Am I the only woman over 50 in the US that found this book incredibly narcissistic and annoying??

One of those books I will read over and over. I just loved this journey. Loved her writing, her humour, her honesty, her insight. And I still want that pizza someday. ( )

I only just realized that this isn't my first Elizabeth Gilbert book. Her novel, [book: Stern Men], was the cause of my highest-ever late fine at the Chicago Public Library. It wasn't the kind of fine you accrue because you love the book too much to return it... it was the kind you accrue because the book was so completely unremarkable that you forgot it was sitting on your nightstand. I vaguely recall learning a lot about lobster fishing, but that's about it.Luckily for [book: Eat, Pray, Love], Gilbert creates a very memorable character when she's writing about herself. This narrator-heroine undergoes quite transformation throughout the year chronicled.Gilbert divides the book into three section; each describing a four-month sojourn in a different country and in a different stage of healing and spiritual growth. My favorite Liz was the one in Italy -- still raw from the pain of her divorce and subsequent disastrous affair, she soothes herself with new friends, pasta and Italian lessons. Once she leaves Italy to spend four months in an ashram in India though, she becomes less accessible. I don't think this is a flaw in the writing; it is simply that, in her meditation practice, she is going places that I can't follow. She's most effective when describing her own thoughts, feelings, and experiences. When she wanders in to Pronouncement Territory (and wander she does... I found myself counting the number of times she began a sentence with "Every religion in the world..."), she loses credibility, as well as flow.Her first visit to Pronouncement Territory was the one that really threw me. In chapter (or "bead") seventeen, Gilbert describes her decision to (finally) try antidepressant medication. She expresses her fears and reservations, then proceeds to spend paragraphs telling her readers that such meds are overprescribed, and should always be a person's last resort. Her indictment of a therapy which she herself used strikes me as hypocritical, irresponsible, and uncharacteristic of the rest of the book. Her decision to try antidepressant meds only after a very near suicide attempt may provide some literary drama, but at what cost?Other than that one jarring chapter, I thoroughly enjoyed sharing Gilbert's journey and would highly recommend this book to others. ( )

The most recent book I read was Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert, which is essentially a memoir chronicaling her life during the year after she divorced her husband and traveled to Italy, India and Indonesia to find herself. While I was reading it (and sometimes remembering one of the other books I've read this month - The Geography of Love, yet another memoir about one woman's romantic love and it's loss to cancer), I realized that there is a reason why I generally don't like memoirs. They feel incredibly self-indulgent and selfish to me, because the authors are generally saying, "This is my life. And it's so interesting, or relate-able, that people are going to want to read about it."

Which of course, reminds me of all these things we do to keep in touch these days - Facebook, Twitter, and yes, even Blogger. So many of us are so completely wrapped up in ourselves that we put our whole life and all it's intimate details online for just about anyone to see. It's a delicate balance to use these powerful tools to keep in touch with family and friends (or to cultivate new ones), but to still keep a part of ourselves private, or to not sound like an egomaniac.

It is why many times my Blog is not really that personal. I don't think the "internets" need all that private information about me and my loved ones. I talk about what I do, but not generally about how I am feeling or what I am thinking. I also try to keep the details of what is happening to my immediate family out of the picture entirely - I have no authority whatsoever to talk about their lives here. And I know that is what separates me from real writers, who let it all hang out for everyone to see.

I also do what I can to keep my internet content from being easily found. I am not really looking for an audience, but am hoping to keep in touch with the people I have come to know over the years and really care about.

I think that sometimes we all get carried away with our ability to communicate so effortlessly through the power of technology that we forget how important physical presence and privacy really are. Writers like Elizabeth Gilbert show us that living in the moment, laughing, crying, eating abundantly, drinking wine with friends, etc., etc. - these are the necessities of life and make it worth living. But where she fails to captivate me is by throwing it all out there, making her life and her emotional story the example for us to follow. It must be exciting to be on that journey of self-discovery and growth, but it seems (yes, I'll say it) arrogant to think that everyone on earth should read about it and know her on such a personal level.

Of course, I am projecting my own discomfort onto her. The book itself is quite lovely; it has been translated into so many languages and purchased millions of times so there should be no question about the validity and captivation of her story. BUT. I find it a really interesting psychological case study, I suppose. Essentially, she is making money by selling stories about her most intimate experiences in life. In the end, she and I are very different people, with different ideas of growth and privacy. ( )

Good fun, a nice easy and pleasant read. ( )

I ( )

Pretend it's fiction and you will probably like it more. ( )

I'm so glad I bought this - I know I'll read it several more times. ( )

I have just returned from a five-day journey through Italy, India, and Indonesia. I also just finished one of my favorite books. Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert is an amazing story that I didn’t want to put down. I felt as if I was traveling with her, and I was entranced by her, her writing, her story, her adventures, everything. I cannot speak highly enough about this book, and I truly doubt that any review I give of it will give you a good enough understanding of how great I think it is.

