Self indulgent twaddle

[Jill]

Agree with the opening of this thread: Self-indulgent twaddle!!! There were brief moments that I enjoyed during the Italy part of the story, but very few and only brief. The rest of it made me want to scream.

[Heather]

She's a writer, so isn't that dealing with reality, working, while she finds her emotional whatever?

[Heather]

And I loved the book. It's pretty gutsy to get up off the floor once you've been there and do anything. When this book first came out, I bought it, started it a few times, and hated it. Get up! Quit whining! I told other people not to read it. Then, I was on the bathroom floor, and I could relate to it. Apparently, so could many others. One day, you might. Books have their readers, and their critics and I have been both on this one. Scream, throw the book across the room, or cherish it. But don't assume you know Elizabeth Gilbert's entire story, or the reader next to you.

[Heather]

Her "crisis" is she didn't want to be married to perfectly decent guy. That sums up the issue right there. That is not a crisis. I think we all know people with real problems. Nor do we have the money to gorge ourselves in Italy. Apparently, she did not learn much about empathy in India, with true suffering all around her.

[Jamie]

Lisa wrote: "I must have read a different book.
The book I read was about an insecure woman who went along with a mediocre life, then woke up and realized that the path she was on was so wrong for her, cut her ..."

I agree with your take on the book. As I recall she wanted to get away so her work gave her time off if she agreed to write a book when she got back. I was contiplating leaving a bad relationship at the time, so the crying in the bathroom floor I could relate to. She wasn't happy, she felt trapped and didn't know whether to stay or go. She later realized it made no sense to leave this relationship so she chose to find herself. She tried to meditate and couldn't stop her mind to get to that deep place. She got there once she let go of the control she thought she had to have. I thought it was beautiful imo

[Cloudy]

I'm only on page 80, so I'm holding off on whether or not to give the book one star or two. But I am rather surprised at all the people who read the book and say they didn't realize that Goodwin was paid to travel and write it. It's right in the beginning of the book, on Page 35 in the paperback edition, in Section 10: "And I can actually afford to do this because of a staggering personal miracle: in advance, my publisher has purchased the book I shall write about my travels." Hard to miss that--it is not subtle!

And neither is Gilbert. I am sorry, she has a slight gift for description of emotions and food, but that is the extent of her talent. She should have been a restaurant critic. However, in describing God and her relationship with God, so far I have found her so far to be condescending, glib, trivial and ridiculous. Whether one is a person of strong faith, an atheist, an agnostic, or a seeker, I can't help but feel that Gilbert manages to insult us all. She appears to trivialize all experiences of the divine.

I agree with Lynda, "curiously cold." If this had been made into fiction, it might just have been tolerable, but this woman purports to be writing about real people, including herself, and lived experiences. Gilbert, so far, has objectified not only her ex-husband and sometime lover (and how 70s is it to say "I want a divorce because I need to find myself" when what you really mean is "I've found another really sexy person I want to have sex with"?), but the decent young Italian who is her language exchange partner, and the Godhead itself! "Hi God, you haven't been convenient to me for 36 years, but I am calling upon you now. And you are possibly really me. Help me out, eh?"

But she does describe pizza in a really wonderful way...

[GG]

Agree!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Susan]

Mandy wrote: "I can't agree with the majority of the comments I've read about this topic.I have to say that in my opinion the book was amazing.I think it took a lot of courage to travel and learn so many new thi..."

I am inclined to agree with this comment, with a little bit of the previous comments thrown in. I read this when it was first released and thoroughly enjoyed it, despite the fact that, as some reviewers point out, most of us cannot emulate Ms Gilbert in her ability to take a year off and do what we want to do. Although I wonder what this has to do with anything - we read murder mysteries, fantasies etc in the full knowledge that we cannot or will not do the same as the protagonist. It doesn't have to be about "me" all the time. BUT last night I watched a bit of the film. I have always said that I think it was a gross piece of miscasting putting Julia Roberts in the lead, I had no doubt she would do a superb acting job but she would be totally unbelievable and watching the film would ruin the book for me. Well last night proved me right. Julia was NOT the person for the part but as I don't know the names of modern day actresses I cannot suggest anyone who would have been better. Someone of the calibre of Judi Dench (younger of course) would have suited me. And I thought the film was very poorly made with little continuity. I don't know if this is down to the script writer or the director or the producer or whoever but somebody must be responsible for the mish mash that was the result. I went to bed half way through.

[Marietje]

There was not point to this book. Why did she even write it?

[Lori]

I love that phrase "self indulgent twaddle". I will be adding it to my lexicon. And, I agree.

[Rachel]

Maybe even 'boring, self-indulgent twaddle.' While I love travel, love Bali and a trip to Italy would be amazing, I found her very self-obsessed and struggled to get through the book.

