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Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman's Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia |  | Author: Elizabeth Gilbert
Publisher: Penguin (Non-Classics)
Category: Book
List Price: $15.00
Buy Used: $0.01
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Seller: goodwillnyonline
Rating:  2032 reviews
Sales Rank: 158
Media: Paperback
Edition: Later Printing
Pages: 352
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.7
Dimensions (in): 8.4 x 5.5 x 0.9
ISBN: 0143038419
Dewey Decimal Number: 910.4
EAN: 9780143038412
ASIN: 0143038419
Publication Date: January 30, 2007
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Features:
| • | ISBN13: 9780143038412 | | • | Condition: NEW | | • | Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark. |
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Product Description
This beautifully written, heartfelt memoir touched a nerve among both readers and reviewers. Elizabeth Gilbert tells how she made the difficult choice to leave behind all the trappings of modern American success (marriage, house in the country, career) and find, instead, what she truly wanted from life. Setting out for a year to study three different aspects of her nature amid three different cultures, Gilbert explored the art of pleasure in Italy and the art of devotion in India, and then a balance between the two on the Indonesian island of Bali. By turns rapturous and rueful, this wise and funny author (whom Booklist calls "Anne LamottÂ’s hip, yoga- practicing, footloose younger sister") is poised to garner yet more adoring fans.
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| Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 1-5 of 2032
 A lovely, lovely find... October 12, 2006
K. Walters (Washington, DC USA)
140 out of 175 found this review helpful
I heard this book discussed briefly earlier this year on the Today Show and decided to order it since, at the time, I was in the throws of my own divorce. Ms. Gilbert chronicles her international journey of self-discovery with such amazing detail and tenderness and humor that I recommend this book to anyone who has found him or herself in a place or state that he or she would like to change or leave (I imagine, that's everyone!). The story is engrossing and the writing is skillful. I couldn't put it down, and I feel more empowered to follow my own dreams and heart after finishing the book. That's 5-star material if I've ever seen it.
Even in my underpants I can feel it May 19, 2008
kaioatey (Awatovi, AZ)
38 out of 46 found this review helpful
Liz Gilbert almost got me. As she starts her Italian adventure I was preparing myself for a pulpy read with easy (and possibly undeserved) laughs. And before that, the Amazon reviews almost scared me away. Boy, what a mistake that'd be! This is a spiritual book in the true sense of the word. Although I kept laughing throughout the book, its simplicity is deceptive. Between the lines, Gilbert is about so much more: vitality, coming into one's own, creating reality and matching the soul's aspirations to the delicious unpredictability of life.
After divorcing her husband (who is portrayed rather unflatteringly as a greedy and vindictive sob) the author decamps for the fountains of Rome where she makes great friends, samples excellent food and learns about the pleasure of dolce far niente from the world's masters in this important art. Here is a quote from Liz's book on why Italy, which has produced some of the greatest artistic, political and scientific minds of all ages, has never become a major world power: The Italian history of corruption by local leaders (a la Mussolini and Berlusconi) and exploitation by foreign dominators [France, Austria, Spain etc]
"has led Italians to draw the seemingly accurate conclusion that nobody and nothing in this world can be trusted. Because the world is so corrupted and unfair, one should trust only what one can experience with one's one senses, and THIS makes senses stronger in Italy than anywhere in Europe. This is why Italians will tolerate hideously incompetent generals, presidents, tyrants, professors, journalists and captains of industry but will never tolerate incompetent opera singers, conductors, ballerinas, courtesans, actors, cooks and tailors. Sometimes only beauty can be trusted. Only artistic excellence is incorruptible. Pleasure cannot be bargained down. And sometimes the meal is the only currency that is real."
This book is essentially revolving about beauty - of friendship, inner life, good taste (and food) and, not least, the ever elusive bounty that is bestowed by a life that is lived well.
In India Liz stays in a celebrity ashram north of Bombay where she has a couple of transcendent experiences whereas in Bali she befriends locals in the beautiful town of Ubud. In fact, her capacity for friendship - the genius of it - together with the honest and unflinching ability to face herself is something that I found very cool. So what if she has bad taste when it comes to men? To me, her naivete in all things male is simply a (n attractive) measure of her femininity and humanness. In any case, Liz's description of finding her inner strength is better than those of most self-styled guru and self-help "authority" out there, including by the controversial Gurumayi herself.
As I started to write my review in here i was kinda surprised (actually i wasn;t surprised at all) how violently some people react to the book. There is some real vitriol here, doubtlessly reflecting the (very real) American horror of idleness and pleasure, of decoupling from the "productive" life of the hive. There seem to be many, oh so many, envious and unfulfilled divorcees out there. To me it seems that many reviewers can't decide whether they are more insulted by Liz's snub of Puritan ethics or her hedonic streak, glamor (the bit of it that seeps between the lines) and courage to end a suffocating marriage. I imagine the very idea of spending a year "finding oneself" is anathema to the hard working hoi polloi. Yet - what else matters in this vale of tears?
A second set of reviewers is responding with a weary "been there done that" (lived amongst the Afghans and the Okies, spent time in ashrams, etc, haha) - never realizing that is the *spirit* of the author, her natural inclination to befriend her fellow humans and not to be better than they are, that represents a main draw of the book.
Is it true that one can live one's life in an ever expanding circle of vitality and joy? Liz Gilbert gives us a resounding YES. So what if she was paid to write about herself - this is what travel writers do for living. Having had my share of humbling and uplifting experiences I know for sure that she is not faking anything - her spiritual insights are the real deal. In my mind, she provides us with a XXI century (US) version of Lawrence Durrell's travelogues - only more light-hearted, self-deprecating and courageous. Bravissima!
eat, pray, love March 17, 2008
Story Circle Book Reviews (www.storycirclebookreviews.org)
9 out of 9 found this review helpful
Elizabeth Gilbert had me in her clutches within the first few pages of this book. She is witty; she is smart; she cares deeply; and she is honest. Not only that, she is a fine writer.
