I can see that this is at number One in the NY times list (paperback non fiction)- it's been made into movie with Julia Roberts...anyone read it ??



From Fantastic Fiction

This beautifully written, heartfelt memoir touched a nerve among both readers and reviewers. Elizabeth Gilbert tells how she made the difficult choice to leave behind all the trappings of modern American success (marriage, house in the country, career) and find, instead, what she truly wanted from life. Setting out for a year to study three different aspects of her nature amid three different cultures, Gilbert explored the art of pleasure in Italy and the art of devotion in India, and then a balance between the two on the Indonesian island of Bali. By turns rapturous and rueful, this wise and funny author (whom Booklist calls "Anne Lamott's hip, yoga- practicing, footloose younger sister") is poised to garner yet more adoring fans.

I read it and really enjoyed it. The middle section was a little slow for me but still enjoyable. At some points I found myself saying "how is it possible that this woman can just take off and go to all these places and not be a nervous wreck?" I'm at a time in my life where this book spoke to me in a very personal way. That's why I think I enjoyed it. I'm not big on reading biographies but this read more like a story than non-fiction. . Many of my friends who read it didn't like it. I got it from the library but didn't feel the need to go and buy it - not a re-read for me.

I listened to it a while back. The author read it herself and I thought it was pretty good. I listened to her second one more recently. They are not things I'd be likely to read or listen to again, but I enjoyed them when I listened. Not a life choice I could ever see myself making, but it seemed to work for her.

I read this one a year or so ago after my SIL passed it on to me. As I wasn't familiar with the author's regular work, and like Kim2010 was wondering how the heck she could afford to do that before I realized that she was a travel writer. Biographies aren't big for me right now but my SIL loves all of these "life lesson" types of books and is always passing them on to me (i.e. The Shack). I just loved her travel portions because I couldn't identify with her relationship issues at all. Some of the characters like the ones in India were a little quirky but I found Elizabeth herself a little annoying. The movie was a little better than the book IMO and I rarely say that (like never).