nut free nerd

Author: Elizabeth Gilbert

Number of Pages: 331

Publisher: Penguin Books

Release Date: 2000

“In her early thirties, Elizabeth Gilbert had everything a modern American woman was supposed to want–husband, country home, successful career–but instead of feeling happy and fulfilled, she felt consumed by panic and confusion. This wise and rapturous book is the story of how she left behind all these outward marks of success, and of what she found in their place. Following a divorce and a crushing depression, Gilbert set out to examine three different aspects of her nature, set against the backdrop of three different cultures: pleasure in Italy, devotion in India, and on the Indonesian island of Bali, a balance between worldly enjoyment and divine transcendence.”

– Goodreads.com

I love this book. There, I said it.

Some reviews of this book that I’ve read on Goodreads and other book blogs claim that this book is too cheesy, obviously fake, not worth anyone’s time.

Personally, I don’t think this could be farther from the truth. I thought this book was inspiring and surprisingly easy for me to relate to, given that Gilbert was in her early thirties at the time and I’m only a teenager. Looking back, I believe I connected with the stress and monotony she was feeling prior to her travels, as well as with the fact that she thought life could- and should- hold so much more. I will admit that this is not a rags-to-riches story in terms of economic status, for she was a privileged white American woman to begin with and now (I’m guessing) still is. But that doesn’t mean that this transformation can’t manifest itself in other forms, such as a rags-to-riches change regarding happiness and balance. Gilbert can’t help that she was initially well off, and I honestly don’t think that fact should be considered a disadvantage to her story or hinder its message from coming through. She experienced a major mental, emotional, and spiritual transformation, which is pretty amazing no matter your background or position in life.

Everything about this book fascinated me. The different cultures of Italy, India, and Indonesia. The idea that someone with little to no religious inclination could have such a profound spiritual experience. The twists and turns of her journey and the way things fell into place so simply yet unexpectedly. I began to think about this book more and more even when I wasn’t reading it, which is a sure sign that a book is definitely a good one. Moreover, Gilbert’s writing is engaging and just delightful to read. It’s casual and conversational, as if you’ve been friends with her for years and she’s telling you another story about her unique life. I adore the way this book is written, and I’ll be on the lookout for any more of her writing.

I don’t know if parts of this memoir are greatly exaggerated or even made up, but it honestly doesn’t matter to me. Gilbert has weaved an amazing tale of enlightenment and inspiration nonetheless, and it feels plenty real enough to me.

Overall, Eat, Pray, Love was a fantastic read. If you like to travel, experience new things, or simply think then I highly recommend you pick up this book.

My Rating: :0) :0) :0) :0) :0) 5 out of 5 smileys.

Would I recommend it to a friend?: Yes!!!! I think everyone should read this book because there are so many great lessons to be learned and fascinating thoughts to ponder.

Have you ever read this book? What did you think? Let me know in the comments section below!

Yours,

HOLLY