After a painful and guilt ridden divorce and a passionately dysfunctional relationship, Gilbert determines that, in the next year of her life, she will follow her passions, one at a time. She calls her Italian stint "the Pursuit of Pleasure," and much of that pleasure is learning the beautiful language of the poet and eating, much eating. Gelato for breakfast? Why not? While indulging herself after American disasters with men, she begins to rediscover her own true self.
From Italy, she heads to an ashram for six weeks of meditation and spiritual cleansing. No more gelato for breakfast. Initially, she finds it difficult to keep to her path; however, her own tenacity (along with some new friendships) keeps her on track and moving deeper and deeper into her center. Some of her descriptions of her process and her distractions drew me into the ashram beside her. Sometimes I wanted to help her and sometimes I wanted to be her. Sometimes, I wanted to tell her, "Let go already!" The initial six weeks expanded into four months.
Then, she reaches Indonesia, answering a vague invitation, several years old, from an elder healer in a small village. Gilbert has fed her body, she has fed her spirit, and it is time to balance by feeding her heart. The old healer does remember her, after some prompting, and she begins spending her afternoons with him. Bali is paradise.
Every morning around sunrise there is a tropical birdsong competition, and it's always a ten-way tie for the championship. When the sun comes out the place quiets down and the butterflies get to work. The whole house is covered with vines; I feel like any day it will disappear into the foliage completely and I will disappear with it and become a jungle flower myself. The rent is less than what I used to pay in New York City for taxi fare every month.
Best of all, Gilbert learns that she can trust herself and another enough to have a serious relationship. Eat, Pray, Love is a delicious book.
by Judith Helburn
for Story Circle Book Reviews
reviewing books by, for, and about women
kept me laughing & left me inspired April 11, 2008
K. Betcher (Chicago, IL)
8 out of 8 found this review helpful
I absolutely love this book & had so much fun reading it. Liz Gilbert's writing is so charming & entertaining. I loved the honesty about her personal life & all her little neurosis. And as much as the book made me laugh, it also gave me some real little nuggets of wisdom along the way. Her adventures reminded me why I love to travel & inspired me to get out there & embrace the free spirit that lives inside me.
Not really narcissistic... August 11, 2009
Ms. On Chapman (usa)
11 out of 12 found this review helpful
A lot of people have criticized this book for being too self-absorbed and narcissistic. But we are all self-absorbed, particularly in America. I think the book grabs at this 'modern condition' with a self-deprecating honesty, and is not afraid to lay its own self-absorption out on the table for all to see--which is, when you think about it, a brave thing to do. It's not easy to admit that you are depressed, self-critical, etc. etc. due to the very fear that people WILL think you are self-absorbed. But let's face it, we (nearly) all are. To me, this is what makes the book so enjoyable. I could secretly identify with many of the author's trials and tribulations...her spooling, anxiety-ridden mind reminded me a lot of my own. I could also identify with her fear of having children, especially given society's expectations. How brave to leave all that behind! Some might say, self-indulgent. But how many of us have secretly wished to do something similar, but been too afraid?
A lot of this book is focused on God. Although I couldn't really identify with this quest for God, being agnostic myself, I could certainly identify with Gilbert's quest for self-acceptance. In the book, the two are closely tied hand in hand. I have no problem with spiritualism etc. so long as it's religion for peaceful reasons. Having once been an athiest, I feel as I am getting older that I can be more open to other ideas, even spiritual ideas. And again, spiritualism is often criticized as being 'New Agey' and self-indulgent. But really, spiritualism is an attempt to open yourself up to others, and abandon the ego. It seems ironic that those who wish to do this often have too big an ego, but it makes sense too. Hampered by a too-dominant ego (again, not necessarily a bad thing), we clutch at those moments where we can give the self up to something bigger than ourselves (hence the American need for self-help, therapy, new-agey stuff etc.) For the author, that 'something' is God. But there's nothing wrong, I think, in this questing. For one person, it's Reiki, for another it's stocks and shares. We're all really after the same thing, in different ways. Why are we so quick to dismiss others for their beliefs/interests? (I get tons of stick for being vegetarian!).
What I found most admirable about the author was her ability for quickly and easily 'settling in' to her new environments, making friends, and treating them non-judgementally. Also, I don't think a narcissistic person would really be as empathic as the book proves that she is. Narcissists don't care about others, and are not sympathetic. This is evidently the opposite of Elizabeth Gilbert's personality- if anything, she cares too much about others and cannot detach herself from them.
My only reservation, as one reader already commented, was the lack of engagement with the 'real' Italy or India...the poorer side. But this was not intended to be a travel book so much as a self-discovery book...in this sense, she had no duty to explore that side of things, just as tourists don't. Let's face it, if we're trying to get over depression and misery, as she was, would we thrust ourselves into a depressing milieu?
One of my favorite things about the book is that it underscores the fact that life is a PERSONAL journey. We can't rely on self-help books, special diets, exercise routines, dogma etc. to make us happy. Each person needs different things, and should take different things...there's no set formula, or 'how to' for happiness
All in all, an inspirational read that makes me want to go out, have adventures, and sod life! (Perhaps the reason some people hate this book, is because the idea of doing this shakes their core, their life as they've built it. But to these people I say, 'be open.')
Showing reviews 1-5 of 2032
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