Book Review: Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert | Jo Linsdell

Book Review: Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert

  

My thoughts about the book Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert


My thoughts about Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert

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My thoughts about the book Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert

The only thing wrong with this readable, funny memoir of a magazine writer's yearlong travels across the world in search of pleasure and balance is that it seems so much like a Jennifer Aniston movie. Like Jen, Liz is a plucky blond American woman in her thirties with no children and no major money worries. As the book opens, she is going through a really bad divorce and subsequent stormy rebound love affair. Awash in tears in the middle of the night on the floor of the bathroom, she begins to pray for guidance, "you know -- like, to God." God answers. He tells her to go back to bed. I started seeing the Star headlines: "Jen's New Faith!" "What Really Happened at the Ashram!" "Jen's Brazilian Sugar Daddy -- Exclusive Photos!" Please understand that Gilbert, whose earlier nonfiction book, The Last American Man, portrayed a contemporary frontiersman, is serious about her quest. But because she never leaves her self-deprecating humor at home, her journey out of depression and toward belief lacks a certain gravitas. The book is composed of 108 short chapters (based on the beads in a traditional Indian japa mala prayer necklace) that often come across as scenes in a movie. And however sad she feels or however deeply she experiences something, she can't seem to avoid dressing up her feelings in prose that can get too cute and too trite. On the other hand, she convinced me that she acquired more wisdom than most young American seekers -- and did it without peyote buttons or other classic hippie medicines. When Gilbert determines that she requires a year of healing, her first stop is Italy, because she feels she needs to immerse herself in a language and culture that worships pleasure and beauty. This sets the stage for a "Jen's Romp in Rome," where she studies Italian and, with newfound friends, searches for the best pizza in the world......




 




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15 comments

  1. I didn't read this one but I did see and enjoy the movie with Julie Roberts

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    1. I'm going to rewatch the film to organise my book Vs film thoughts. I remember having watched the film ages ago but don't really remember it other than the fact that Julia Roberts played the part of Elizabeth Gilbert. I also want to read more of her books now. Eat, Pray, Love was the book I needed to read this year.

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  2. I haven’t read this one and I don’t think I saw the film either!

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    1. I think this is one of those books that people either love or hate (checking out the other reviews it's got on Goodreads confirms this theory). I definitely loved it.

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  3. I saw the movie and was too bored. I’ll skip the book😂

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    1. I saw the film ages ago but honestly can't remember much about it other than that it had Julia Roberts in it. I do want to rewatch it now I've read the book though. I'm almost certain it will be a case of the book being better than the film.

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  4. I haven't seen the movie or read this book yet, though it's been on my to-do list for the longest time.
    Great review, Jo!

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    1. I wanted to read it when it came out but never got around to it. When my friend and I were talking about books we loved and she pulled it off her shelves to show me I was more than happy to take her up on her offer to lend it to me and jumped at the chance to read it. She was right. It was the book I needed to read.

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  5. I loved this book and also enjoyed the movie. I really loved your book review! <3

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    1. It was a great read wasn't it? I particularly liked the Italy part as brought back so many memories for me from when I first moved out here. The book in general really made me want to travel more again too. I've also started meditating too since reading Eat, Pray, Love and it's helping with my anxiety. This is the book I needed this year. Will be rewatching the film too.

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  6. I've never seen the movie nor read the book. I'm not sure it would be a read for me. Great review though.

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  7. Great review, I haven't read the book or seen the movie. Thank you so much for sharing your awesome post.

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  8. I keep saying I want to watch the movie but never made the time. I’m sure I would enjoy the book.

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    1. I think you would enjoy it too. I highly recommend reading it.

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