The other day I reached the bottom of the stack of my books to-read with the exception of one last book… Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert. A few years ago when this book first rose to its height of popularity a friend of mine suggested that I read it. Non-fiction? No, thanks. I do remember picking up a copy in a bookstore, reading the intro, and putting it back down. But when I mentioned to my friend recently that I saw the trailer for the movie version and all the beautiful scenery she took it to mean that I finally wanted to read the book.
So for the past few weeks my friend’s copy of Eat, Pray, Love has been on top of a stack of books I picked up from the used bookstore. Each time I finished a book I would select another book from the stack and EPL would lower down one more notch. At last, it became the last book sitting in my stack. Rather than go back to the used bookstore again, I relented and decided to read about this woman’s spiritual journey.
I will freely admit that before I started the book I was cynical (and snotty) ((and jealous)). Wouldn’t it be nice to have enough money to leave the world behind and travel to three different countries for a year? Not to mention the lack of responsibilities that would allow an adventure like this to be possible?
The book is a very easy read. The author has a sense of humor and at the same time seems very open and honest. But at times I wonder if the author is just being dramatic for the sake of the story.
A few chapters or “beads” into the book my Sweetie asked me about it. I told him that Prozac was invented for this woman. I was partially being sarcastic but I also wondered that if all she said was true, how did she function on a daily basis. Her life was a mess. Such a mess that it only reaffirmed that no amount of financial assets could make a person happy and I didn’t have any reason to be jealous of her year-long trip abroad. By the 19th bead she reveals to the reader that she did go through therapy and go on medication in the period before her year-long travels. She credits the medication for saving her life but is still negative towards “mood-altering medication.”
I’ve been pondering this new revelation from the author for a few hours and it irritates me a little bit. Perhaps I’m taking it too personally just because of where I am in my life? Oh well, I’ll get over it. And I'll finish reading Eat, Pray, Love because I truly hope that she finds peace. She must have, right? She got a book AND a movie deal out of it.
Has anyone else read Eat, Pray, Love?
Were you cynical or jealous of the author’s ability to take a year-long trip overseas?
7 comments:
I refer to the book as Eat, Pray, Make Money. Clearly, I am a cynic. The whole premise of the book screamed, "I'm doing these crazy things to get a kick-ass book deal out of this."
I didn't mind the first and last portions of the book, but I was jaw-droppingly bored throughout the part taking place in India.
I didn't like it. I read it when I was in a book club and half of the group loved it, half hated it. I thought India was boring and overall the book depressed me. I think casting Julia Roberts was genius though, anything she touches turns gold and she'll bring likeability to the movie that the book lacked.
People keep talking about this book, but I just can't juice up any desire to read it. And people who make judgements about medication really do irk the crap out of me. It's a judgement and nothing more. I think we'd all get along much better if people didn't spend the time trying to "school" others on their personal philosophies and allow others to take care of themselves, as they need to.
Although I'll admit to being both impressed and slightly jealous that you've actually made it to the bottom of a reading pile, I am glad you did so you could share your insightful thoughts on this popular read. The book is in my mental pile of unread tomes, as in, I haven't acquired it, but it's on my radar. I really had no idea that the story had a "dark side." My enviousness of the author's adventure has now been tempered by your perspective. Thanks for sharing!
I'm with TKW on this one - but I still read it. And I was insanely jealous - both of her ability to just pick up and go AND the fact that she got a book deal out of it. Why can't I do that?
Yikes! I'm still trying to make it through the one and only book I have picked up this year. I've barely gotten through the first 4 chapters in two weeks!
I saw the previews to that book/movie and haven't found anything appealing in it. It is not on my list of must sees.
I read the book but was not overly fond of it as many of my friends were. She also apparently gets over her cynicism to marriage as she has another great seller about how she ends up marrying the guy in this book...have not bought or read it as I don't think she has anything to teach me on the subject!
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