Jonathon Livingston Seagull

[tombaron]

Just read it. Amazing book, should be compulsory in schools. Anybody else read it?

[tomtom]

A long time ago, yes. Can't really remember it.

[littleowl]

Vaguely remember being force-read it at school when I was about eleven. Not impressed. And then the teacher inisisted on bringing in and playing the movie soundtrack album to the entire class....not good......

[tombaron]

littleowl said:

Vaguely remember being force-read it at school when I was about eleven. Not impressed. And then the teacher inisisted on bringing in and playing the movie soundtrack album to the entire class....not good......

Ok, must admit many a great work gets spoiled HAVING to read it a school.

[littleowl]

True. The teacher was a bit over-enthusiastic. I don't actually remember THAT much about the book, but the soundtrack was pants...some electronic synth crud supposed to represent when the seagull was 'experimenting with flight'.....and some bloke repeating 'Dear father' over and over......

[simpo two]

It's the bible. You don't need anything else. Awesome simplicity. In fact, too simple for many people to really understand.

I watch these 'christians' stumbling about getting confused with their 2,000 year old, 400-page tome of badly-remembered short stories...

[morrisman]

simpo two said:

It's the bible. You don't need anything else. Awesome simplicity. In fact, too simple for many people to really understand. I watch these 'christians' stumbling about getting confused with their 2,000 year old, 400-page tome of badly-remembered short stories...

I read it at school. And I also read Julius Ceaser, Lord of the Flies and several other important tomes. I was also force fed what they really meant, what the author was really trying to say in his story. And I hated it.

Also got force fed religion, the bible, and all, and that was the biggest crock of hypocritical and phantasmagorical $hite I EVER read.

[planetdave]

JLS is kiddy fare. There is a follow-up but the one that is really good is his third - Illusions.

Essentially it's about how to become a higher being. It's still a bit 70's but he's grown up a lot since JLS.

[Eric Mc]

Try reading Richard Bachs books on flying. He is an avid private pilot and an ex USAF F-84 Jockey so he knows what he's talking about.

[Pigeon]

Circles in the sky
White as paper fly
Sound of seagulls crying fills the air
High above the lonely one is there
Jonathan he cares
To feel better

Like the passing wind
Swooping down again
Waitin' for the sun to turn to night
Find him miles away in endless flight
Longing to be free
Telling you and me

Give me wings to fly
Tell me why, tell me why
The answer must be heard
And from a lonely bird
He's giving us a reason to believe

See the painted silver sunlight on his wing
As he sails upon the wind and slowly skyward
Flying as to music you can hear him sing
Like the windsong on the breeze he seems to sigh

Give me wings to fly
Tell me why, tell me why
The answer must be heard
And from a lonely bird
He's showing us the way we can be free

[toolsnstuff-couk]

tombaron said:

Just read it. Amazing book, should be compulsory in schools. Anybody else read it?

The Film is quite good aswell

[james s]

Another vote for Illusions - fantastic book. Those that follow are good but in my view lack the brilliance of this one

[Jay GTI]

I LOVED that book when I was a kid!!!

It's been 25 years since I read it though, might not find it so great now.

[Egbert Nobacon]

tombaron said:

Just read it. Amazing book, should be compulsory in schools. Anybody else read it?

Yep, cracking book - just dug out my copy to read again !

[tonyvid]

Funnily enough, I have had the man flu and got demoted to the spare bedroom and JLS caught my eye in the book rack. I must read it again - I read it so many times as a kid it is a bit threadbare but I loved it.

[Yugguy]

"Jonathan Seagull
taught me to fly,
but the father and husband
shot down by the Catcher in the Rye."

Who sang that then?

[catretriever]

Yep, great book.

Would recommend 'Illusions' and 'The Bridge Across Forever' as follow up reading

[Vallejo]

tombaron said:

Just read it. Amazing book, should be compulsory in schools. Anybody else read it?

Picked it up in a book shop and read it while I was there, long time ago though. Very good book.

[stone]

An excellent book that I had forgotten all about. May have to dig it out this evening

[bga]

I had to read it as a kid but didn't really get it. Picked it up a couple of years ago & it's a great piece of writing.