This book was a parting gift and I was eager to devour it as soon as I got it. Through it’s elegantly typeset pages sprinkled with an assortment of pictures, it details the story of Jonathan Livingston, a seagull who finds flying to be more than a means to an end.
The story follows the predictable arc wherein the rookie who finds an inalienable truth gets ostracized and excommunicated for it. Later, after traveling wide and far and having reached uber level greatness, he returns to extol his wisdom to the blind masses in a more digestible form, enlightening them about the possibilities that lie beyond.
The writing is simple and direct, and speaks to you in a way so few stories do. I thoroughly enjoyed the first few chapters which revolved around JL’s journey of self discovery, about pushing the limits of aerial flight and transcending beyond the limitations of the material world. The later chapters feel a little hand-wavy with truth and oneness being thrown around to bring about an air of unfathomable wisdom.
What truly fascinated me was the final chapter. This details how JL’s teachings transformed the lives of the normal gulls. The author has beautifully portrayed the crippling effects of misunderstanding and maniacal obsession at a mass scale, a true representation of how the medium gets mistaken for the message.
This is one of those books that’ll appeal to you if you’re in the right state of mind. Read this if you’re interested in relating to a story about pursuing something for the sheer sake of it, not as a means to an end, and also if you’re interested in understanding why it might be difficult to spread this enlightenment to the broader masses.