Excellent story but poor production

This is a first rate yarn that should be required reading for anyone with imagination. But this production is poor. The narrator is pedestrian and his attempts at accents are painful. Either play at 1.25x speed; get another version; or read the book.

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Shangri-la ...

... Hidden in a valley deep in the Tibetan Himalayas ( Him - ahh - lee - yers ) where the sun shines - the honey flows - and the Monks and peasants live in life prolonging Nirvana - the victims of an audacious kidnap ( in the best possible taste ) discover the real reason for their abduction.
It is a story well known to those of us now in our 50's and beyond but since the demise of the Sunday afternoon feature film, 'Lost Horizon' starring Ronald Coleman is seldom shown. Here the story is read by Michael de Morgan with a respect for it's genre and age - one of the great imaginative adventures of the between wars era.
Excitement - Romance - adventure - Humour - everything is here for a thumping good listen - it deserves to be re-discovered by a new generation.

Regards Paul

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12 people found this helpful

An intriguing story

As a child. I had a video tapped off of the television. The Lost Horizon. It was a 70s film. most beautifully done and very underrated! Johm Guilgud acted in it, Burt Bacharach composed the music and the songs were beautiful. I had the soundtrack of songs on tape too! So through out the listening of this book I have had the fondness of those memories. However, without that I'm not sure what a listener would feel or even think of it. It is a magical story in part. I had to speed the reading up as it was read too slowly for me to enjoy. 1.05x seemed to help for those who need to know. An excellently read book though. And for those of us who may think differently and broader in terms of human history I recommend :)

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3 people found this helpful

... but... Ayem only part way through...!

For me, the build up could have been shorter and full of less holes, but the book is of its time (which is quite charming!). The supporting characters are flat as pancakes. It is narrated in full 1930s style (again, charming). Jumps from 2 dimensions to 3 (or 4? Or more?) in an instant (a trait of the book's time - so... charming 🤔).

A very warm, accessible, simple, complicated, enjoyable, informative and relevant book.

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Fair story but audio quality poor

I don't tend to write reviews often but if you are considering this audiobook be aware the audio quality is pretty poor. There is the odd hiss and crackle and generally it sounds bad. I would have returned it if I'd been able.

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Great Book

I got this book because I remember the film when I was a young man,I am pleased to say it did not disappoint and would recommend it to anyone looking for a good book

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3 people found this helpful

Lost and Found

I have enjoyed the overall story since seeing the 1970s movie and the fabulous 1936 original which I prefer.

I do like the overall structure, somewhat reminiscent of Frankenstein and others, where some is remembering and recalling episodes which then fit together.

At first I thought the performance a bit stuffy and old fashioned but I’m not sure when it was recorded, and then I thought it was really reflecting the feeling of 1930s very well (whenever it was recorded). The narrator conveyed the different characters really well generally but his portrayal of the High Lama was really exceptional and it seemed like he took his own relaxed time in savouring each speech (fittingly enough).

If someone has enjoyed the 1936 movie, the will get a whole additional later of pleasure from this, not least from the ‘inner voice’ of the main character

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2 people found this helpful

An atypical Boys Own adventure…

I read another review that gently ridiculed the
narrators reading; I thought the opposite - it captured the 1930’s over the top public school boy Englishman abroad style… I did though increase the speed to x1.3 - which seemed more natural - I’m convinced the x1 ‘normal’ was deliberately slowed down.

Overall, a good tale…

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Hotel California

Wonderful story beautifully narrated.
I'd heard of Shangri la but couldn't place it till I came across this.
The underlying narrative even more prescient today.
Of a civilisation on the eve of destruction and an island of hope on which mans cultural heritage resides.
I liked the narrator's long pauses between sentences.
Might not be everyone's cup of tea.

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Interesting to read this post-Said

Full of Orientalist tropes but still tugs at the heart. Reading it against the grain: Shangrila = the West with its comforts and medical advances and books and culture; but would you rather stay in the grip of this backward looking culture or head out into the future with all its uncertainty and risk. That future lies to the East= in Africa, China, India, Latin America.
But excellently read (performed) by Michael de Morgan.
BTW the ending differs from the 1970 film but to avoid spoilers I wouldn’t say how.

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