Price
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 256
Publication Date: June 01, 2004
Sales Rank: 979076
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Product Description:
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.
It is here, in Shangri-La, where destinies will be discovered and the meaning of paradise will be unveiled.
Customer Reviews
Average Rating: 
Rating:  - Free SF Reader
The old Shangri-La story.
Or here it is, hidden valley and all. A group of weary warriors are kidnapped (or almost Shangri-Lahaied if you like) but the flying doesn't go so well, and there's a bit of a crash. Near the important city of course.
Thereafter lies a culture clash, as the outsiders from the presents and the ancient monk types inside the city affect each other in different ways and make their decisions about should I stay or should I go now.
3.5 out of 5
Rating:  - Love it, love it, love it!!!
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 ... Read More
Rating: - A classic but a bit of a letdown at the end
"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.
Rating: - My favorite book of all time
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.
Rating: - Excellent Fantasy
This is a most excellent fantasy and perhaps James Hilton's greatest work. Where his other books have not survived, this modern version of Camelot or Utopia lost someplace in Asian mountains is an answer for a perfect society. His style is pleasant easy reading, while being thoughtful and provactive, making a person consider that perhaps industrialization is not the answer for the ills plaguing humanity. I only wish the movie and the musical had portrayed the book exactly as written.
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