Jonathan Livingston Seagull: A Story

Cannot recommend this enough!

This is a simpler reading level, however the message is always so beautiful. I first read this in 6th or 7th grade and it gave me peace. I was tease a lot during school and this story and it's message provided encouragement to follow who you are. Amazing book.

Okay, I'll be honest. At first, I was kinda turned off when I found out that Jonathan was a gull. I don't have anything against gulls, but I thought it was going to be a story about a *person*, so when I learned he was a gull, my expectations went down. *sweatdrop* But please read on. Another thing that nearly cost this book its 5-star review by moi was the fact that it lulled me to sleep. Not necessarily because the *story* was boring--it was just that the smooth prose and the calm, soothing feeling it evoked lulled me to sleep. I first picked up this book about half an hour before going to sleep, so you can just imagine how sleepy I got even before my time. -_-;But I didn't give up on this book. Jon's character... saved me, I guess. Even though he was a *gull*, his personality (er... gullity? ^_^ ^_^ ^_^) was remarkably human. I really liked him as a character, and I remembered how much I enjoyed reading "Illusions", so I decided to continue reading. And that was when I finally found delight in the piece. The story seems simple enough, but its central message is advice that I think people are most desperate for in this new age. Kinda like a modern-day Gospel or something, except this one is much more refreshing to read, and much more relevant. Which isn't to diss the original Gospels or anything. But those Gospels were intended for ancient peoples of long ago. *This* one is for now, for the moment, and that is what I feel matters most. Like "Illusions", this story will inspire you. And if you're the type who looks to books more for the story than for anything else the book may tell you, you'll find this an equally satisfying piece of prose. The writing style is fluid and easily understandable, and has a poignant beauty in its simplicity as well, and you'll find scenes that are amusing (there's one amusing scene that I doubt I'll forget in a long time ^^) and touching and inspiring. Just a few suggestions for new readers:1. Don't read this before going to bed (unless you're sure you won't let the warm, serene feeling lull you to sleep) 2. Look at the pictures (too bad they weren't colored, or I would have spent more time looking at them) 3. Don't rush. 4. If possible, get "Illusions", too, written by the same author. This concludes my review. I hope this helped, and I hope you enjoy your experience of "Jonathan Livingston Seagull" as I did.

If there is anything that this book teaches, it is that we have the ability to change reality with the power of our own thoughts. This is one of those books that no matter how many times I read it, will never fail to amaze me. It's the kind of book that leaves you speechless, unable to do anything but think, and wonder. Presented in the form of a charming parable about a seagull's education in flight, Jonathan Livingston Seagull is about far more than the life of one seagull. It is about each and every one of us, struggling to find the answers, to reach something higher that we are not even yet aware of. We are all a little bit like Jonathan, and when we read Bach's story, we realize that we all have the same power inside. That we can do anything, be anything that we want, if only we can believe in ourselves. Bach's message is a powerful and timeless one that stretches across all barriers to reveal the simple truth that we all, at one time or another in our lives, knew: the most powerful force that exists is that of belief, especially in ourselves. I can't tell you exactly why you need to read this book. It's not about something as simple as plot or writing style. There is a rare magic in the words that cannot be conveyed by any other means than the experience of reading the book. All I can say is that once you read this book, you will understand.

He made me eager to yearn for learning and reaching my limit of learning. It is important for one to know his limits in order to improve them. Bach made me able to stretch my mind and to know my capabilities within some activities. It is not life that is unfair. It is us who are unfair to ourselves. We limit our potential to what is tangible, realistic and reachable. It is the fear of failure. The fear of disappointment. If we manage to break these limits, we impose on our ambitions and capabilities, we will reach a higher level of life. We will know what is the real life we really want to live. By exploring what we don not know, we can learn new things and actually realize who we really are. We can't be parts of others who we know. We will be parts of people we want to acquire parts from. he idea of perfection is too far from our thoughts. Perfection, like any other thing is there. We just need to go up and find it. Find the perfection that we are looking for in ourselves, not the one, others are looking for in us.