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James Hilton's Three Famous Novels: Lost Horizon/Goodbye, Mr Chips/Random Harvest
Three famous novels in one Lost Horizon, Good-by, Mr Chips, and Random Harvest.
444 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1941
About the author
James Hilton
214 books282 followersJames Hilton was an English novelist and screenwriter. He is best remembered for his novels Lost Horizon, Goodbye, Mr. Chips and Random Harvest, as well as co-writing screenplays for the films Camille (1936) and Mrs. Miniver (1942), the latter earning him an Academy Award.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
September 19, 2020
I really liked all three short novels, with main characters from England of the 1930s. For an American, some of the terminology and slang went right over my head, but it didn't get in the way. Random Harvest was a tale of a World War I soldier who lost his memory after a head injury and suffered from "shell shock" as well. The flashbacks were an effective way to tell about his recovery. It's great for some atmosphere and details about what Britain was like between the wars, and a few intimations about how much World War II would change the country. I read the novels without having seen the movies, but now will have to view them. Lost Horizon and Mr. Chips get a thumbs up as well.
August 23, 2025
Lost Horizon by James Hilton
Paradisical in parts, with Shangri - La as the ultimate travel destination...only I have two macaws, a chameleon...I've got my equanimous lamasery
I loved this book so much that I decided to put it on hold, one year ago.
Delayed gratification.
But in the meantime, I could not find it, when I thought to get that postponed pleasure.
Shangri-La has become the epitome of the fabulous, magical realm.
There are Shangri-La hotels that speculate this image of serenity, equanimity and eternal bliss.
Conway is at the center of this story, which starts in the middle of an armed conflict.
Since the danger is imminent and they are shooting and killing all around, an escape is of paramount importance.
On board an airplane we have the four characters that will constitute an important part of the cast.
There is Mallison, the young vice consul, the American Barnard and a missionary, Miss Brinklow, apart from the consul, Conway.
The latter has been in the world war, we would later know and that explains much of his strange behavior, caused by an apparent Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
For some time, it looks like they will all be fine and land in safety.
Only after a while, the pilot changes course and refuses to communicate with the worried, later panicked passengers.
They crash land in the highesmountains on earth and the pilot is dead.
Strangely, after spending little time and starting on what we thought would be a long journey, they meet a party of people.
And they arrive at Shangri-La.
One way to look at this is with enthusiasm...
I wish I get there, live to be 200 and find absolute, ultimate peace and beatification.
The other perspective is more critical.
Why all this modern plumbing and fixtures?
It seems absurd, even if a Westerner is surely happier with inside bathrooms as opposed to outhouses.
It is just that in my experience with monasteries, even here, in Europe and at a much later stage than we have in the book, most of these modern facilities were lacking.
True, the most incredible aspect is the age of the lamas, especially The Great Lama and Chang.
The air and a drug they use gives these recluse people the benefit of an extremely extended life span.
They appear to believe that WWIII is just around the corner and the only survivors would be found near the Karacal mountain, in their lamasery.
Therefore, there is a need to get more newcomers, transfers in the lingo of football to these high quarters.
The pilot was sent on a mission to get more people to Shangri-La and secure the future of mankind and preserve the heritage, culture, literature for future generations.
Wonderfully attractive idea, that has thrilled me last year.
But the development and continuation has some flaws in my view.
And it is not the premise that they live so long, since modern science agrees that there would be ways to extend life, by eating much less for instance.
Rats and other test animals have lived much longer when fed a diet that was half of what other tested rodents received.
So it was not the age, but the plumbing, the evolution of the Chinese girl and ultimately Conway, the fuzzy beliefs of these lamas and the few revelations, precious truths that I heard from them.
Still, Shangri - La is adjectival and the ultimate medicine to use a leitmotif from Little Big Man.
Paradisical in parts, with Shangri - La as the ultimate travel destination...only I have two macaws, a chameleon...I've got my equanimous lamasery
I loved this book so much that I decided to put it on hold, one year ago.
Delayed gratification.
But in the meantime, I could not find it, when I thought to get that postponed pleasure.
Shangri-La has become the epitome of the fabulous, magical realm.
There are Shangri-La hotels that speculate this image of serenity, equanimity and eternal bliss.
Conway is at the center of this story, which starts in the middle of an armed conflict.
Since the danger is imminent and they are shooting and killing all around, an escape is of paramount importance.
