Richard Bach, himself a pilot, wrote a short fable about a gull named Jonathan who refuses to treat flying as just a way to find food. He practices dives, spins and ever-faster flight, and the Flock, deeply committed to tradition and survival, banishes him. He then meets older gulls who show that speed and skill are steps toward something larger, and he later returns to teach a group of young outcasts, among them Fletcher, who inherit his methods. The book became a fixture of the 1970s counterculture and mixes aviation, Eastern-leaning spirituality and a plain message about practising your own path.
Think of it as an afternoon read for anyone who wants a gentle push toward perseverance, or who likes allegories where animals stand in for human choices. Readers disillusioned with conformity tend to appreciate its simplicity and brevity.
Inward-looking and contemplative; an easy read.
Best for readers like The Mindful Reader. Which reader are you?
- Published
- 1977
- Publisher
- Rizzoli
- ISBN
- 9788817131629
- Language
- IT
