Synopsis:
Hugh Conway saw humanity at its worst while fighting in the trenches of the First World War.
When an uprising in Baskul forces Hugh Conway and a small group of English and American residents to flee, their plane crash-lands in the far western reaches of the Tibetan Himalayas. There, the bewildered party finds themselves stranded outside the protective borders of the British Empire, and discovers access to a place beyond the bounds of the imagination—a legendary paradise, the mystic monastery Shangri-La.
Mystical and shrouded in mysteries, Conway’s investigations lead to a choice between a heaven shaking revelation or the daunting prospect of returning home to a world about to be torn open by war.
Review:
I had read this many decades before. Despite having read many hundreds of books till now, this always had a special status on my heart. So, when I came across my old paperback edition, I just HAD to read this again!
It’s hard to classify this book. The initial superficial take is that of a well written page-turner of mystical story that straddles the borders between fiction & fantasy. However, on deeper reflection, I realize that the main plot is is also a reflection on humanity with every character portraying a facet of reality that we all face everyday (even today) while pursuing happiness without even realizing we rarely can even define what that truly means to each of us.
The MC is Hugh Conway, a jaded veteran of WW1 who has survived the worst horrors of war. When his flight gets hijacked and crash lands into unexplored mountains of Himalayas, he stumbles into a web of mystery and intrigue the beginning of which is discovery of the fabled, Shangri-La.
Once past the initial trauma of the hijack, crash and being saved, he realizes that pattern of how those events happened isn’t accidental as everyone assumes, but planned and executed by someone pulling strings from the dark. Every step of his investigation leads to more and even more astounding discoveries leading to the grand finale and a grand choice with the threat of another war (WW2) brewing in outside world.
Despite there really not being any traditionally evil antagonist to speak of, this books pits every character in a conflict with themselves fueled by raw feelings of life, love and pursuit of happiness, material and spiritual. For decades, I have imagined myself in shoes of Conway having to make that choice…and I still haven’t been able to decide what I want and which choice I would take. This is what I absolutely love about this book. Though the ending is set, it is upon the reader to determine if the choice was wise or foolish.
Though Conway and the High Lama play the protagonists, their lives and decisions are so intertwined with each and every one of the characters who all have their own priorities without realizing their role in the grander mystery. This is as close to perfection as a book can get.
Highly recommended!
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