This book is made into three parts, each a personal journey the author undertakes to “examine one aspect of her own nature, set against the backdrop of a culture that has traditionally done that one thing very well.” So, she goes to Italy to study the art of pleasure, India for the art of devotion, and Indonesia for the art of balancing the two in her own life. Elizabeth (I can’t refer to her by her last name, I feel as if I know her too well – in fact, I think we could be friends, if we ever met) lets us see her at her worst moments as she goes through a heart-wrenching divorce, and takes us along while she travels in order to find herself.

The day I finished the section on Italy, I was craving Italian food the way only an Italian food junkie can crave it, and I was lucky enough to have a couple of friends who just happened to want to introduce my husband and I to an Italian restaurant in our new city. The section on India seriously wanted to make me start trying to meditate (me, who can’t even sit still for more than 30 seconds without becoming sickeningly bored). And while Indonesia has never really appealed to me as a tourist spot, I can understand exactly why she goes there and exactly why she loves it.

5 out of 5 stars. I cannot recommend this book highly enough. The moment I started it I knew it was going to become one of my favorites. You’ll fall in love with Elizabeth and marvel at her accomplishments, and when you’ve come to the last page, you’ll be begging to read more. By the way, when you’re done reading, go to the author’s website. Under the FAQ page, you’ll find pictures of some of her most memorable friends. ( )

Initially I found this book irritating. The Gilbert in the “Eat” section was so egocentric I felt like reaching into the book and shaking some sense into her. However as you progress into the book you begin to realise why she is so. The rest of the book takes you, with her on a path of personal growth and maturity. Persistence paid off and in the end I enjoyed the book and Gilbert herself. ( )

The book is a very honest account of one woman's struggles and her journey to finding happiness/ balance. It would be great to take a year off to focus totally on yourself as she did. ( )

Delightful, moving, charming, and inspiring. Gilbert explores cultures and customs without either glorifying or patronizing them. She shares with insight and humor her struggles and losses, and she invites us to learn along with her. From indulgence to self-control to letting life be, Gilbert explores finding happiness in the now. ( )

Have you ever read a book that completely envelopes you in its words, calming your hectic mind and allowing you to feel more composed, calm, and relaxed than you would normally be? I read this book at one of the most stressful points of the past few months - in the middle of studying for my second certification exam. During the last test, no matter what I was reading, I could not shut off my brain. I slept horribly, could not focus, and was an overall basketcase. One or two chapters of Eat, Pray, Love and I was all of those things described above and more. I felt zen-like. I felt...amazing.

Divided into three sections to reflect Ms. Gilbert's focus and country in which she was staying, the flow of the book could have been disjointed and difficult to follow. Rather, the story flowed because of Ms. Gilbert's progress on her journey to find peace and balance. Her growth over the course of the book is visible and shapes each word and sentence. The emotional turmoil at the beginning of the book eventually gives way to the most amazing feelings of peace, unity, and love. A reader cannot help but cheer Ms. Gilbert on her progress as well as envy her the financial ability to be able to take such a journey.

There are times where the subject matter becomes difficult. Anyone who has loved fiercely and lost will recognize Ms. Gilbert's pain and suffering. Personally, I struggled with her focus on faith and God. While I was born and raised a Catholic, am raising my children to be Catholic, I have so many doubts and fears and a overall lack of faith that I probably should not be called a part of any religion. I have panic attacks at the thought of death and leaving this world. As a result, I wavered between fighting back the panic as Ms. Gilbert discussed her viewpoints on such ideas as Heaven, Hell, God, karma, and other items of faith and pure envy that she was able to open herself up to the possibilities and was able to discover a faith that works for her. Everyone should have that opportunity to do so, even if it does not mean spending four months in an ashram in India.

There is no way I am going to do justice to this book. The timing of it could not have been more perfect. I was struggling to maintain my composure in the face of this test and was able to do so with the help of one of Ms. Gilbert's mantras she chanted while in India. Ms. Gilbert's language is simplistic but poetic at the same time. Her descriptions of the food in Italy, of the peace and serenity in India, and sheer beauty of Bali left me wanting to drop everything and follow in her footsteps. While reading, I found myself reflecting on my own life, the spiritual holes to which I should attend, the calm I so desperately crave. I found myself taking notes throughout the book, something I never do while reading, as I want to remember Ms. Gilbert's comments on happiness, on faith, on being whole. My favorite quote is as follows; I find it so inspiring:

Happiness is the consequence of personal effort. You fight for it, strive for it, insist upon it, and sometimes even travel around the world looking for it. You have to participate relentlessly in the manifestations of your own blessings (pg. 260).

