My Rating: 5/5
Pages 331 • Speed: Slow but captivating
Subject: Biography & Travel
After an overwhelming bout with depression and divorce, eloquent writer Elizabeth Gilbert leaves her New York life behind to take a year-long journey to find herself. In some of the most intriguing parts of the world-Italy, India and Indonesia-Gilbert spends four months in each place and the reader gets to piggy-back for the ride. This real-life travel memoir gives a step-by step eccentric yet hilarious account of her search; destination-a balance between worldly pleasure and spiritual harmony. In Italy she learns that, to speak Italian, you "say it like you eat it," since there all of life revolves around food. In India (where they say, "Congratulations to meet you") she finds her initially grueling Yogic path to inner peace. In Bali, Indonesia she claims the joys of contentment and love and makes a roadmap of overcoming obstacles and regret. The people and events are described so vividly, you feel you're experiencing the moments along with her, or at least watching the movie (which comes out this August starring Julia Roberts). Told through witty vocabulary and captivating descriptions, each site's history and culture is an intellectual bonus. Her journey's spiritual depth is filled with humorous honesty and self-deprecation. By the time you put this book down, you feel like you and Elizabeth Gilbert are personal friends, knowing all her deepest fears and greatest triumphs. I can't wait to read her sequel Committed: A Skeptic Makes Peace with Marriage.
Get it here.
Great review! (although I already knew you liked the book :)
ReplyDeleteJen, I got to say at first I loved this book, I loved reading about her travels and some of her immagery. I was inspired to 'find myself'. However, the more I thought about it I was bothered with Gilbert. She really is subtly critical of Motherhood, (feminism at its finest) and in my opinion it makes her look immature. I ended up concluding that she is ultimately self centered and not because she doesn't have children, but more for how she lives her life and deals with her problems, very 'me, me, me' attitude. Harsh?
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