This is not your typical venture memoir. Eat, Pray, Like is a very candid sharing of one woman's experiences in dealing with trauma and upheaval in her life. Elizabeth Gilbert shares together with the reader not just her year of physical travels to Italy, South asia and Indonesia, but also her spiritual travels to retrieve herself subsequent to her bitter divorce and subsequent struggle with depression. Gilbert's time in Italy is spent immersing herself in a language and cuisine she loves. And yes, I do indeed mean immersing herself in Italian cuisine.
Chewing in Italy is a first function and the descriptions provided to reader regarding the food consumed were absolutely mouth watering. Gilbert then takes the reader on her very personal journey of self-awareness and enlightenment during her time spent within the Indian ashram of her guru. The final path on her year long journey was Bali, Indonesia for an unplanned reunion with a seemingly ageless medicine man. Gilbert very respectively explains the corporate intricacies regarding the Balinese culture, explores the ex-pat sub-culture present within the tourist path and the Balinese people's struggles subsequent to the Bali bombings. While I immensely enjoyed listening to this candid retelling regarding the author's experiences, at times it ventured little too distant into self-indulgence for my personal tastes.
I am extremely fortunate to not have personally experienced depression and so consequently I am in awe regarding the author's bravery in recounting something so personal, there was a spot where I located the introspection in this regard laboured. I also located the concept of following a guru hard to identify with. I should subsequently give the context that I am not a religious person, and while I admire and seek to emulate sure qualities of those I most respect, I have not ever been one who explicitly seeks direction from others. I not ever subsequently disregard the benefits others shall gain from such experiences and applaud Gilbert for sharing her personal journey as I am sure many shall benefit from that. The high spot of this memoir for me was Gilbert's time spent in Indonesia.
Her interactions together with the medicine person were basically charming and uplifting, consistently bringing a smile to my face. The eclectic combine of people she came into contact with during her time in Bali provided her with opportunities of self-discovery and self-empowerment that I whole-heartedly identified with. Despite little of my misgivings about this book, its bestselling status is definitely warranted. It is enthralling and compelling one person's very personal journey shared within the hope that others shall locate meaning and comfort in it. Other titles by Elizabeth Gilbert with Committed', Stern Men', Pilgrims' and The Final American Man'.
No comments:
Post a Comment