Book Introduction
The book today is Lost Horizon by James Hilton and if you haven’t read it and like what you hear in this episode, there’s a full-length podcast where Jeff and I engage in the themes of the book coming soon!
What’s it About:
Published in 1933, “Lost Horizon” by James Hilton follows a British diplomat (Hugh Conway) and his companions (Charles Mallinson, Henry Barnard who’s actually a fugitive Chalmers Bryant, and Roberta Brinklow). After their plane crashes in the Himalayas, the party finds themselves in a naturally hidden utopian valley of Shangri-La ran by a lamasery. Two and a half miles above sea level, the fertile valley is home to a society governed by moderation. The residents live centuries past normal life spans. Conway is captivated by Shangri-La’s serenity and the High Lama, who tells the valley’s history from its founding in 1734 by Perrault to its role of preserving knowledge before a global collapse due to war.
The narrative takes a turn when Conway is chosen by the High Lama to be his successor. Barnard and Brinklow decide to stay while Mallinson yearns to leave with a resident called Lo-Tsen with whom he is infatuated. Mallinson pressures Conway to depart despite warnings that leaving Shangri-La will cause rapid aging and death for Lo-Tsen. Torn between his bond to the valley and one of his closest friends, Conway decides to join his friend on the perilous journey over the mountains, travelling 1100 miles east to China. Conway is found later, aged and delirious, suggesting the High Lama’s prophecy was true, but his fate and the existence of Shangri-La are labeled as unclear and unconfirmed by the narrator.
Some things I’ll be discussing in the full-length podcast:
Utopia | Dystopia
Happiness through Moderation
Time, Aging, and Mortality
Stay Tuned
I hope you enjoyed this webisode, let me know what you thought of it and if you’ve read or intend to read this book.
If you’re interested but not sold, there’s a full-length podcast where I discuss this book at length coming for your binging pleasure on Substack and Spotify!
You can find all things What The Book by going to craigtstewart.com
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