Eat, Pray, Love - Elizabeth Gilbert

Eat Pray Love and latte

   Please, don't judge a book by its movie.

     If you do, you may think that Elizabeth Gilbert's novel is about a midlifecrisisy woman who just wants someone to love. You'd miss the depression, the search for truth, the self-discovery, the God. In short, you'd miss the point. (Which is exactly what the movie did).

     I saw the previews and did not feel any inclination to read the book. Then my friend vouched that it might change my life, while physically placing it  in my hands. This makes it very hard not to read. In the end, I loved it so much that I immediately read it again, which is something I've never done before and wouldn't recommend as a general practice... except for when a book is changing your life and you need to write some of this stuff down.

     Eat, Pray, Love is honest and humorous, which you kind of have to be if you're talking about depression, emptiness, failed relationships, the desire to love, the desire for peace and acceptance, etc. She describes Depression and Loneliness as two thugs who follow her around bullying her and stinking up her new place of solace with cigar smoke. After pouring her life and purpose into others, she realizes that she is the only person who will save her from complete sorrow. Thus, she goes on a literal journey of self-discovery. Traveling through Italy, India, and Indonesia, she dedicates time to focus on her body, spirit, and heart (hence, the title). This is how she finds balance. And she kindly provides the insights she learns about herself and the human spirit with us as she goes.

     Found within are examples of the kind of friend I want to be (Iva), and counter-intuitive truisms that add illumination to life's pitfall-type-questions that make us stumble. Like, what do I do after I've lost my soul mate? And, how do I find peace when I feel guilty every day? This book has helped me to  relax my anxieties and muster up some compassion for myself... Which is a lovely thing for a book to be able to do.

     Yes, I recommend Eat, Pray, Love for those who struggle with God, guilt, loneliness, or any other matter of the human condition. Or even if you just want a good story, Gilbert's writing style is very entertaining and heartfelt. I even have guy friends who were happily surprised that this isn't just a chic book. Eat, Pray, Love is for anyone who is on a personal journey of changing or renewing their life.