Illusions II: The Adventures of a Reluctant Student

by Richard Bach

This is the author's account of his near death and recovery from injuries received in the crash of his seaplane, Puff, in 2012.

Genres: Fiction, Philosophy, Spirituality, Inspirational

148 pages, Paperback

Published January 25, 2014

About the author

Since Jonathan Livingston Seagull - which dominated the #1 spot on the New York Times Bestseller List for two consecutive years - Richard Bach has touched millions of people through his humor, wisdom and insight.

With over 60 million copies of his books sold, Richard Bach remains one of the world's most beloved authors. A former USAF fighter pilot, Air Force captain and latter-day barnstorming pilot, Bach continues to be an avid aviator-author, exploring and chronicling the joys and freedom of flying, reporting his findings to readers.

His most recent works include Travels with Puff, which recounts Bach's journey from Florida to Washington state in his small seaplane, Puff, and Illusions II: The Adventures of a Reluctant Student, which incorporates Bach's real-life plane crash.

In October 2014, the never-before-published Part Four to Jonathan Livingston Seagull was published.

Readers can find more about Richard and his work at www.richardbach.com

Reviews

[Réal Laplaine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Richard Bach has inspired me two times in my life - previous to reading Illusions II. In 1973, when I was on the cusp of graduating from high school and trying to decide what to do with my life at a time when my generation was up in arms about what we called "The Establishment" - the status quo, a time when political corruption was at an all-time high, where the Vietnam war was just winding down after ten years, and where we had no real icons or inspiring leaders to shine a light for us, Bach came along with his book Jonathan Livingston Seagull. I read it and I knew where I was going in life. Just over a decade later, steeped in my career, I read his book The Bridge Across Forever - and so inspired by it, I decided that I was going to become a writer. It took me about 25 years before that dream came true and today I am a published author and enjoying the fruits of my imaginative conjurings. Now, having just read Illusions II, I found some more inspiration to add to my treasure. Bach's repeated mantra, "I am a perfect expression of perfect love," at first didn't make sense to me. But as I read on, it started to filter through to me and it turned on another light inside. This book didn't rock my world like JLS did back in the 70s, but then again, my world today is pretty rock-solid compared to the 18 year old of that time who was trying to find a path that made sense. What makes Illusions II so much different and interesting to read is that it is based on actual events that happened to Bach in a near-death incident - something I can relate to. So all in all, I recommend the book for thoughtful readers. If you're looking for a thrill-ride, this book is not for you. If you want inspiration, it's there.

[Gerri Leen · Rating 1 out of 5]

I find Bach's latest works massively disappointing, containing an arrogance on his place in the universe that's mingled with writing grown increasingly less skilled and childlike (and repetitive. I think his new mantra is why say things once when you can say them seventeen times). This novella is the worst so far. Full disclosure: I was a huge fan of Bach's through The Bridge Across Forever, then his work got more and more weird. I also say this as a believer of some pretty wacky ideas of life/death/afterlife/consciousness and all that, so his stuff should be right up my alley. And finally, like so many who saw Bridge as an ideal of some sort for romance--for soulmates--I felt a bit…betrayed, I guess is the right word, certainly disappointed, that he and Leslie Parrish split up. I have no idea why they split up, and it's none of my business why, and yet he made us part of that experience. He made us part of their "we."

And that is a great deal of the problem with his later books for me. Even with his new (much younger) wife, his stories are now so "I" focused. Richard and his ever growing importance to the world--but not this world, to the "real" world, the one where we're not incarnate. (Again, I do believe in reincarnation and a place between lives, but my system has a humility in it--that we are always learning, and by extension often failing--that just doesn't come out in Bach's book). And that's where the arrogance comes in for me, the hero worship he has for himself, and that his characters have for him, it's all a bit nauseating. It was always a little difficult liking this man, but Leslie and her reactions to him mitigated that as things got weirder during Bridge and after. In this story (or halfway through it at least), with only his imaginary conversations (in the hospital after his plane crash) with a main character from the first Illusions, some ferrets, his totaled plane (and that's as far as I got, but I found it telling that his poor new wife figured only slightly and he could barely remember her in some of the scenarios) letting us see him, he's worse than ever. Normally the likeability of the author isn't that key but he's the star of this story/essay, so it is crucial here. I didn't give a crap if he recovered or not, if he rebuilt his plane or not, or why a ferret navy was so important to him (he has a line of children's books about ferrets, apparently?) And if he got one more affirmation about how perfect he was, I was going to huck the Kindle across the room. I love my Kindle, so I did the smart thing and deleted the story half read.

