Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert

[Jerseygirl08]

I've read this book several times and love it. I've been to Rome twice so I could really relate of the Italy section. Learned much from author about meditation in her section about her stay at an Ashram. Well, yesterday, I actually met Elizabeth Gilbert. She and her husband, whom she met in Bali, her third leg of her journey in Eat, Pray, Love - were at their place of business in NJ (a warehouse full of eclectic things from all over the world). She is so sweet and her husband, exactly as I pictured him. I purchased a wooden "Laughing Buddha" as it was speaking to me. Liz told me, "Shop around and look at all that is here and if anything "speaks to you", consider purchasing it. Well, I was spoken to and now own a Buddha. I recommend the book. She is an awesome writer. :a040:

[texasfal]

I hated this book. Such a whiner and complainer. We read for book club and only 1 person out of the ten members liked the book. The writer was soooo pretentious and self-centered, it got old really fast. I did enjoy the discussions of food in Italy. Other than that, it was a big yawn.

[The Great Fumar]

I hated this book. Such a whiner and complainer. We read for book club and only 1 person out of the ten members liked the book. The writer was soooo pretentious and self-centered, it got old really fast. I did enjoy the discussions of food in Italy. Other than that, it was a big yawn.

THE ONLY THING I LIKED ABOUT THIS BOOK IS SHE GOT THE TITLE IN THE RIGHT ORDER.......:popcorn:

THE WRITER BEING PRETENTIOUS AND SELF CENTERED , MADE ME THINK THAT THE BOOK WAS ABOUT ME ...BUT TO NO AVAIL.........

SPEED READER FUMAR

[chelsea24]

I loved this book Jersey and how lucky you are to have met them. She went on quite an adventure of soul searching. I give her a lot of credit. Many people are too afraid to do something like this. What a wonderful journey. :coolsmiley:

[Taltarzac]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabeth_Gilbert

[Barefoot]

I don't think I've ever seen such strong opposing opinions of a book. I'm looking forward to reading it.

[ojm]

I guess I fall somewhere in the middle. I enjoyed the book and consider Ms. Gilbert a very gifted writer and observer. But it is rare to find someone so totally and unabashedly self-absorbed. If she ever writes another book on her travels and travails, I'll probably buy and read it as soon as it is published. But if the opportunity were presented to meet Ms. Gilbert, I think I would take a pass. I suspect Jerseygirl08 would tell you that I'm being a bit harsh. If so, she is probably correct.

[nhsnowbird]

I loved this book too. I wanted to run away to an Ashram but I've started meditating and I find it sometimes boring and sometimes thrilling ... the things you can learn about yourself and your life.

[jojo]

I read it recently and enjoyed it primarily because of travel connections--Rome, India and particularly Ubud in Bali - one of my absolute favorite places in the whole world. How exciting to meet her and her husband. As I recall she was going to write another book. Has that happened? And yes there was a bit of whining.

[Canwego2]

I loved this book. It is one book that I recommend to all of my friends. If you haven't listened to it as an audio book then you are missing a treat. My favorite part on tape is listening to her at the ball game in Italy where she listens to a fan yell at the players. It was great. My husband and I love to travel so it was fun to hear about places we have and have not visited.

[Canwego2]

I forgot to hit the email notification button at the bottom to subscribe to this tread. So now I will get notifications. I love to read so I will be looking to see what else is out there that people are discussing.

[Taltarzac]

...Julia Roberts as Elizabeth Gilbert.

[chachacha]

in the book was her musing on her conversation with her mother when she realized that it had taken a lot of self discipline and sacrifice for her mother to have learned to live with and accept her father to make their marriage work. i think she grew up a little there...i also thought she was very lucky to have had her adventure and soul searching underwritten by her astute publisher as most of us could not afford this luxury. i did not think she was whiney, and appreciated what she tried to do for her balinese girlfriend and how she explained the cultural differences there. i do not agree that the word for rome is sex....i spent three months there last winter and did not get that impression at all....maybe i am too old!!!! i had never seen so many nuns and priests walking around the streets as i did in rome...very inspiring.

[K9-Lovers]

Well this thread is over a year old, but I'm just now getting around to reading Eat, Love, Pray and since I don't really know anyone here in TV yet, I was just yearning to talk with someone about the book. Reading all your posts has quenched that thirst a bit. I'm still in the middle of the book, at the Ashram in India.

My take on the whining and self-centeredness: she seems to know that she is self-centered, attention-seeking and whining, because she acknowledges those faults.

I've enjoyed reading this book so far, but I imagine the new movie will definitely be a chick-flick.

[Froglady]

Our book club read it as well. Very mixed opinions. Some liked it, some loved it, some hated it.

It was so different from what I thought it would be. I thought there would be a moral to the story. I thought the author was going to share wisdom about how to get the most from life.
All I got out of it was a boring travelogue of her experiences - no advice, nothing transferable.

[K9-Lovers]

Froglady, it sounds as if you recently finished this book. Maybe if you take some time contemplating the book for a while, you might come away with some value. This is what I found:

She took a pilgrimage or journey that has moral importance to beliefs and faith. Pilgrimage is a common human experience and many religions recommend pilgrimages as an OUTWARD search.

She taught the challenge of stilling your mind which applies to everyone, whether you pray to Christ, or some other higher power, or simply meditate. The book teaches that prayer/meditation brings peace and renewed joy in life and relationships. An INWARD search.

I thought the book offered insights into the process of learning to forgive yourself and others. :read:

She also learned that the nature of God is love. And, the book teaches faith and devotion.

The takeaway is:


search for truth by distancing yourself from everyday circumstances
begin/continue to pray . . . then stop and be quiet and listen
forgive yourself and others
know that God is love
have faith in what you believe is true

[jannd228]

The takeaway is:

* search for truth by distancing yourself from everyday circumstances
* begin/continue to pray . . . then stop and be quiet and listen
* forgive yourself and others
* know that God is love
* have faith in what you believe is true

agree