[Thera]

I wanted to pour bleach in my eyes after reading this garbage. Such a whiny little brat, this woman is. Thankfully, it was a library book, so I didn't throw my money away.
I really do not understand why so many women found this book to be profound and life changing. So many women who say it takes great courage to travel the world and start over. No it isn't. People do it all the time. They don't wallow in self pity and write a sappy story about it. I will be the first to throw a dart at a map and go there, no matter where it is. You want me to write about it? Cool, I can do that. You want me to hang with the monks in the himalayas? Sounds peaceful, I'm down. What she did was NOT courageous. It was whiney.

[Terrie]

Amen!

[Jane(Pixie)]

I get the part about Elizabeth Gilbert not being like more average individuals. But memoires are a look into real peoples minds. Gilbert is adventurous, just me. I like that. I am glad to get into the head of people who courageously, lay their trials and breakdowns for all to read and experience. It can't be easy to reach in and get it out there, As a friend she would have a lot to bring to the relationship. She. herself. has said, 'Two memoire?' She seems pretty harmless. dealing with trials that we could all face. real lives come apart at the seams. There is no playbook for getting back,

[Megan]

It seemed so self indulgent it felt like fiction. I liked the Italy section, hated the Indian section and tolerated the Bali section. Talk about overrated !!

[[deleted user]]

Very grateful for those who deconstructed the hype about this book. I've actually lied to those who have asked me if I've read it (no, I have not) so I don't have to listen to them tell me how much I would love it. Intuitively, the book sounded like fast-food spirituality. Now I have the time to reread the great Mystics and Seekers from the past.

[kellyjane]

I thought that this book was was interesting and engaging. Perhaps it's because I didn't have any expectations about what it should be, or what she should be. What I actually found in the book was a woman who, despite having what many people outside of herself would say was a good life and good marriage-- this woman didn't feel the truth of that, and this regardless of how often and long she tried to convince herself otherwise. Emotionally she was becoming self-estranged and, overall, falling apart. In short she was experiencing a inner crisis that not only confused her, but stimulated a great deal of ever-accumulating guilt and shame for her.

That she decided to step outside of her familiar cage, everything that she thought she knew about creating a life, seemed to me a courageous and possibly sanity-preserving decision on her part. How she stepped out of that cage (ie, a year of paid travel) was interesting to me, but not the essential thing. Surely I'd love such an opportunity myself; but I won't begrudge her anything just because it wasn't me.

Most of all, she was in my experience courageously authentic in the expression of difficult, painful, vulnerable thoughts and feelings. I'm sure that she anticipated being considered or judged selfish for deciding to focus entirely on her own experience of wholeness and well-being basically at all costs-- but she laid everything out there anyway. I credit her for being willing to face the inevitable judgments by remaining authentic through the highs and lows alike.

[Sam]

I thought the book was pretty decent. Of course I knew nothing about the book or the author when I read it so had no expectations of mind-expanding revelations. People like personal stories, to feel connected to others through their personal stories. That's why Taylor Swift is so freakin famous. People write about their lives, they are successful or not, it really is rather random and rarely has to do with extreme talent. Its just about whether they hit the right key at the right time in the right place. Obviously a lot of people really connected with this book, since it sold more copies than any book she ever wrote and millions of people rave about it. But we can write them all off as dummies. A friend of mine was recently making a bunch of comments really similar to this thread, then she confessed she hadn't read it, but had just heard about it. Navel-gazing privileged white lady. I think a lot of people are just mad/jealous she got paid $200,000 to take the trip. I mean that is obviously really upsetting to people since it is mentioned over, and never, and over again. I read an interview with her, she actually got death threats over this book! Talk about crazy!

[Mary]

Soneile wrote: "I thought the book was pretty decent. Of course I knew nothing about the book or the author when I read it so had no expectations of mind-expanding revelations. People like personal stories, to fee..."

Yes, I agree that people write about their lives, but I felt the premise of this book was based on a lie....She did not go on this trip to "find herself" . She was paid to go on this trip to write a book. The beginning of the book makes it sound like a woman at the end of her rope, who sells everything, and takes a big risk to discover herself....but that rings false after you find out she was paid. I compare it to "Wild" Both women wrote about traveling to find themselves, but Cheryl Strayed traveled without money or hope of financial rewards, literally risked her life in order to change her path and discover herself, and then years later wrote about it. To me, Cheryl's story was much more genuine and resonated more with me.

[Tasneem]

I actually liked this book. I find pursuing a journey of self-discovery a sacred and personal matter rather than a selfish and irresponsible thing. Moreover, it is her experience and she has every right to express it in whatever way she pleases. In order for her to understand the world and feel for the world, she must be at peace with herself which entitles a lot of sacrifices and a whole lot of selfishness. I do agree that she did not fulfill her ultimate goal of peace and serenity, but she did manage to cope with the damage done in her life. Coping with damage and settling it away from its home, it being in NY or inside of her mind, is one of many ways of purification under the title of spiritual guidance. Good book all in all.