Jonathan Livingston Seagull: A Soaring Story of a Seagull’s Self-Actualization

It’s not everyday you are taken through a seagull’s spiritual journey to enlightenment.

Jonathan Livingston Seagull is a 1970 short story, written by Richard Bach, which follows the titular character through his life as an Outcast of the flock, for his desire to want to learn more about his abilities as a seagull and to find more meaning in life, other than eating and sleeping.

This is a very simply written book that can speak to anyone who is a bit of an outcast compared to everyone around them. Even though this story is strictly about seagulls, it is a metaphor for human behaviour. In its few pages, it is able to describe how it is to be different and always looked down upon for not being like everybody else.

And in its few pages, it is able to (in an extremely symbolic and metaphorical fashion) express why anyone should embrace the things that make them different from everyone else. Jonathan’s journey through various forms of being are not only literal advances in his life. They are a result of him choosing to be different, and choosing to be better.

A child may not fully be able to connect with everything in the story, but any child that needs something to help them embrace their difference should read this book. I’m not even a child (well, officially, at least) and I was incredibly moved by the story’s message. It is short and a very quick read, but in its limited page count lies unlimited value.

On a scale where M is the lowest and R is the highest possible rating, with the highlighted letter being the rating:

Jonathan Livingston Seagull: MIHIR