[Shirley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quote
"What the caterpillar calls the end of the world, the master calls a butterfly."

Affirmation
"You're a perfect expression of perfect Love, here and now."

Appeaaling writing style
"Questions settled on me like butterflies."

Right and perfect time/space
Donald Shimoda, the reluctant messiah, returns from the first Illusions novel. "It wasn't as if there had been forty years gone. . .not one day had changed. Something had happened to time."

References to Richard Bach's novels
Jonathan Livingston Seagull
Curious Lives: Adventures from the Ferret Chronicles

Favorite character
Lucky the Sheltie

Favorite chapter - Chapter 7

Healing
"You survived it whole, you learned, you practiced the way our spirit changes the belief of our bodies."
"Is it true for everyone."
"No. It's not true when we're convinced that belief can't change bodies."

Illusions II was borrowed from the Amazon Lending Library.

[Grace Llanos · Rating 5 out of 5]

Couldn't put it down!

I finished the book in two evenings. Great read! After the first Illusions book, I borrowed this one. Love the authors depth of thoughts to physical reality.

[Harry]

It must have been time.

I haven't thought about Richard Bach in years. His work was so inspirational to my teenaged self. I spent a summer's worth of road trips with my family, vaporizing clouds from the backseat. But I must have needed to hear from him again. I won a kindle at a charity function and as soon as I set it up, there was Richard Bach's new book waiting to be read. As a high school teacher, I too feel much like a wolf on stilts (I laughed when I read that, and now I'm using it). I find great wisdom here, but for those looking for more floating screwdrivers, or swimming through land, this is not that.

I rate this book four stars for wisdom, nostalgia, bravery and reverence. it will have a physical place in my lending library (even if I must surrender the whole kindle to share).

Thank you for the re-centering I was unaware that I needed.

[Shahrooz.M · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm a hundred percent sure that even the writer didn't know what he was talking about at some parts. The vampire part was really good.

[Pamela · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read most of Richard Bach's previous books when I was much younger. Like many, I loved the original Illusions. However, I found this book, Illusions II, to be disjointed and at times, incoherent. It is a poor sequel. Maybe out of respect to this previously inspiring writer it deserves another reading by me, because maybe, just maybe, I'm missing something. But I don't think so. The book jumps from one out-of-body or dream sequence to another, then back to the reality of his hospital bed, often to his wife praying over him, then on to the meeting of his beloved long-dead dog who tells Bach he's never left him, to another dream sequence wherein his now destroyed airplane is fully personified and speaking to him; to his flying side by side with his former spiritual teacher, Donald Shimoda (from Illusions). Characters from his other books likewise appear to him, and speak about the reality of their existence in some timeless-space continuum, their existence which would not have existed had he not created them. And so on and so on. Patch-working all these repetitive dreams sequences and actual events together becomes tedious and ultimately impossible. Maybe it's my age and/or intellectual and spiritual development, but reading numerous "New-Age platitudes" got annoying, and seemed dated back to the 1960s, when they were 'new.' I lost interest long before the story ended, and it's not that long a book. I'm not sure what his ultimate message is, other than he recovered from a very serious plane crash, and lived to fly and write again. Of course, I am glad that he did survive. No doubt his near-death experience was meaningful to him. But I wish he had written a memoir that dealt with that event in a tangible, coherent manner which then might have connected with this reader to allow her some insight into his experience. As it stands now, I'm at a loss as to what the message of his story is really all about.

[Ron Charles · Rating 2 out of 5]

Less than two years after he crashed his small plane and almost died, bestselling author Richard Bach is back with an inspirational tale about his miraculous recovery.