On board an airplane we have the four characters that will constitute an important part of the cast.
There is Mallison, the young vice consul, the American Barnard and a missionary, Miss Brinklow, apart from the consul, Conway.
The latter has been in the world war, we would later know and that explains much of his strange behavior, caused by an apparent Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
For some time, it looks like they will all be fine and land in safety.
Only after a while, the pilot changes course and refuses to communicate with the worried, later panicked passengers.
They crash land in the highesmountains on earth and the pilot is dead.
Strangely, after spending little time and starting on what we thought would be a long journey, they meet a party of people.
And they arrive at Shangri-La.
One way to look at this is with enthusiasm...
I wish I get there, live to be 200 and find absolute, ultimate peace and beatification.
The other perspective is more critical.
Why all this modern plumbing and fixtures?
It seems absurd, even if a Westerner is surely happier with inside bathrooms as opposed to outhouses.
It is just that in my experience with monasteries, even here, in Europe and at a much later stage than we have in the book, most of these modern facilities were lacking.
True, the most incredible aspect is the age of the lamas, especially The Great Lama and Chang.
The air and a drug they use gives these recluse people the benefit of an extremely extended life span.
They appear to believe that WWIII is just around the corner and the only survivors would be found near the Karacal mountain, in their lamasery.
Therefore, there is a need to get more newcomers, transfers in the lingo of football to these high quarters.
The pilot was sent on a mission to get more people to Shangri-La and secure the future of mankind and preserve the heritage, culture, literature for future generations.
Wonderfully attractive idea, that has thrilled me last year.
But the development and continuation has some flaws in my view.
And it is not the premise that they live so long, since modern science agrees that there would be ways to extend life, by eating much less for instance.
Rats and other test animals have lived much longer when fed a diet that was half of what other tested rodents received.
So it was not the age, but the plumbing, the evolution of the Chinese girl and ultimately Conway, the fuzzy beliefs of these lamas and the few revelations, precious truths that I heard from them.
Still, Shangri - La is adjectival and the ultimate medicine to use a leitmotif from Little Big Man.
November 22, 2017
Goodbye, Mr Chips by James Hilton
This is an endearing tale of a kind teacher. I enjoyed it. The main character Mr Chips was teaching a long time ago - from the Franco-Prussian War, through World War 1 and up to the onset of the Second World War. He's teaching at a private boarding school. Rather surprisingly, there's no mention of corporal punishment. It was probably taken for granted at that time. Nor is there any mention or comparison to the kind of schools the children of workers attended. As such, Mr Chips's view is a blinkered one. It's widened by his marriage to a more enlightened person, but, and perhaps this is the unstated theme, it's a view that comes from a kind heart with a good sense of fair play that transcends the age.
This is an endearing tale of a kind teacher. I enjoyed it. The main character Mr Chips was teaching a long time ago - from the Franco-Prussian War, through World War 1 and up to the onset of the Second World War. He's teaching at a private boarding school. Rather surprisingly, there's no mention of corporal punishment. It was probably taken for granted at that time. Nor is there any mention or comparison to the kind of schools the children of workers attended. As such, Mr Chips's view is a blinkered one. It's widened by his marriage to a more enlightened person, but, and perhaps this is the unstated theme, it's a view that comes from a kind heart with a good sense of fair play that transcends the age.
April 5, 2026
My favorite omnibus containing three novels of James Hilton. These three great novels are also three great movies, which is where I first discovered James Hilton.
On this re-reading of March 11, I chose Goodbye, Mr. Chips. I recommend all three novels in this set, but especially this one. Such a great story. I pity anyone who didn't have a special teacher that made an impact in their life.
It's now March 20th and I have just finished Random Harvest. I really enjoy this amnesia story told between the two World Wars. The twist ending works so well in the book, that I feel sorry for people who watch the movie first.
On this re-reading of March 11, I chose Goodbye, Mr. Chips. I recommend all three novels in this set, but especially this one. Such a great story. I pity anyone who didn't have a special teacher that made an impact in their life.
It's now March 20th and I have just finished Random Harvest. I really enjoy this amnesia story told between the two World Wars. The twist ending works so well in the book, that I feel sorry for people who watch the movie first.
February 8, 2013
Hilton was a middling novelist, but for some reason his work translated like gangbusters to the screen. The filmic adaptations of all three of his books are superb, though the novels themselves are thin with little that is memorable. Good thing that 40's Hollywood found him!
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews