Eat, Pray, Love in Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge

Aug 22, 2009 Beth rated it it was amazing

I think it's all been said about this book but just to add my two cents, I agree with everyone who loved it. I read it slowly because I knew from the first pages that I wanted to savor her journey and because, even though the writing skips along enjoyably, it also seemed to help me relax and breath more deeply. I liked that I didn't feel pressured to think about similar issues in my own life - spirituality, life purpose, love, etc. - but that I felt I was being casually invited to. I'm looking f ...more

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Aug 16, 2011 Kristin rated it liked it

A lot of people recommended this book to me, and though it's outside the scope of my normal reading, I figured I'd give it a try. To be completely honest, after the first third of the book, I wasn't sure I'd finish it. The author divides the book into 3 segments, one for each country she visited on a post-divorce journey to do things that make her happy, each segment relating to one of the words in the title.
'Eat' involves Italy, as the author seeks to learn Italian and travel throughout the nat A lot of people recommended this book to me, and though it's outside the scope of my normal reading, I figured I'd give it a try. To be completely honest, after the first third of the book, I wasn't sure I'd finish it. The author divides the book into 3 segments, one for each country she visited on a post-divorce journey to do things that make her happy, each segment relating to one of the words in the title.
'Eat' involves Italy, as the author seeks to learn Italian and travel throughout the nation. I just didn't feel like it flowed, and she spent a lot of the 36 chapters in this segments bemoaning her failed love life in contrast to the very-romantic nation she was living in. Sure, she talked about the people she met in Italy, all the excellent food she ate with these people, and the sights they saw, but it just didn't draw me in. Thankfully, the chapters were short and I was reading during dinner, so I stuck with the book.
'Pray' was better, with Gilbert traveling to India to study at the ashram of a guru she heard speak back home in New York and whose message touched her deeply enough for her to long to travel overseas and visit the source of her spiritual teaching. I think I enjoyed it more because Hindu meditation and yoga aren't subjects I had much familiarity with, so it was as enlightening to me as it was for her. Unlike other books I've read that focused heavily on spirituality, Gilbert wasn't trying to convert her readers to the faith or explain why this religion was the best and ought to be practiced by all.
Finally came 'Love', and while I wasn't sure how it necessarily related to Bali in the beginning, by the end, it all made sense. Gilbert made Bali sound close to paradise, but realistically enough for readers to realize there is nothing that is truly paradise, and even a place as beautiful as Bali must deal with wars, poverty, and natural disasters. Perhaps what I liked best about the latter two sections was that they had a definitive plot, "Pray" in her journey to spiritual enlightenment, and "Love" continuing that journey while also adding in the relationships she formed with medicine man Ketut, single mother and healer Wayan, and Brazilian transplant Felipe. 'Love' also brings full circle some of the things Gilbert mentions early in the book that seemed disconnected then, but make sense by the end.
There is a sequel to this book alluded to at the end, not sure if I'll read it or not. Since I'd not heard of it before now, perhaps it wasn't as good at this book, and I didn't find this one to be excellent, so it might not be worth my while. ...more

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Dec 04, 2007 Gabrielle S rated it it was ok

I can't say that I was overly impressed with this book, to me the author comes across as incredibly self-absorbed. I realize that she is struggling through her divorce and getting to know herself. I think it is great that she was able to do what she wanted to do for herself but it does all seem rather self-indulgent especially since so many women go through divorce and don't have the luxury of "escaping from it all". ...more

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Jan 18, 2008 Molly rated it liked it

Okay, this book confused me. At 1st I hated it and wondered why anyone would recommend it. I thought the author was silly, trying to be amusing and falling very short. But then the more I read the more I got into it. I still can't say I would recommend it to anyone but it had little gems thrown in and so I'm glad that I, at least read it. But a best seller? People just confuse me. ...more

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Nov 26, 2007 Amy Ellis rated it it was amazing

This is one of my all-time favorite books and could quite possibly change your life. It's beautifully written and contains deep truths and insights into other cultures. The author goes from a stay in Italy, eating wonderfully rich food, to a silent-retreat in India eating sparse vegan food...and then off to Indonesia, where you learn about parenting there. Read it!!! ...more

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Dec 02, 2008 Megan rated it really liked it

Shelves: feminist-themes, international-reads, library-loans, non-fiction, travel, memoirs-biographies, american-stories, foodie-nonfiction

my friend Alison recommended this one to me and i'm so glad she did! i was a little reluctant to read it at first because of all the hype but i really enjoyed it...especially the India & Indonesia portions of the book...i wasn't sure about the Italy section at first but by the end, i was hooked... ...more

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Mar 22, 2009 Jen (NerdifiedJen) rated it it was ok

Shelves: un-rage-quit

There is a difference between living your life and later someone decides it's memoir-worthy and living your life with the memoir contract in hand, trying to figure out how to make it interesting or, in this case, enlightening. ...more

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