I read this book for the sole reason that it had been on the best seller list for a long time.
The good thing about this book is that it shows how the author saw herself through the bad times and was able to see the light at the end of the tunnel. I'm sure a lot of people can relate to it and learn something from it.
However, it was unbearable to see everything in the book being about herself and nothing else. Her every interaction with people has a sole purpose. Herself.
She talked about a girl she befriended in the ashram in India. She says that the girl wore spectacles that had broken lens but that didnt keep her from wearing it.. For some reason I got stuck on that line.
Even when she supposedly falls in love, it is all about how he treats her/compliments her and such.
Also, It wasn't very convincing to see someone change from one mode to another seamlessly (Eat pray love) and become oblivious of the previous mode.

I picked up Eat, Pray and Love several times in the bookshops since it was published in 2006. I put it down. Several friends asked me: have you read the book? I hadn't. Finally, at the bookshop a few weeks ago a friend asked, you haven't read it? Let me get it for you. OK, I said. I finished reading it a few days ago. It reminded me Sarah McDonald's Holy Cow. Written in a breezy style, I felt it lacked depth. However, I was empathetic with the Gilbert's need to do what she as doing and needed to heal. The strengh of the book is that Gilbert does carry out her dreams and helps herself. Many women I know have this need, but not the courage to cary it out. For those I think the books is inspirational. It talks of following your heart and geting in touch wiht your heart.

I really expected a lot more from this author as her book was advertised all over and became popular. I thought it can teach me something I don't know. But the whole thing was about this woman's shallow thoughts and feelings here and there and her boring journey with her exaggerating some unimportant happenings in her life and making an annoying cliche out of them. I forced myself to finish this book and could easily throw it in the garbage afterwards. I don't recommend it to anyone.

Sadly, the fact that this book is by a woman mostly aimed at women is embarrassing. This book was planned by the publisher and by the author; it was no true journey of the soul but more like a carefully crafted publicity angled journey.

Gilbert has a problem with the Bible, but easily accepts the doctrines (teachings) of her Guru, the Balinese medicine man, and others, including written Hindu scripture like the Upanishads. The only doctrine Gilbert has any problems with is that which denies that there are many ways to God or teaches that there is only one way to God. This is what she is talking about.

Let us consider where you end up if you think doctrine doesn't matter. It can take you to a place where there are no distinctions between anything because there are no authoritative boundaries between what is good or evil, or what is true or false. Everything is determined subjectively. This is exemplified in the medicine man in Bali, Ketut, who thinks all religions are "same-same," and heaven and hell are ultimately the same, as well. In fact, he says that hell is love. This is even startling for Gilbert, although she believes everyone is divine. So if that is true, and if there is a hell, then it would be full of divine beings as well. No distinction between good and evil means that good and evil don't ultimately matter.

Gilbert gives the idea that everything is spiritual as you long as you "feel" it. This book exalts that which is shallow and self-absorbed, not what is truly spiritual.

This is brilliantly written in that it captures the emotion of the author giving the book substance. The narrative from beginning to end is clear. This is a book about 'transition', and none the less 'transformation', and solitude in the arm's of non medication, meditation. We see Elizabeth Gilbert transform from none the less a convoluted neurotic woman disturbed by a life awakening, a relationship break-up, to a very calm and peaceful soul by the end of the book. This book goes from low to high. Highly recommended.

I was loaned this book from a neighbor who also told me that the author was a selfish, self absorbed sorry excuse for a woman...but she also added it is very interesting because of her travels...Thus began the love hate relationship for this book...
The authors style is witty but sometimes on the verge of droning. You want to read more about the mozzarella but then you endure through the self pity. The descriptions of Rome are enchanting as are the thoughts of leaving your life to simply learn a new language and indulge in a romantic culture, but then thoughts of ex-boyfriends, ex-husbands ,depression and then the wakeup call of "oh yeah I actually have a real life and it would be practically impossible strike that IMPOSSIBLE to actually be able to take 4 months and move to some place of my wishes just because I can't take it anymore"....
O.K. enough of the self pity in the book I think you get that already...I give it four stars simply because it allowed me to escape to that place that would be fun and maybe I have dreamt of, but I know I'll never do, nor want to do. She does explore those selfish ambition thoughts that creep into the mind of any young woman under the pressures of modern day society and she actually justifies them - well at least in her own mind she does. The book contains delightful insights and tips into cultures I will only dream of visiting and in the end I think she makes the reader grateful for your own normal or maybe not so normal life...At least maybe more normal than hers anyway. It would be interesting to see if her acquired self-peace actually sustains through a relationship on four different continents...somehow I wouldn't be surprised to find out in the end of her life or at least her current relationship she finds herself back on the bathroom floor sobbing.

This book was suggested to me by my friend, since she had recommended it I was expecting a story that I would enjoy. Before I finished the third page, I was in love. Gilbert's voice as a narrator is one of the most charming and engaging I've ever encountered, she shares with you her personal quest in such a way that also offers insight into your own life. I borrowed the book from the library first, but ordered it online soon after because this is definitely a book I'm going to want to read again.

I really enjoyed Eat Pray Love. I was shocked by how open the author was about her personal story. It's obviously not for everyone (see the range of reviews here) -- I think people who identify with some of the author's experiences will enjoy it more. I recommend giving it a try, if you do connect with her you'll probably find the story, and its lessons, very appealing and maybe even life-changing.

