Jonathan Livingston Seagull , written by Richard Bach, is a fable in novella form about a seagull learning about life and flight, and a homily about self-perfection. First published in 1970 as " Jonathan Livingston Seagull — a story ", it became a favorite throughout the United States. By the end of 1972, over a million copies were in print, Reader's Digest had published a condensed version, and the book reached the top of the New York Times Best Seller list where it remained for 38 weeks. In 1972 and 1973 the book topped the Publishers Weekly list of bestselling novels in the United States. It is still in print as of 2009.
Plot summary
The book tells the story of Jonathan Livingston Seagull, a seagull who is bored with the daily squabbles over food. Seized by a passion for flight, he pushes himself, learning everything he can about flying, until finally his unwillingness to conform results in his expulsion from his flock. An outcast, he continues to learn, becoming increasingly pleased with his abilities as he leads an idyllic life.
One day, Jonathan is met by two gulls who take him to a "higher plane of existence" (reminiscent of the beliefs of Chinese, in that there is no heaven but a better world found through perfection of knowledge), where he meets other gulls who love to fly. He discovers that his sheer tenacity and desire to learn make him "pretty well a one-in-a-million bird." Jonathan befriends the wisest gull in this new place, named Chiang, who takes him beyond his previous learning, teaching him how to move instantaneously to anywhere else in the Universe. The secret, Chiang says, is to "begin by knowing that you have already arrived..."
Not satisfied with his new life, Jonathan returns to Earth to find others like him, to bring them his learning and to spread his love for flight. His mission is successful, gathering around him others who have been outlawed for not conforming. Ultimately, the very first of his students, Fletcher Lynd Seagull, becomes a teacher in his own right and Jonathan leaves to continue his learning.
Part One
The Part One of the book finds young Jonathan Livingston frustrated with the meaningless materialism and conformity and limitation of the seagull life. He is seized with a passion for flight of all kinds, and his soul soars as he experiments with exhilarating challenges of daring and triumphant aerial feats. Eventually, his lack of conformity to the limited seagull life leads him into conflict with his flock, and they turn their backs on him, casting him out of their society and exiling him. Not deterred by this, Jonathan continues his efforts to reach higher and higher flight goals, finding he is often successful but eventually he can fly no higher. He is then met by two radiant, loving seagulls who explain to him that he has learned much, and that they are there now to teach him more. The flocks follow him and create another flock and he dies.
Part Two
In the second Part, Jonathan transcends into another society where all the gulls enjoy flying. He is only capable of this after practicing hard alone for a long time (described in the first part). In this other society, real respect emerges as a contrast of the coercive force that was keeping the former "Breakfast Flock" together. The learning process, linking the highly experienced teacher and the diligent student, is raised into almost sacred level, suggesting that this may be the true relation between human and God. Because of this, Bach has been described as believing that human and God, regardless of the all immense difference, are sharing something of great importance that can bind them together: "You've got to understand that a seagull is an unlimited idea of freedom, an image of the Great Gull." He realizes that you have to be true to yourself: "you have the freedom to be yourself, your true self, here and now, and nothing can stand in your way".
Part Three
The introduction to the third part of the book is the last words of Jonathan's teacher: "Keep working on love." In this part Jonathan understands that the spirit cannot be really free without the ability to forgive, and that the way to progress leads—for him, at least—through becoming a teacher, not just through working hard as a student. Jonathan returns to the Breakfast Flock to share his newly discovered ideals and the recent tremendous experience, ready for the difficult fight against the current rules of that society. The ability to forgive seems to be a mandatory "passing condition."
"Do you want to fly so much that you will forgive the Flock, and learn, and go back to them one day and work to help them know?" Jonathan asks his first student, Fletcher Lynd Seagull, before getting into any further talks. The idea that the stronger can reach more by leaving the weaker friends behind seems totally rejected.
Hence, love, deserved respect, and forgiveness all seem to be equally important to the freedom from the pressure to obey the rules just because they are commonly accepted.
