Jonathan Livingston Seagull: A Story - Softcover

Bach, Richard

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0380012863 ISBN 13: 9780380012862

Publisher: Avon Books, 1973

Because he spends so much time perfecting his flying form instead of concentrating on getting food, a seagull is ostracized by the rest of the flock. Reissue.

Review:

"Most gulls don't bother to learn more than the simplest facts of flight--how to get from shore to food and back again," writes author Richard Bach in this allegory about a unique bird named Jonathan Livingston Seagull. "For most gulls it is not flying that matters, but eating. For this gull, though, it was not eating that mattered, but flight." Flight is indeed the metaphor that makes the story soar. Ultimately this is a fable about the importance of seeking a higher purpose in life, even if your flock, tribe, or neighborhood finds your ambition threatening. (At one point our beloved gull is even banished from his flock.) By not compromising his higher vision, Jonathan gets the ultimate payoff: transcendence. Ultimately, he learns the meaning of love and kindness. The dreamy seagull photographs by Russell Munson provide just the right illustrations--although the overall packaging does seem a bit dated (keep in mind that it was first published in 1970). Nonetheless, this is a spirituality classic, and an especially engaging parable for adolescents. --Gail Hudson

About the Author:

Richard Bach is the author of Stranger to the Ground, Biplane, Nothing by Chance, Jonathan Livingston Seagull, A Gift of Wings, Illusions, There's No Such Place as Far Away, The Bridge Across Forever, One and Running From Safety. Richard and Leslie Parrish-Bach can sometimes be found on a hillside overlooking the western shores of cyberspace. On CompuServe, type Go Newage to visit.