Sometimes I do this really geeky thing when I really like a book, where I'll do an Amazon search on it, and then make a list of 20 books. I take the first one from the 'Customers who bought this also bought' list of the first book, the second one from the list of that book and on and on until I have 20. Eat, Pray, Love is one of those book that made me want to read lots of other books like it. It also made me want to eat lots, cook lots, learn to meditate, take up yoga, and live in an ashram, as well as reinforcing my feelings that it's probably time for a major lifestyle change.
Eat, Pray, Love (for those who don't know) is about Elizabeth Gilbert, and her journey of self-discovery following her divorce. She goes to Rome, purely because she wants to learn to speak Italian, and to eat, India, where she lives on an ashram and learns a lot about herself, and Indonesia, where she makes a lot of friends, and falls in love. I've wanted to read this book for a while, and am waiting on lovefilm to send me the movie, so it can be part of my Page to Screen challenge.
I was absorbed by the descriptive power of the book, and by the depth of experience contained in the story. As someone who was brought up Catholic, and currently considers themself a Christian without denomination (we've lately been attending the Baptist church, as it has the most people in our new area!), I was impressed by the sincerity of Gilbert's quest for a relationship with God, and recognised in it something I'm after myself.
Back before I got engaged, I was in the middle of planning this big (imaginary) word trip, and Italy and India were two of the countries that I really wanted to visit. I was never that excited to go to Indonesia before, but having read so much about it recently, and having a friend who recently went there and loved it, I may be changing my mind.
The major thing to adore about Eat, Pray, Love, is the fact that it made me want to travel again - in fact I've already started to delve back into travel writing with a vengeance! :-)
Rating: *****
It was a well written book, wasn't it? Taking a year off to travel would be a fabulous way to reinvent oneself.
ReplyDeleteI LOVED this book. Although I read some criticism of it saying it was too self-focussed, I argue that that was the whole point. She didn't start the book claiming she was going to reach for world peace or save the starving kids. She stated that this was a year for her and - why not? If you won't do it for yourself, no-one else is going to do it for you.
ReplyDeleteI loved her pursuit for God too. I'm still trying to figure out who/what God is and reading this helped me realise that I really wasn't alone on that quest.
Great review! Thanks.
Thanks. I think it's funny that people accuse this of being too self-focused, when the subtitle is 'one woman's search for everything'...it's right there in the title,what else did they expect??
ReplyDeleteI have always thought this book sounded a bit tacky, but I have downloaded it to my kindle after reading your review!
ReplyDeleteI know what you mean about wanting to travel. I haven't been out of the country for almost two years because of money issues so I'm so excited about planning our honeymoon (we're going on an American road trip).
I'm glad you enjoyed Half of a Yellow Sun too. I thought it was a wonderful book.
I've been hesitant to pick this up because of all the hype, but it does sound interesting from your review.
ReplyDeleteThat is SUCH a geeky thing to do. I will steal your idea... being a geek...
ReplyDeletehttp://inknchai.blogspot.com/
I think that sometimes, being a geek is definitely the way to go!
ReplyDelete