As this year for me has been all about self-discovery and development, this was the perfect book to read. I can see various readers getting different life lessons out of the book based on where they are in their life, which is perfectly acceptable. Ms. Gilbert even stresses the idea that her journey was what she needed at that point in time in her life. However, I feel the poignant life lessons she shares with the reader are worth the time taken to read them and can be adapted to the individual. Eat, Pray, Love is a simplistic and yet completely powerful book - one that will stay with me for a very long time. ( )

I'm normally not up for this kind of book, but it wasn't as sappy as I thought it might be, but rather comforting instead. I'm definitely a little envious of her ability to make the decisions she's made, but I took a couple of the lessons she shares and folded them into my own life. ( )

I have always been a fan of memoirs, and this was no exception. Gilbert's story takes you through a roller-coaster of emotions, where you find yourself laughing with her one moment, and wanting to reach into the book and hug her the next. She gives a raw account of her battle with depression, her struggle to find God, and the euphoric happiness she finds by the end of her journey.I gave the book only four stars because it becomes quite difficult to read in the middle, when she describes her time at an Ashram in India. Difficult, as in, quite boring. However, I recognize it was an integral part of her journey to find God. In all, a great book that will leave you ready to plan your spiritual journey around the world. ( )

Considering all the hype surrounding this book I don't think it was as good as it was made out to be. I liked it, it was funny and I enjoyed learning about the places she traveled but it definatly was not a life changing read. Plus all of the religious parts about meditating and chanting and such became a little boring to me because I couldn't relate to it, maybe if I was a believer in those things I would have felt differently. ( )

I wish I had never caught that interview on evening where Oprah was interviewing Elizabeth Gilbert. Apparently Oprah was so enamored by the book that she devoted 2 entire shows to it!I was actually enjoying the Italian leg when I had to watch that fated show. But I had a strange feeling that the book was contrived. Do you go on a journey self-discovery by PLANNING to go to 3 countries, with the eat-pray-love so wonderfully fit together? Methinks not. She's quite funny. But it can get tiresome quick. Trying to be witty chapter after chapter will definitely get old sooner or later. Don't get me wrong. I enjoyed her descriptions of travelling and how honest she is that she is not living the life she wants (maybe carrying it a tad far with her lovemaking and masturbation). It has its moments. Give it a try. But I think this is the last Gilbert book I'll read! ( )

People keep taking this book off the shelf to borrow it and I keep grabbing it and putting it back and then handing them a good book which they then end up not liking at all. Weird. ( )

Enormously popular book telling the story of a woman from New York travelling for a year after a rough divorce. Manages to avoid the obvious pitfalls of being too American, too self-centred and too boring, but doesn't quite make it into the realm of literature. The writer's fine self-deprecating sense of humour, with even a sense of irony (!) make it a fun read, but it is still a bit of fluff. Read September 2009 ( )

Another book group pick that I might not have chosen for myself, but which I thoroughly enjoyed. Based on the real tangible and spiritual journey of a woman through Italy, India and Indonesia. wonder what insights she might have garnered if she had also included Iceland?

I agree with all of those saying this book is overly self-indulgent. I really thought I would love this book but I just couldn't relate to the author at all. How many women have gone through this same kind of crisis? And now, how many women can afford the luxury of spending a year traveling abroad and finding her "inner self"? REAL women just have to pick themselves up by the boot straps and go on with life. This book took me forever to read because I kept yelling at the author (internally of course) and closing it. I will give her credit for being witty, and for having some interesting thoughts about heaven/hell and divinity. Otherwise, I think it will be a very long time (like never) before I read another of her books. ( )

One woman's adventure through Italy, Indonesia and India. Completely amazing and uplifting story of Elizabeth, as she travels to find herself and her dream. A biography of her journey, the people she meets, loves, helps, and leaves behind. I found the first two books (Italy and Indonesia) to be the most interesting, and India to be mildly so, but slower to develop.

The message and feeling throughout gives hope to anyone struggling in life - you can achieve anything your heart desires, you can do anything you want.

Soon to be made into a movie starring Julia Roberts, this was our most recent book club pick, and a very good summer read. Inspires to travel and delight in the little things, to dream, and to love. I highly recommend it to everyone.

Listen to the tape and read the book. Just loved the story. After reading the story I bought a book on how to speak Italian. Lovely story. ( )

Interesting book all through, although I like the Eat and Love parts the best. The Pray section was a little esoteric for my taste. All in all I would recommend this book. ( )

I really enjoyed this book and Gilbert's writing and would recommend it to anyone who's interested. My one complaint about this book is that every once in a while I was wrenched out of the story by my realization of how self-indulgent she seems which, to me, runs counter to the search for enlightenment... ( )