Would be zero stars if I had that option!

Would be zero stars if I had that option!, October 1, 2007

By	C. Quinn (Washington, DC)

 

Despite a great title and a decent premise, this book is both disappointing and aggravating from beginning to end. The author is self-absorbed and irritating, and her 'insights' into the people she meets and the places she goes are shallow and annoying. The endless reflection on the horror of a marriage that didn't seem that horrible to me, and the quest for spirituality that has Gilbert chatting with God in India made finishing this book a torment. Finding out that she got the book advance before heading out on her journey made total sense; the trip fit into the book proposal rather than the other way around. The fact that her giant spiritual journey to learn how to be alone ends with her pairing up with a Brazilian expat was the final straw; I certainly don't believe she grew or learned anything at all about herself on this quest. Get this book from the library if you have to read it; I'm seriously annoyed that I helped fund this venture by spending money on this drivel!

Gee Whiz, Ms. Liz!, January 2, 2008

Gee Whiz, Ms. Liz!, January 2, 2008

By	Elisabeth Hallett (Hamilton, MT USA)

Dear Liz Gilbert, I asked for your book as a gift, and read it almost non-stop. I thoroughly enjoyed the first part and much of the rest of it too. Yet now that it's over I find the final effect is a sort of hollow thud.

The first sinking feeling of something not-quite-genuine was with your announcement that you had an advance for the book before beginning your trip. I don't know what you promised would happen in your travels, but I imagine you had to by golly find God or bust. Did you pre-program your experiences to fit the pre-paid book?                

You are a good writer and some of your passages are beautiful and profound. Why go for the cheap effects? I don't want to know that you fantasize about Bill Clinton while masturbating! And isn't it tacky to reveal the exact moves of a man who may or may not end up as your husband? And what's all this disingenuous nonsense about protecting the privacy of your ashram? Anyone who ever got near the guru trail knows exactly where you were, and would know it even if you had not dropped a staggering number of clues.

What disappointed me most was your claim near the beginning of the book that by the end of it you would be "very close to God, indeed." Somehow, it doesn't feel that way. It feels more as though you are awfully excited about being so darn cute and being able to attract so many people into your orbit. Well, you are young and you are talented, but maybe you could hold off on being a spiritual teacher for a few more years.

And in the meantime, will you please stop using "commenced" when you mean "proceeded"!

 

There was a lot of potential...., August 18, 2006

There was a lot of potential...., August 18, 2006

By	A. E. Floyd (San Francisco, CA)

This review is from: Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman's Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia (Hardcover)

I picked up this book after rave reviews from a book club and for the first half of it I could not figure out why they liked it so much. I felt the author came through as extremely immature and somewhat shallow- I found the section on Italy read a lot like the diary of a girl who just graduated from high school going to see Italy before she went off to college. Oooh, cute boys, drinking wine, do you think that cute boy thinks I'm cute?However, there were some really lyrical and amazing passages sprinkled in with this so I kept on reading. You could really see how she developed as a person as she went through India and on to Bali. Her account of the ashram and how it changed her was interesting, I could totally sympathize with her difficulties getting her mind to shut up during meditation! While it was somewhat enjoyable to see that progression I didn't find her interesting enough to keep me enthralled with the book.
And she really did give short shrift to places she had been. I know this book was not supposed to be a travel guide but more of her personal journey but as someone who has been to both Italy and Bali (funny enough I was there in Ubud the same time she was!) I don't think she did any justice to the beauty and magnificence of either of these places which is what I found most disapointing. To only concentrate on the food in Italy is such a pity considering the beautiful architecture, and to not talk about Balinese food more...I just felt there was so much more to be conveyed! It really was like reading a 20 something's diary and as I've often felt when I have looked back on my own journal entries, they aren't all that interesting to people other than you. There were a few sections that really grabbed me so overall it was a worthwhile read but not a strong recommendation.
One last thing I would like to mention in response to the person who didn't like the political references, I actually felt she really downplayed the prevalance of these discussions. As soon as anyone, fellow travelers and locals alike found out we (my travel buddy and I) were Americans, ALL they wanted to talk about was the election and the war. It was really exhausting after a while.

