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Title: How does Hilton do it? Magic? I can't figure out why his books are so moving.
Review: Not Hilton's best, but still somehow a gem.An aimless Englishman poses as a peasant in Revolutionary Russia, & subsequently tries to wander his way back to Western Europe, discovering on the way something more important: a reason to live--but too late?Despite these problems:1) the plot, as the travelers, wander terribly,2) the supporting characters are usually either stock or flat,3) the 'suspense' usually fails, as event turns are often predictable,4) slow start; unsatisfying ending.the story still somehow works, and works well!I just don't get it. Hilton violates cardinal rules of a good novel and still somehow turns out a work that wrenches my frozen heart.Must be something in the manner of the telling.If you like this story, you'll love Hilton'sRandom Harvest, or his more famousLost Horizon: A Novel(BTW, in both cases, avoid the movies --terrible, terrible flops!)
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