“Illusions II” was released Feb. 7 on the Kindle Singles platform ($2.99) as a sequel to his 1977 book, “Illusions.”

In his signature tone of carefully modulated bliss, Bach, now 77, leads us through the mental journey that began Aug. 31, 2012, when he was about to land his single-engine plane at a small airport in Washington State. Forty feet off the ground, his wheels caught on power lines, sending the craft into a fiery crash. Emergency vehicles arrived almost instantly, but Bach remained in a coma for a week with a range of life-threatening injuries.

But that’s not how “Illusions II” begins. Instead, Bach writes, “The landing was perfect, a word I rarely use for my flying. A few minutes before the wheels touched the land, they brushed the tops of the grass, the soft gold whispering.”

This, we later learn, is a dream or an illusion or an alternative reality....

You can read the rest of my review on The Washington Post:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/s...

[MaryAlice · Rating 1 out of 5]

I liked Illusions II: The Adventures of a Reluctant Student, because I often wondered what happened to Richard Bach after his plane crash. His son took away his Facebook account; Google searches brought up no information about his condition.

I should have liked Illusions II due to being advanced age and close to death, yet it did not grab me.

Reading Illusions was a life-altering book. Johnathon Livingston Seagull was quite inspiring. I liked other Bach novels; not crazy about the Ferret & other flying stories. I did not expect more from Illusions II because I read the Goodreads reviews before purchasing it as a gift for my oldest daughter.

Many moons ago when she was in college (in the days before mobile phones,) during a phone call she asked if I knew Richard Bach had a new book published. I lied and said no, secretly laughing. I had bought that book for her for Christmas, read, then wrapped it.

She bought me the same book, confessing on Christmas morning that she read it before she wrapped for me. I confessed my little white lie.

I wish I could have loved Illusions II as much as I did Illusions: The Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah, which I reread year after year, but it could barely hold my attention throughout the novel.

[Jerry Costa · Rating 5 out of 5]

THIS BOOK STORY WAS SOMETHING I NEEDED TO READ

THIS BOOK STORY WAS SOMETHING I NEEDED TO READ

I read the first book illusions,back in the 70's. When I got the kindle I saw it was on here.I didn't know this book existed, I then I would give it a read. You see in 2010I was in an accident,and in a coma for 9 days. I removed in body. I always wondered why I lived. l am still disabled,and can not work. I was always wondering why I lived I suffered for 4years. After reading this I seem to have gotten my answer. I highly recommend this book for anyone,but for someone that was in a coma,this book is a must read

[Somi mhd · Rating 4 out of 5]

من ابراز كامل يك عشق كامل هستم، اينجا و اكنون...هيچ آسيبي دائمي نيست...من از عشق جدا نيستم...

[Cruz Hernandez · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read Illusions about 30 years ago and many times since. I didn't know about this sequel until very recently. It's interesting that the 30 year gap is exactly what I needed to enjoy this sequel properly. It doesn't have the same tone as the first one, but it highlights the theme and asks if you paid attention. It does help if you've read some of his other novels, but it's not absolutely necessary.

[Rob Jones · Rating 3 out of 5]

If we want to end this lifetime higher than we began, we can expect an uphill road.

You are a perfect expression of perfect love, here and now.

Far as I know, beliefs play only one language: illusions. Let illusions go, beliefs vanish.

[Venky · Rating 2 out of 5]

When Richard Bach crashed his sea-plane "Puff" after accidentally coming into contact with some high tension wires, very few in the medical fraternity offered the acclaimed author any hopes of survival. Bach however staged a miraculous recovery waking up from a week long coma and within a short span of time even reconstructed "Puff" to resume his passion - flying!

Illusions II (a sequel to the mind boggling Illusions I) is the result of this violent experience. Though not as riveting and engaging as its predecessor, Bach manages to provoke sufficiently by using a judicious blend of metaphysics and spiritual imagery. Donald Shimoda's effervescent presence is a bonus.

