Eat Pray Love

Eat Pray Love is a pretty popular book right now, especially among women. Everywhere I go, especially in the schools, I see women chatting about the book or reading it. Whenever I go to read it in some public place, I have at least one woman stop and ask me what I think of it, and I always get the same response. "It was...alright."

Despite this so-so review I get all the time, a lot of people are reading this book by Elizabeth Gilbert. I can see why it has such an appeal and a following though; she embarks on a spiritual journey to find herself after facing trauma. She visits Italy, India, and Indonesia to center herself and to devote herself to self discovery. Sounds pretty interesting.

I had mixed feelings about it too. I liked the whole I'm-a-writer-and-will-travel bit, seeing as that is my dream, and I liked reading her discoveries on different cultures. That is always appealing to me. I felt that I learned a bit about cultures and even little snipits on a word (like "guru," "gu" meaning darkness and "ru" meaning light; thus, from the darkness into the light). I really enjoyed her time in Italy, but India was a bit dry for me. Indonesia picked up a little, but it wasn't as exciting as the beginning.

Also, the spiritual part of it I found pretty interesting. It makes me want to connect more to spirituality, which isn't always the top notch on my priorities every day. Sometimes I think we do need to just take time out to connect with some higher being. It's worth the time.

"...the appreciation of pleasure can be the anchor of one's humanity" (115). What do you think? Agree/disagree?

In order to find her identity and rid herself of the pains from her past, she clings to and heals herself through indulgence, pleasure, meditation, and religion. Do you think that each person's guide towards happiness or self-discovery is all different? Like, perhaps this works for her, and it might work for others, but everyone needs something different? What would your modes of self-healing be?

At times I was pretty envious because not everyone is as lucky as her to just take off that much time and indulge yourself in different cultures. No one has that financial means or the connections to do so. Sometimes it seemed like she was taking that for granted, but perhaps that's the inner hurt speaking through in low times. We've all been there.

And by the way, I found this on the internet: "Paramount Pictures has snatched up the screen rights to another book, this time Elizabeth Gilbert's "Eat, Pray, Love". Ryan Murphy has already been hired to adapt and direct it as a star vehicle for Julia Roberts, according to Variety." Is this true? What do you think?

Check out a pretty cool review of the book from the New York Times.

Anyway, I was kind of mixed myself, but I don't want to put her down. I think it was well-written, even though I've heard some people don't like her writing voice. I think that this experience worked for her, and that's fabulous. I would write about it too, and if people criticized, then whatever. At least she knows that it was worth it and she was meant to put this out to help and inspire other people.



What did you think of Eat Pray Love? Why?