“Lost Horizon” And The Culture Of Excess

Is passion the opposite of wisdom? Is an excess of moderation possible? Does a good man owe the world his service? These questions haunt the pages of James Hilton’s “Lost Horizon” like the restless specters of lost travelers.

Published in 1933, the story’s gentle blend of pragmatic, quasi-Eastern philosophy, post-WWI anxiety, and escapist fantasy, was tremendously popular. Featuring male characters who were unprejudiced, open-minded, and skeptical of authority, and female characters who were strong, independent, and accomplished, “Lost Horizon” was stunningly progressive for its time. Moreover, with its strong anti-war and anti-industrial themes, the sentiments pondered by the inhabitants of mythical Shangri-La are more relevant than ever today.

The plot of the slim, 150-page novella is straightforward. A plane crash leaves four Westerners stranded in the remote Himalayas. They are promptly rescued and welcomed into the valley of the Blue Moon — a hidden paradise nestled among brutal and impassable mountains. They are sheltered in a tranquil lamasery named Shangri-La, where they eventually learn about themselves, each other, and the mission of the lamasery itself. They also discover that, like the Eagles’ “Hotel California,” you can check out in Shangri-La, but you can never leave.