Jonathan Livingston Seagull - Richard Bach

I said I would not dare to write a book review. Like Jonathan I have dared, and can only hope that to a small degree I have succeeded. I'm sure you'll let me know if I should go back to dogs and yoghurt. :-) When a way of life has always been; when the limitations of a culture have been accepted as the norm by all the generations before, change is feared. The rare being born with the vision to see what could be possible and the faith to act on his beliefs is a heretic. This is a story of one such being, whose courage turned impossible dreams into reality, even though the penalty was to be the utter loneliness of the outcast. Richard Bach ...  Read the complete review

This book travels with me whenever I go off to work overseas and in fact at this moment is sitting on a Greek island awaiting my return next summer. I first read it over 20 years ago, have read it many times since and it never loses its magic for me! Being a bit of a nomad and a free spirit, I have worked abroad quite often over the years and have read Jonathan in various locations. The best spot of all was when I was living in the Algarve and found a secret 'retreat' where I could enjoy peace, quiet and contemplation. It was on a ledge at the top of a cliff (quite a wide ledge!!) looking out to sea, hearing the waves crashing against the rocks ...  Read the complete review

Jonathan Livingston Seagull is simultaneously simple and profound. Only 90 - odd pages long, yet Bach has managed to create a powerful message. He opens up doors to his readers, which they are able to walk through long after they have finished reading. This book is about life and wonderment, questions and revelations, curiosity and stiving for knowledge. Also important to the overall 'atmosphere' is the question of physical and imaginary barriers...philosophy which everyone can (if they are willing) apply to their own lives. Bach is successful in making each one of his readers feel as though he has written this especially for THEM, the individual. J L ...  Read the complete review

I first read JLS when I was about 14 or 15 years old. It was on the recommendation of a friend that I got to hear of it. He said it was one of the most awe inspiring books he had ever come across. Well as I was always out to prove him wrong it decided to read it. At that age I seldom read at all, but I managed to read the whole book in one day. It really did change my perception of everything. It also gave me the will to go out and try things that I might not have ever considred. It is a short book, but I would encourage everyone to read it. It is espcially good if you are feeling low or are not "one of the crowd." ...  Read the complete review

This little book (it's not very long) will really make you think. It's uplifting and inspiring, yet so very simple. Jonathan Livingston Seagull doesn't want to be confined by other people's rules. He knows there are rules about flying and that they are there for safety reasons but he is determined to break the barriers. He's not one of the crowd as he soars higher than anyone would ever think possible. He pushes and pushes until he realizes he has flown higher and better than any other seagull has ever done before. He's done it all by determination and he can do no more. The actual text is sensitively written ...  Read the complete review