Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman's Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia | 
 enlarge | Author: Elizabeth Gilbert
Publisher: Viking
Category: EBooks
List Price: $15.00
Buy New: $5.20
You Save: $9.80 (65%)
Rating:  1737 reviews
Sales Rank: 65
Format: Kindle Book
Media: Kindle Edition
Pages: 352
Number Of Items: 1
Dewey Decimal Number: 910.4
ASIN: B000PDYVVG
Publication Date: April 11, 2007
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
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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 Lamott's hip, yoga-practicing, footloose younger sister") is poised to garner yet more adoring fans.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 1732 more reviews...
 Even in my underpants I can feel it May 19, 2008
kaioatey (Awatovi, AZ)
14 out of 15 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."
So this book is essentially revolving about beauty - of friendship, inner life, of good 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 several 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 positively awesome. Liz's description of finding her inner strength is better than that any self-styled guru and self-help "authority" out there, including 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 so many envious and unfulfilled divorcees out there. In fact, to me it seems many reviewers can't decide whether they are more insulted by Liz's snub of Puritan ethics or by 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!
A lovely, lovely find... October 12, 2006
K. Walters (Washington, DC USA)
121 out of 154 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.
The "I"s Have It February 20, 2008
Holly M. Bowers (Brooklyn, NY)
19 out of 22 found this review helpful
In my mind it is no coincidence that Elizabeth Gilbert only chose to travel to countries that begin with the letter "I". Her journey was all about self-discovery - all about the "me" - all about the "I"! Because of her mastery at crafting beautiful images, dialogue and characters I too was able to join on this journey. She made it so easy for me to taste the sweetness of pistachio gelato while sitting by an ancient moss-covered fountain. I wanted to take the next flight to Rome and speak the idioms she lovingly shared. I just knew that her favorite phrase "attraversiamo" would roll off my tongue like a native. The phrase means "let's cross over" and that's exactly what I did as she traveled to each new country. I traversed terrains filled with pleasure, self-doubt, joy, resistance, surrender and finally well-being. The well-being came wrapped in a cloth I'll call "self-love".
It is no coincidence that the book "Eat, Pray, Love" crossed my path. Guests would come to stay at my home and leave their copy on the coffee table. Subway rides were enlivened by counting how many times I saw the pasta, prayer bead, and orchid cover spelling out the title name. I do believe that serendipity has a marvelous way of leading us to the places we need to go. It led me to reading "Eat, Pray, Love" as well as another gem Being Here: Modern Day Tales of Enlightenment. If you like journeys of the mind, journeys of the heart or journeys where you live and love the moment -don't miss reading these two jewels.
Ex Bali expat February 20, 2006
Bali expat (Oz)
14 out of 16 found this review helpful
I loved Gilbert's book and I loved the Bali characters whom I know a few of. I thought that Gilbert described the expats' life and their relationships with the locals and the Balinese community with fairness, accuracy and lots of humour. I thoroughly recommend Eat, Pray, Love to any man who wants to know a bit more about women. Great book, great read...
Inspirational, Thought Provoking, Great to Listen to or Read October 7, 2007
S. McMorrow (Atlanta, GA)
16 out of 19 found this review helpful
I listened to this book on cd and the author's reading of the book along with her wit and willingness to share her innermost feelings of her journey left me inspired, entertained and hopeful.
I am disappointed at the reviewers who refer to her as a narcissist. Of course the book was filled with many "I" statements, but that was what the book was about, "her" journey. Do you want someone to write a book about their spiritual journey and then "tell you" how to think?
I think she gives her readers a lot more credit than that. She opens up herself for the world and lets the reader determine the relevance of her experiences in their own lives for themselves. I think that the one star critics of this book are just looking for a quick fix and don't want to admit that someone of means can still feel desperate, lonely and depressed. It takes courage to share as she has done and courage to make her journey even if she had a advance deal on a book. I think her book proves a very valid point that some people may be afraid to look at because they are chasing goals that they believe will make them happy (such and a good job, nice house, husband that doesn't beat you etc) and they see from this that those things in life are not what really brings you happiness.
This book is not only well written, and witty, most of all it is inspirational. It inspires the reader to think for themselves, to draw their own conclusions and to gain wisdom and knowledge from another's experience. I would say read it for what it was meant to be and you will find a message for yourself in the book.
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