Simultaneously needy and smug..., March 19, 2007

Simultaneously needy and smug..., March 19, 2007
By J। Trembczynski "jillwrites" (Chicago, IL)
This review is from: Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman's Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia (Hardcover)I had looked forward to reading this, but the author's immaturity quickly turned me off. Even while in Italy, most of what she discusses is her divorce, and her nasty break-up with her boyfriend - and occasionally, gelato. I had looked forward to the secondary characters in the book, as Ms. Gilbert writes that she can make "friends" with anyone, anywhere. Unfortunately, we only get a vague sense of her friends - the one she mentions most is Richard from Texas, and he mostly provides comic relief and a welcome piece of dialogue between the author's agonizing over meditation.
I refer to the India section of this book as "Self Esteem Boot Camp". The only part of this that is entertaining at all is Richard from Texas. My favorite passage is this one:
"Why don't you go and make something of your life, Groceries?"
"I already have!," I replied.
There is a part in this section, however, where Ms. Gilbert decides to be pious and prays that God will let those who are attending a spiritual retreat will be able to join God thru their meditation, and that she hopes God will let them join Him instead of worrying about Ms. Gilbert. Then, miraculously, Ms. Gilbert is resting on God's palm.
The trip to Indonesia is equally annoying, long, and tiring. It becomes clear here that she cannot, absolutely cannot, be alone. If there is one thing this woman is afraid of, it is her own company.
In short, I did not enjoy this book. If, upon hearing that a child has cancer, you say, "That family needs grace", please, buy this book, you might appreciate it. On the other hand, if upon hearing the same news you say, "What can I do to help that family? Do they need a babysitter? Food? Their lawn mowed?" - well, than you can skip it altogether because it will be a little too sanctimonious for you. I personally found the author too smug to tolerate (almost instantly after praying for her husband to sign the divorce decree he does; she goes to sleep praying for a nephew's sleep problem to cease only to learn that it did that very night)...it makes me want to assign the word "narcissistic" to her.

Easy reading style

Easy reading style, uninspiring content, October 3, 2007
By Frances (Boulder, CO, U।S.)

Her writing style is fluid, but her precious self-indulgence made it a painful read and embodies the entitlement "all-about-me" vein in the current culture in North America. That this book is currently #4 on the Amazon best-seller list is disheartening because it reminds me of how this generation of women in America could make a difference but instead are focused on getting their lattes in their SUVs on their way to yoga class. Me, me, me! Try reading "Three Cups of Tea" by Greg Mortenson to see what one person can accomplish in the world as a stark contrast to Gilbert's self-centered story.

This Book Annoyed Me Immensely

This Book Annoyed Me Immensely, February 6, 2007
By S। Gans "BobbieG"

This review is from: Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman's Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia (Hardcover)Desperate for something good to read after finishing 'Notes on a Scandal' (one of the best books I've read in a long time, possibly ever), I picked up this pile of twaddle in the local book store. I should have realized that the author would have about as much insight into depression, loneliness and feelings of alienation as a clam. You can't feel sorry for the author because she seems to have brought on her malaise almost entirely on herself.. Oh, that's OK honey, you take the house and the apartment that I paid for because I feel "guilty" about leaving you... Please! Is she deliberately trying to set the Women's Lib movement back 100 years?? This attitude is all very touchy feely, 'Yes, I'll take all the guilt and blame for something that isn't entirely my fault because society dictates that I'm supposed to be the submissive gender', but hardly a practical way to live in the REAL WORLD, which the author clearly has no clue about doing. She really has no reason to be depressed given the luck at being able to afford to travel to places most people dream about visiting once in their life, and all expenses paid! Not surprisingly, she really doesn't sound very depressed, we all cried and felt anxious after 9/11..Most women have battled with loneliness and depression, but most are forced to continue in their lives looking after families or children, or just struggling to keep a roof over their head. I bet, if you gave most of these women an all expenses paid trip to Italy they would start to feel better, without the help of a nasty cocktail of antidepressents like she was taking (I counted four different kinds, yikes!).
In short, this book is not funny, or insightful, or challenging. Mostly it's just a series of obvious to the point of being cliched observations about breaking up and traveling in a foreign country. I honestly looked for more depth but it simply wasn't there. Please go eat some more gelato, and please, don't write any "voyage of self discovery books" again. Well, do, if there is a market for this stuff, but I'm personally amazed that any self respecting modern female would find this book anything but insulting.