[RunningRed NightBringer · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I was a teenager I was introduced to Illusions. The book had a major impact on my personal philosophy.
I was surprised to find Bach still alive, and had written a sequel. I bought a copy in 2022 and finally sat down to read it.
Illusions was Richard meeting an Advanced Soul and learning lessons about why we're on this world, the nature of reality and causality and all that shit.
Illusions II is about Richard surviving a plane crash in real life in 2012 and trying to process the events of his near-death experience in the framework of his philosophy.

I'll be honest that my opinion of this book is a little tainted from reading some of Richard Bach's biography. Not the sanitized one on his website, but on wikipedia. He was apparently an absentee father and a shitty husband. Despite writing about soulmates, he's been married and divorced four times. And a lawsuit with Leslie Parrish, second wife and alleged soulmate, over rights and residuals to his books.

It does make me wonder if Richard Bach, proponent of the idea that friendships extend beyond spacetime and we're on this planet for a reason, ever went out of his way to help other people. To volunteer his time. To advocate for a cause. Or if he just ignored his kids and went off flying in a plane.

Philosophy wise, there's nothing wrong with that. We're all roleplaying in a world of Illusion. He is free to live his life the way he wishes.
By the same token, I am free to look down on someone who uses "freedom" as a mask for "selfishness" and betrays his readers and philosophy by deliberately lying about the pain he caused his wives and children.

This doesn't diminish the value of Illusions and the lessons I learned. However, while it was one of the first books to help me build my personal philosophy, it was not the last.

So here I am, 40 years later, reading as Richard is using that philosophy to help cope with his accident. And I'm not impressed.
Overtly the book is Richard trying to deal with the accident, being cooped up in a hospital, and getting his plane repaired. He interacts with both friends in the mundane world and characters from his previous books (who may be thoughtforms that just exist on other planes of existence) such as Donald Shimoda (the Advanced Soul from Illusions), his old dog and the Rescue Ferrets. He concludes life is a series of tests and he's not ready to shuffle off this mortal coil yet.

Less overtly the book is Richard avoiding dealing with the accident, refusing to accept the crash was his mistake and refusing to accept the responsibility for the damage caused. A lot of people tell him he's "A perfect expression of perfect Love" including the thoughtforms and Sabryna, who we're told is his wife. Except he divorced her the year before, and as of this writing is on his next wife. There's no mention of his other wives, his kids, any regrets for mistakes in his past. Nope, his life has been perfect, he's indestructible and all this is another test the universe gives that he passes. Hell, from reading it, he cared more about rebuilding the plane than any person in his life.

When repeating "A perfect expression of perfect Love," he never explains what Love is. Like Freedom, it's an emotionally charged word but without context or definition it's meaningless.
There's no...takeaway. No lesson from this story. It's all about Richard. At one point, he asks Donald to speed up his healing so he can get out of the hospital faster. In theory this would be entirely possible for Donald or Richard. Per the first book, imagine yourself healthy and hale, and you will be. There's a handwave of why Donald can't, or won't do this.
Something I've noticed is the books talk about how Richard is entitled to all this love and friendship on this and other planes of existence, but no mention of what love and friendship he sends out into the world. As I mused earlier, when has he ever done selfless acts that benefit someone else? Does he volunteer in his community, give kids with cancer flights in his plane? It's entirely possible he is the most philanthropic person in Washington State. I just can't find mention of it in his books, his website or anywhere online.
One of the positive aspects of Illusions was the debates between Richard and Don. They discussed ideas, provided counterpoints, debated. Here, it doesn't feel like there's any of that. No counterpoints or challenges. At no point does Richard really admit he could be wrong.

As for the book, there are some bright points, like Richard's conversations with Donald Shimoda. I like Donald. He's more real, grounded and to the point. During Richard's self indulgent whining I could feel him look up from the page and say "I know, but there's stuff you put up with cause they're your friends." And his declining to quickly heal Richard despite having Messiah powers felt more like the well-off person who could pay for their friend's meal, but says no cause the friend is a little bit of a mooch and really needs to learn to manage their finances better.

So, after all this venting, do I think this book is worth it? I don't regret buying it. I think there's some interesting points Donald was trying to get through to us, but overall I'm disappointed that Richard really doesn't seem to have learned anything. "Reluctant Student" is an understatement.