Critical response
Several early commentators, emphasizing the first Part of the book, see it as part of the US self-help and positive thinking culture, epitomised by Norman Vincent Peale and by the New Thought movement. Some have described it as having Christian-anarchist characteristics. It has also been compared to the children's tale The Little Engine That Could .
But the book is listed as one of 50 'spiritual classics' in a book by Tom Butler-Bowdon, who noted: "It is easy now, 35 years on, to overlook the originality of the book's concept, and though some find it rather naïve, in fact it expresses timeless ideas about human potential"
This book exemplifies the four commonalities of a stoic and/or ascetic spiritual path- the themes repeat and are in sequence: The outcast-the journey- the mentor-and the return to teach others- Some examples of this are Tom Brown (The Tracker- The Quest- The Vision- Grandfather) and Dan Millman-(Way of the Peaceful Warrior) and even Star Wars- Luke Skywalker's journey with Yoda. Skywalker being outcast finds Yoda who teaches him. This circular journey stems from the story of Parzival, the ignorant young boy who becomes a knight, is outcast, finds a mentor, and redeems himself to become the Grail King. In all cases the themes parallel. Jonathan Livingston Seagull exemplifies these four basic themes in the book through redemption and justification of his passion.
Adaptations and appearances in other media
Adaptations in film, dance, music, etc.
- Film: the novella inspired the production of a motion picture of the same title, with a soundtrack by Neil Diamond. The film was made by Hall Bartlett many years before computer-generated effects were available. In order to make seagulls act on cue and perform aerobatics, Mark Smith of Escondido, California built radio-controlled gliders that looked remarkably like real seagulls from a few feet away. Bach was so unimpressed with the treatment of the film that he sued the film company for negligence. Critics blasted the film, calling it "for the birds." Previously only available on VHS, it was released on DVD in October 2007.
- Ballet: A ballet based on Jonathan Livingston Seagull , was choreographed by Ananda Shankar Jayant.
- Audiobook: The Irish actor Richard Harris won a Grammy in 1973 for the audiobook LP Jonathan Livingston Seagull.
- Parody novels:
- Jonathan Segal Chicken (1973, Pinnacle Books, New York) written by Sol Weinstein and Howard Albrechi revolves around a cocky Jewish-American super chicken who flies the coop to New York City and eventually battles Soviet Mikoyan fighters.
- David Lines's Jonathan Livingston Trafalgar Square Pigeon (1998) features a cynical pigeon looking to the London Underground for inspiration.
- Hubert Bermont's Jonathan Livingston Fliegle (1974?) is a take-off on Bach's allegory, narrated by the title character, that features Jewish humor in its text and non-photographic illustrations.
- Parody cartoon:
- One of cartoons from Masyanya series (part 14, cartoon 6) is called Jonathan Khryundelson Sparrow («Воробей по имени Джонатан Хрюндельсон») and shows a sparrow who wanted to learn to swim; finally, he manages to teach swimming his whole flock - but himself.
- Music:
- Estonian composers Olav Ehala, Jaanus Nõgisto & Peeter Volkonski wrote rock opera "Johnny" basing on the novel in 1979.
- Jonathan Seagull is mentioned in the James Gang song "Ride the Wind".
- MC Paul Barman includes a nod to the seagull in his lyrics from "Excuse You" ("I keep it more gully than Jonathan Livingston").
- Canadian singer-songwriter Danny Michel wrote a song about Jonathan Livingston Seagull called "Jonathan Gull" on his 2001 album, In the Belly of a Whale.
- Korean rock group Cherry Filter wrote a song called "Jonathan the Seagull".
- Korean hip-hop artist MC Mong wrote a song, "Jonathan (갈매기의 꿈 )".
- Vancouver indie band The Neins Circa have a song written by Cameron Dilworth called "Jonathan Livingston Seagull" from their 2004 album Sunday Anthems.
- British group Barclay James Harvest wrote a song "Jonathan" on their 1975 album Time Honoured Ghosts
- Australian singer and radio presenter Bob Hudson wrote the satirical narrative song Jonathan Livingston Budgerigar for his 1975 "The Newcastle Song" alb
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