WASTE OF MY TIME

WASTE OF MY TIME!!!, June 5, 2007
By DJG (Scarsdale, NY United States)

I am dumbstruck that so many reviewers enjoyed this book. I have always wanted to do a similar trip myself, a trip I also called my "i" trip that additionally included Ireland and Israel. My trip will wait until I finish raising my small children, so I was hopeful she could transport me a little. In fact, I was excited to read of her experiences, insights, thoughts, adventures. As a suburban mom and freelancer who chose the life she opted out of for now (and how liucky I am to have that choice), I was still curious to learn what scared her about motherhood, what drew her to work and travel and how she would eventually deal with a possible balance. I am hopeful to support women who make unique choices and are willing to explore them. Only what she offered was, well, nothing.
She is the most vapid, narcicistic, insecure, self-absorbed, spoiled brat I have ever had to listen to. I could not wait to get her whiny, foolish voice out of my head. I only finished this book because it was a selection in my book group, the group hated it as it turns out. Has this women ever thought about someone other than herself? If she has an insight about divorce or relationships or even how to give and receive love she certainly forgot to share it with her readers. She didn't show struggle or conflict or self-reflection about societies pressures versus internal longings. It sounds like she just got bored and cried a lot.
Am I supposed to take her word for it that her marriage was unsalvagable and her husband so unworthy that she was smart to leave him? Did he abuse her? Hate her? cheat on her? drink? do drugs? Was he depressed -- or was that just her? She decided not to tell us why she would walk out and give up on a marriage. She isn't really deep enough to look at why she would abandon a person she promised to stick by. She doesn't explain her calling, her needs. Acutally she doesn't seem to learn anything. Or teach anything about the human condition or self-dicovery or how depression affects loved ones. Hard to like her -- or even want to read her -- at all when all she prattles on about is her weight fluctiations. Uh, when she finally gets to the third world country of India I wondered if she noticed the poverty and hunger? No, she complains instead about how hard it is to sit quietly in a room. I practice yoga myself and I think all her meditiation seems to have missed the point. Settle down, get centered sure, but then GO out and HELP someone, you creep!!! For awhile I thought this woman should, in fact, have a kid if only to teach her how to think about someone other than herself. But then I thought, maybe not. Might be too hard for her and then what? Jet off to Iraq to write about, say, army food, and abandon yet againj???
If you have any insights of your own about the world we share and how to share with others in it, do not bother reading Ms. Gilberts book. There is nothing valuable there to find, outside of a silly, spoiled girls daily planner of what she did today and who she has a crush on. ugh. better to watch Sex and The City reruns!
She seemed really proud of how good she is at making friends. I wondered how genuine she is or just glad to collect people like stamps or glass animals. I am certain I would not be her friend. I really could not stand her.

