I just finished reading Elizabeth Gilbert’s memoir Eat Pray Love a couple of weeks ago and I must say that I was impressed at the readability of this book. Gilbert has written it in such a conversational style that I started it one day and next thing I knew it was 3 days later that I was reading the last page. The book is also vivid in its descriptions to the point where the reader can visualize the setting and feel a part of Gilbert’s cultural experiences.
The author wrote this upon returning from her travels abroad post divorce. She chose to divide the book into three sections based on the three countries she lived in over the course of the year. The “eat” section is reference to her stay in Italy. While in Italy, she shares her experiences learning the art of simply enjoying life. She foregoes the traditional Italian architectural and art tourism and spends her time there learning the language, immersing herself in the lifestyle, and eating delicious foods. As she shares this experience, I found myself yearning to eat gelato in the afternoon while writing in a journal at a small bistro. The “pray” section is in reference to Gilbert’s experience at an Ashram in India where she was able to eventually master the art of meditation and the ability to still the mind. This section was probably the least entertaining, but the most informative section. It made me want to learn how to still my own mind through meditation and as most people who know me are aware I have a complete inability to relax so that was a fairly inspirational section of the memoir for me. Finally, the “love” section of the book tells of her time in Indonesia and her rediscovery of allowing herself to love others after her heartbreak. Reading this made me want to place Indonesia, specifically Bali, on my list of places to visit before I die.
Overall, I would recommend this book as one that is both meaningful and entertaining to read. While reading, I was right there with Elizabeth on her journey through self discovery and while I certainly did not experience the journey first hand, I definitely felt as though I was there learning about myself just the same.
The author wrote this upon returning from her travels abroad post divorce. She chose to divide the book into three sections based on the three countries she lived in over the course of the year. The “eat” section is reference to her stay in Italy. While in Italy, she shares her experiences learning the art of simply enjoying life. She foregoes the traditional Italian architectural and art tourism and spends her time there learning the language, immersing herself in the lifestyle, and eating delicious foods. As she shares this experience, I found myself yearning to eat gelato in the afternoon while writing in a journal at a small bistro. The “pray” section is in reference to Gilbert’s experience at an Ashram in India where she was able to eventually master the art of meditation and the ability to still the mind. This section was probably the least entertaining, but the most informative section. It made me want to learn how to still my own mind through meditation and as most people who know me are aware I have a complete inability to relax so that was a fairly inspirational section of the memoir for me. Finally, the “love” section of the book tells of her time in Indonesia and her rediscovery of allowing herself to love others after her heartbreak. Reading this made me want to place Indonesia, specifically Bali, on my list of places to visit before I die.
Overall, I would recommend this book as one that is both meaningful and entertaining to read. While reading, I was right there with Elizabeth on her journey through self discovery and while I certainly did not experience the journey first hand, I definitely felt as though I was there learning about myself just the same.
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