reviews

Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert

This book came to me on a day when it was on my mind...A friend mentioned that she had just read a book and this is the book I thought she was going to say...Not the one she was thinking of at that moment...But then she went on to mention that someone had lent her a book and yes it was "Eat Pray Love" by Elizabeth Gilbert.

That afternoon I sat down to watch Oprah...not sure why as the woman irritates me to no end...and guess who was on the show...Elizabeth Gilbert. Too many coincidences in one day...It was then that I thought there was a reason I needed to read this book.

I watched the first 15 minutes and spent the next half hour reading. I really was more interested in finding what Oprah's audience was so enraptured by. I then watched the last 15 minutes of the show.

It was the last 15 minutes of Oprah that changed my whole view on this book.

Julia Roberts is scheduled to play the role of Elizabeth Gilbert in the movie version of the book. As if that isn't bad enough, Gilbert funded her trip on the book that was to be written during her travels. What choice did Gilbert have?

I have no doubt that Gilbert was in a bad state after an ugly divorce and that she proceeded to travel to Italy for the pursuit of pleasure...namely eating, India for spiritual insight and Indonesia for love. But how many of her experiences really happened and how many were put ons for the book?

Besides all of that, so many of Gilbert's pages are filled with facts that can be easily accessed by anyone with any interest or desire to do so. The meaning of Sanskrit words, the origin of Western guilt...blah, blah, blah... Gilbert's original thought or ideas would probably amount to about twenty pages. In other words, the whole thing lacks any insight or depth into spirituality or religion.

Oprah's audience talked about how the book changed their lives...some even travelled to find the characters that Gilbert was so fortunate to meet. Whacked!!!!!

Frankly, travel in itself is a spiritual journey. Each trip is unique on its own and cannot be replicated no matter how hard one tries...believe me I have tried...Travel will introduce one to a whole slew of characters...all of whom will share insight about themselves and those they encounter.

I find it hard to believe that before this book, Oprah's audience never had to make a difficult decision or make drastic changes in their lives and then survived it. What the hell did they do before this book was published?

The book is interesting and makes me yearn for the road. However, I don't yearn to replicate Gilbert's experiences as this is to each their own. As many before me have, I've made hard decisions and survived long before Gilbert came along with her so-called wisdom.

posted by reviewer @ 12:59 AM