If you're a fan of Richard's work, well, you probably already own a copy.
If you're not and just casually interested in some of his work...then you can skip it. Or find a library copy and skim that.

[Joann Kuster · Rating 3 out of 5]

Richard had a love for flying and flew for years without incident. Then he crashed. During his coma and recovery he would talk to characters that I believe were from his past writings.. I never read the other books so I can only guess. He spoke to his plane as well, Puff, and they agreed that they would both be whole again and fly the skies. His will to live and return to his love of flying was the main story line. The Illusions of his characters encouraging him to live.

[R.B.Tomlinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

The illusion of life

Some say this book is not as good as the original. It some ways that is true. However, what I find is that it is written from a different perspective. Illusions was written 40 years ago when Bach was in the prime of his life. Illusions 2 is written from the perspective of a person who has experienced a horrific crash as he is approaching the end of his life. I enjoyed both perspectives.

[Andrew Watson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Those who know me well know of my undying love for the original Illusion, so needless to say I was very excited to receive this for Christmas. While it is not as good as the original it is still very interesting and insightful. We are all perfect expressions of perfect love.

[Joseph Inzirillo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not what I expected for the follow up but a joy to read regardless. Bach is always inspirational.

[MaryM · Rating 1 out of 5]

No no no Mr Bach ... what were you thinking when you named this book 'Illusions II'. It is awful and boring and lacks heart or emotion.

[Mee Too · Rating 3 out of 5]

I see a lot of people were disappointed in their idea of who this writer is/was. Which is the oldest self sabotage in the book. People love to create fictional relationships and then get upset when their imaged connection is not real..lol

I felt this writer was doing the same, he has been preaching a certain way to live, all his life. He imagined a belief system for (HIS) life (not yours. fan-person). Then one day he's looking death in the face and things are different then he imagined. He has to reinvent his stories of reality, by telling more stories, it's what we do. Self-love and belief in self, is all we really got. That and our human ego, which also shined in this story. As if the writer wanted everyone to know all the books he had written and what HE had did for his readers.

In conclusion, none of us know how we will deal with our own mortality when standing in the face of death, no matter what stories we tell ourselves.

3 stars was me being courteous
**all is up for interpretation when it comes to art

[Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

If we want to end this lifetime higher than we began, we can expect an uphill road.

In every disaster, in every blessing, ask, "Why me?" There's a reason, of course, there's an answer.

The world of space, time and appearances can be wonderous beautiful.
Just don't mistake them for real.

What would our loves be like without tests, odds against us, adventure, risk?

How many of us count fictional characters, or those we've never met, among our closest friends?

[NORMAN JAMES LEITE · Rating 5 out of 5]

WE ARE ONE

Never think it will never happen to you. If it does happen and you awake never think no one cares. Even those who you grew to love in fiction stand by you.

A real life and death story that inspires one to go on living. Even those material things that brought you comfort return to do the same.

A quick, enjoyable and inspirational read

[Marie Keates · Rating 5 out of 5]

A long awaited sequel that did not disappoint, although the message was not quite what I expected. As an author, one thing will stay with me, the characters we imagine and write are not fiction. We bring them to life, not only in our minds, but in the minds of our readers. When we close the book, they don’t disappear, they take on lives of their own.

[Joyce · Rating 2 out of 5]

I just don't know what to think of this book.

[Virginia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love is all there is - and this is a story that demonstrates this!

[Aidan Lauzon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Maybe I just got to it too young, but the pondering on death and mortality felt a little difficult to connect to. Maybe it was just different from the first book, so different than I expected.

[Guillaume Keller · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book did not impact me like Illusions did, but it did make me want to learn fly again.

[NAlbertson · Rating 5 out of 5]

. . . ::

a stunning piece of work! The author is marvelously accomplished as a pilot, too, but the best of all is the Spirit he shares to us.

[Robyn G….y · Rating 3 out of 5]

He’s written better. I didn’t enjoy this book as much as I thought I might. Perhaps it’s because I am older and now realise that I have definitely passed this genre of…what can I say…spiritual searching.