Shangri-La, the story behind the name

I love discovering books by accident. Years ago, we were in Capel Curig, in Snowdonia. Such a beautiful place! We were walking past a hotel, when we noticed they were selling books. So, as self-confessed bibliophiles, we ventured in and were not disappointed. I picked up Lost Horizon, by James Hilton. I watched the film in the 70s, and was mesmerised by the magic. I have never watched it again, although I have watched the trailer since reading the book, and am astonished at how it was translated. It is an amazing story of a group of people who are escaping from a revolution in Persia (Iran), on a plane to Pakistan. The plane crashes in the middle of nowhere, but fortunately they are rescued by a group of travellers who take them to a beautiful sanctuary, which has everything they could ever want. Their new home is very cut off, particularly during Winter, and it is a long time before the group might be rescued. 

The visitors are made up of three men and a woman, and they adapt (or not) to their new surroundings in different ways. The youngest male struggles the most as he just wants to get home and find a wife. He has left too much behind to give up, and cannot see a future where they are, despite being treated very well by all the other inhabitants, and having everything he could desire. The woman appears to relish living there, and both of the older men, also settle in very well. There is a magical atmosphere in the remote community, surrounded by mountains. They have found a way to extend life, giving them time to indulge in the pleasures they enjoy. The isolated community is led by one man, and it soon becomes clear that he is training one of the new visitors to take his place. Eventually, some leave, but the book ends with wonder and mystery. It is a very exciting story, and beautifully written, tempting one to go and look for this wonderful place or just wonder if it actually exists. I really hope it does. I love the idea of being able to extend my life so I have time to read all the books that I want, without the distraction of work. Perhaps I am already. Living in Cornwall, feels a bit like Shangri-La. It just feels like there is time, which is the greatest wealth ever. This book is one of my new treasures, and I shall revisit it again and again.

Happy World Book Day!

Happy World Book Day! What is your favourite book? In my experience this changes regularly, which makes me feel a bit disloyal, but there are so many great tales being told. I tried to think of my favourite, but there isn't just one, so here is a list:

• Red Bird Christmas - Fannie Flagg
• Shadowlands - William Nicholson
• 84 Charing Cross Road - Helene Hanff
• Little Women - Louisa May Alcott
• Blackbird House - Alice Hoffman
• Garden Spells - Sarah Addison Allen
• Inn At The Lake Devine - Elinor Lipman
• Twilight - Stephenie Meyer
• Book Thief - Markus Zusak
• Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone - JK Rowling
• Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon
• The Remains of the Day - Kazuo Ishiguro
• Room With A View - EM Forster
• Death in the Clouds - Agatha Christie
• School at the Chalet - Elinor Brent-Dyer
• Little Grey Rabbit - Alison Uttley
• Asterix in Britain - Uderzo and Goscinny
• Princess Bride - William Goldman
• The Hobbit - JR Tolkien
• Jurassic Park - Michael Crichton

What's your favourite?

Today is the birthday of two great literary legends

"We are not the same persons this year as last; nor are those we love. It is a happy chance if we, changing, continue to love a changed person."

Novelist and playwright, William Somerset Maugham, born in Paris in 1874

"A fond kiss, and then we sever; A farewell, and then forever!"

Scottish poet, Robert Burns born in 1759

The Secret History by Donna Tartt

Donna Tartt was a stolen recommendations and "The Secret History" was the first of her works that I found. The front cover is influenced with the strapline "International bestseller", something that usually I find to be a turn-off. Having said that, The Secret History is in many ways, the perfect read, a compelling, page-turning read with thinking that is impressive, and sometimes profound. It is Crime and Punishment on a remote US campus, our leads doing the wrong things for right(ish) reasons. It is frequently tempting to support what they choose to do.

In some places plot development, as with character changes are convenient, rather than convincing. Further as a man who likes wine, whisky, and cigarettes, the pathological consumption of these throughout the novel disturbed my usually pleasurable (mis)habits.

These failings aside, however, I no longer feel compelled to complete a book once I start it, and that I completed The Secret History means that overall it is a book that I, in my turn, would recommend.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

This was a big surprise which I had picked up on a whim, and I didn't expect it to turn out as it did. "The Perks of Being a Wallflower" by Stephen Chbosky is written from the point of a teenager in an American High School who, as a young child, experienced serious trauma, the accidental death of his favourite aunt, and spent some time in a mental hospital, and then later, his friend commits suicide.

He writes his story in a series of letters to a friend, who unless I missed something is never identified, but was introduced to him as someone who listens. The book covers a school year between 1991 and 1992, which means that there are no mobile phones, Internet, or Facebook, which is really refreshing. He is an awkward teenager, and his psychiatrist encourages him to participate, so he takes the plunge and speaks to someone, Patrick, from his shop class at a football match. There he also meets Patrick's stepsister and falls in love, but as she is older than him, and cares for him deeply, it is as a friend. And so, the wallflower is introduced in a very kind and caring way to the passages of youth; love, drugs, sex, and alcohol.

I found it really beautifully written, very realistic. The characters and their experiences a vividly described together with his confusion and his visible sadness, the real reason for which is unexpected and revealed at the end of the book. While it is a sad story, it is filled with love, promise, and home. It is a good story for teenagers, as an introduction to the real world, and for adults, to help them remember that adolescenthood is the same whatever the era.

The Artist of Disappearance by Anita Desai

I love short story collections. They give you a taste of a writer without having to commit to an entire novel. Having said that I have read Anita Desai's work before, so I was delighted to see "The Artist of Disappearance", her collection of short stories. They are so beautiful and creatively written, not too sweet and not too sour, and just had everything I wanted in a book; wonder, sadness, beauty, surprise, compassion, creativity, believable characters; people you can relate to, wherever you hail from. It is a nice pocket-sized book to carry around with you, and each story of the three stories is charming in its own way.

The first is about a clerk who is invited to look at a collection of artifacts from around the world stored in a former spectacular household in a remote part of India. It is a beautiful story about a mother's love and the hope that her son would return to see what she has done with the treasures he has collected from his travels.

The second story was so thought-provoking, about a woman who took it upon herself to translate some works from a rarely-used Indian dialect, to a more widely accessible language. In doing so, she causes controversy, in a most thought-provoking manner, when all she wants to do is to do is to promote a writer she firmly believes in.

The final story has the sadness and compassion of a tragedy, with the excitement of youth and the modern world. It is about a group of film-makers who want to make a film about the desecration of the lands because of loggers and quarries, and a hermit who has lost everything. As the film-makers make their film, they make a beautiful discovery, and need the co-operation of the hermit, and so continues the tale.

I have not been to India yet, so I cannot confirm how realistic these stories are, but to me, they make me feel that it is a country full of rich characters, beauty, and strong belief. If I am wrong, please educate me by suggesting titles which give a more realistic viewpoint.

Needless to say, our bookshop will stock short stories and other titles by Anita Desai.

Pilchard Books

By Paul Wilmott

Pilchard Books is opening in Mevagissey, Cornwall in Spring 2014. This is a new venture for us. I am a librarian, and my husband is a writer. We met in 2000 over a pile of books, - an antique collection of the Oxford English Dictionary - and continue to share our love of books. We hope you will find this collection of book reviews useful and that you will share your own book experiences and reviews, and of course, we hope you will visit our shop, which is in a beautiful village by the sea. Our plan is to have good books at good prices, for all ages and tastes.