Eat Pray Love is the story of a woman's search for self-awareness. In an age of self-aggrandizement, it's surprising she waited so long. What Elizabeth Gilbert does at the age of 34 is make work to grow up - by not doing any work for a year, pursuing pleasure in Italy, devotion in India, and balance in Indonesia. To her credit, she does a good job of sharing her adventures and lessons; her writing is interesting, endearing, honest, and funny. I applaud her for getting off anti-depressants, facing the beasts within, and learning to cope. There's no difficulty reading this book, but when you get to the end, there's also no sorrow that it's over.As much as I appreciate Ms Gilbert's ability to write about her journeys - both geographic and emotional - I have to say Eat Pray Love lacks the depth necessary to make its impact last.
Of course, maybe that's not her goal. After all, she's writing about Herself. The goal of her pursuits is to find Herself. But this is exactly the downfall. She tells little of the countries she visits or the people she meets except as they relate to Herself. Not even religion/spirituality can lift her from her self-centered focus. (But then, if your god is within, I guess that's where you have to look.) If there's anything here to lead readers to gain an understanding of the world, appreciation for their place in it, or help to overcome their own obstacles, it's hard to find.
Near the end of her book Ms Gilbert has a revelation: "Many times in romance I have been a victim of my own optimism." (chap 96) Indeed, optimism to the extreme - not only about romance but life as well, and at the cost of truth. Let's hope she's no longer her own victim.
2 comments:
This book should give anyone who "hears God speak" chills, because it's so obvious the words the author attibutes to deity are her own thoughts. Indeed she doesn't draw much distinction, and wouldn't, because god is in everyone/everyone is a god.
Not that her own thoughts don't occasionally make good sense. The most common sense to her, however, is a surprising revelation. How did she ever arrive at 30 without knowing anything about herself, her husband, the way life works? No wonder she needed a year of concentrated "schooling" to get some of the most basic things in order.
I reject the search for "balance" on principle, because any kind of equilibrium depends completely on what two things one chooses as opposite on the see-saw. They may be the wrong things!
Let me just close with a reminder from Isaiah -- who saw God, high and lifted up! Actually, these ARE the words of God: "My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways.... For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts." (55:8-9)
Why be religious if you're not going to listen to God?
I just caught the last hour or so of Eat, Pray, Love the movie. It brought me back into the world of the book. A couple thoughts:
If the author wasn't beautiful, would she have the same experiences/choices/dilemmas?
Why does she require affirmation for what she wants to do? Isn't wanting something (desire), in her estimation, sufficient? Why does she insist on drawing others into her web?
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