Wonderfully written

Wonderfully written by an incongruous person
By P। Meltzer (Wynnewood, PA USA)
This review is from: Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman's Search for Everything Across
Italy, India and Indonesia (Hardcover)First, let me get out of the way the fact that I thought this was an excellent book. I
wouldn't have thought that to read about a woman spending 4 months in Italy,
India and Indonesia would have made for such good reading, but I was wrong. It
shows that, if a writer is talented enough (and Ms. Gilbert surely is), anything can be
made interesting. She comes off as funny, extroverted, thoughtful, charming and--
especially--brutally honest about herself. In fact, she is so open with her readers that
at times, I felt like I was reading her private diary or something that anyone else
would write only to their closest confidante.
While I was reading the book however, I kept thinking about something else
entirely: I wonder what it would be like to go out with this woman? (Given that this
book seems to have a 99% female readership judging from the reviews, and I am
not, I suspect that few others were wondering the same thing.) Anyway, here is
what I thought about. On the plus side, she's a wonderful writer which tells me that
she must be very intelligent and that's obviously a good thing. Her looks? Quite
attractive ... I think. I say that because the only photos I've seen are the one on the
dust jacket (which is very flattering) and one on her website, which is pleasant
enough but in which she looks like a completely different woman.
On the minus side however, she seems to have an incongruous combination of
personality traits. For example, when it comes to men, she seems simultaneously
incredibly independent and yet incredibly needy. I suspect that this combination may
have played a role in the troubles she had with her husband and with "David". To
me, one of the most revealing paragraphs in the book is on page 65 where she talks
about her "boundary issues with men". She tells us that when she's in love with a
man, she gives herself over to him completely until she becomes so exhausted that
it's time to become infatuated with someone else. Virtually by her own admission,
she seems to be what Vince Vaughn called a "stage 5 clinger" in "Wedding
Crashers". How many men would line up to be with someone like that?
She also seems like someone full of melodrama who careens back and forth
between very high high's and very low low's with not much in between. She seems
to hope (and expect) that her feelings towards her mate (and vice versa) will always
be as intense as they were at the highest point, and I imagine her to be
disappointed if a relationship should ever descend from that plateau. If in fact that's
her mindset, that's a recipe for trouble. (To her credit though, she seemed to have
more of an equilibrium about her by the end of the book than she did at the
beginning, which is perhaps not surprising.) It was difficult to tell however whether
her wanderlust and her peripatetic nature had changed by the end. I suspect that it
hadn't, which might not augur well for her future relationships unless she can find a
soulmate who does nothing but travel around the world with her. (Come to think of
it, maybe she did find such a person in "Felipe".) In any event, regardless of
whether she is a total catch or a total nightmare (or something in between), the fact
remains that she is a hell of a writer and I highly recommend her book.

HER OWN SEARCH - HER OWN VOICE, BOTH IMPRESSIVE, February 26, 2006

HER OWN SEARCH - HER OWN VOICE, BOTH IMPRESSIVE, February 26, 2006
By Gail Cooke

Reading the subtitle of Elizabeth Gilbert's latest book, "One Woman's Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia," one can only think well, she certainly knows where to look! Also, upon learning that this is her chosen way of recovering from a particularly acrimonious divorce and a trying-to-make-up-for-that-loss romance that didn't work, we might think how fortunate she is to able to seek solace in such intriguing places। Whatever our opinion of her reasons for this journey it has been established that she's a super writer (The Last American Man), and she brings all of her wit, intellect and stylish pen to Eat Pray Love। More than that, she brought a great deal of courage to her chosen task of traveling the world alone at the age of 34। She felt she needed a dramatic change, and it may be that she has found it। It's a pleasure to listen to this memoir/travelogue in her voice. Many will associate with her initial confession that she's not a very good traveler in that she suffers from various digestive interruptions. However, on the plus side she easily makes friends with anyone. As she puts it, "I can make friends with the dead." Or, if there isn't anyone around she claims that she could chat with a pile of Sheetrock. Whatever the case, she is a very lucky lady as her travel experiences prove. No Viva Italia for Italy because of Messina, a port town in Sicily that she describes as "scary and suspicious." Perhaps that's one reason why she's lonely and depressed there. But things definitely take a turn for the better in India and Indonesia, although her meditation needs a little more work. Did Gilbert find what she was searching for? Listeners may not be too sure but they'll certainly enjoy the trip! - Gail Cooke