Nagpur Today- It’s a fable of less than a hundred pages, with seagulls as the characters and Jonathan Livingston Seagull (JLS) as the protagonist. The prime concern of most seagulls was to search for food for their survival and flying seemed only a means to an end. But for JLS, flying was his be all and end all. The pursuit of his passion for flying lead JLS to become the black ‘seagull’ (if you will) of the family. The story unfolds on how he is expelled from the flock, follows his dream – learning, practicing, striving for perfection; and finally returns as a paradigm to his brethren.
The book is fast paced and a quick read – an unassuming tale portraying the life we all lead. In our journey of survival, we forget the fiery dreams and ambitions of our youth. We entangle our lives with the mundane efforts of survival and unknowingly bondage ourselves to worldly limitations.
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Saturday 23 Nov. 2024
It has been more than 4 decades since the book was written by American author – Richard Bach, but even today it can rekindle a passion and bring out the Jonathan Livingston Seagull in all of us.
While the content may come across as naïve, the philosophy is certainly timeless. A convinced recommendation to school kids, teenagers and young entrepreneurs for the lucid, simple and subtle manner of inspiring readers to realize their potential and chase their dreams.
With a translation into several languages, including regional languages of India, the book continues to be popular even in this day and age. It also encouraged the making of a motion picture, by the same name, with a soundtrack by Neil Diamond.
Although this book may not be mature enough for an older audience, let this not stop anyone from cashing-in on the lessons to give back to society all that you have learnt, to be true to yourself, to forgive, to expand your horizons and most of all – to love.
No matter how many years later you may pick up the book for another read, there are several thoughts that will inspire you to hone your skills, make best use of your talent and live your dreams.
Sheena Marie D”souza’, ‘Jonathan Livingston Seagull – Review