This book was suggested to me by my friend, since she had recommended it I was expecting a story that I would enjoy. Before I finished the third page, I was in love. Gilbert's voice as a narrator is one of the most charming and engaging I've ever encountered, she shares with you her personal quest in such a way that also offers insight into your own life. I borrowed the book from the library first, but ordered it online soon after because this is definitely a book I'm going to want to read again.

This is a great book. It is hard to put down. Easy read. I love traveling to Italy, Indonesia and India with Elizabeth.

I've been reading books for a (relatively!)long time and few have affected me as warmly and deeply as this one. Liz Gilbert is so brutally honest about her personal journey through time and space and spiritual reality, it's hard to imagine that not every single reader would not fall madly in love with this amazing piece of literature.

For one thing, Gilbert isn't even a tiny bit shy about revealing her many personal weaknesses and challenges -- and in so doing, effectively inspires ordinary folk into attempting the extraordinary. Not that these are be-all, end-all pursuits for all of us, but before reading this much-celebrated memoir, I never seriously considered visiting India or meditating.

Loved the vibrant, humorous and candid descriptions of the entertaining characters who populated Gilbert's colorful travels through Italy, India and Bali almost as much as her resonating observations about beautiful/imperfect human nature. And all in laymen's terms, too. Come on! When was the last time most of us read something about '"evil" being the ego's trick to see ourselves as separate beings' and really 'got it'? (speaking for myself, never!)

Those who knock Eat, Love, Pray for being self-indulgent or superficial, must be confusing it with some other book.

Certainly not for everybody, but if you enjoy personal and honest examinations about the pursuit of self and spiritual wholeness, this book's definitely worth checking out.

In real life, I try to like everybody or find something likeable about everybody I spend any amount of time with. If I met the author, I would run in the opposite direction. If you're lonely, depressed, or going through a difficult time and cannot get a publisher's advance to travel the world for a year to come to terms with your problems (in other words, if you are anybody but the author), then this book won't be helpful. A little practical advice on dealing with the same problems would have been welcome, but practicality seems to be one of the few words Gilbert is unfamiliar with.

How could anyone claim that the book lacked substance!
Read it and then judge it! I personally loved it especially the "Pray" part!

I truly enjoyed this book. Is it sappy?..yes, a little. Narcissitic?...maybe, a little. Offensive?...not to me, not even a little.

When I read this book I was going through a very difficult time in my own life. While I didn't have the money to take a year off from life, I read this book and allowed myself to be carried off through the authors enlightening journey. I had so many of the same questions, the same thoughts, and too many same experiences sobbing on the bathroom floor.

I found the ironic, sarcastic humor funny and perfectly timed and the authors experiences and frustrations with the healing process genuine.

This may not be a book all women can enjoy, but if you are in a hard place, struggling to find yourself, exploring spirtuality, or if you just enjoy reading a book about travels to interesting places; keep on open mind and give it a try.

I am surprised by some of the negative comments about this book. It is about a woman's search for herself ... so of course this would be about HER! Through her self discovery she has made a difference in women who are on a similar journey. I being one of them. Gilbert's writing is making a lighthearted read of a very dark time in her life. I did not suffer from the same kind of depression as Gilbert did, but due to a difficult marriage and divorce I am on my own self discovery and search for spirituality during a very hard time. I appreciated Gilbert's candid honesty, her willingness to admit her own shortcomings and her humor.

When I'm reading a book and find myself wanting to become the main character's best friend, I know this is a great book. That's what happened to me with this book, I was constantly thinking how much I liked this person (in this case the book's author) and how much I would enjoy going out for coffee and having a conversation with her.

I wasn't sure about reading this book after the reviews I read here. In fact, I had it on my wish list and took it off after reading some of the reviews. However, one of my closest friends read it recently and as soon as she finished she said "you have to read this book, you are going to love it!!". This is a person who doesn't read much and who hasn't enjoyed many books. This is also a person who knows me extremely wel. As soon as she said that to me I went out and bought it. Actually, my friend was going to lend it to me but her mother was reading it and I really needed a new book so I went out and bought it instead. I'm so glad I did! I ended up putting post its all over it, pointing out passages that I liked or related with, and I'm glad to own a book that I'm sure I will return to many times.

I liked how Gilbert wanted to find inner peace without giving up on some of life's most superficial and guilty pleasures. This is something I have constantly thought about as well, and it has actually prevented me from going deeper into my own spiritual journey for the fear of not being "spiritual" enough, of not being able to unattach myself from the more superficial things in life, that I must admit I thoroughly enjoy. I also liked that I was able to relate to the anxiety she feels at realizing she doesn't want many of the things society thinks a woman should want, such as children. I felt I was listening to a close friend talk about herself, the way us girls do, sometimes being very deep and transendental and at other times completely superficial and silly.

I understand that this book (as it happens with any book, really) is not for everyone. For those who enjoy deeper, more spiritual memoirs Gilbert will seem completely shallow and self-indulgent. For those who always wonder whether a spiritual life can go alongside the simpler pleasures of life, you will find in this book many of the questions you have already once asked yourself. In my experience, this was a wonderful and inspiratonal book. I have not liked a book so much in a long time.

I laughed and loved my way through this wonderful book. Elizabeth Gilbert has written a charming book in three parts: Eat, Pray, Love. You may have heard already but it's a great book. It's fun, easy and inspiring. I found that while I was reading, I was more enthused about my life. It was warm and lovely to experience the lustiness of Italy, the serenity of India and finally the sweetness of loving in Indonesia with this wonderful author. I love books that lift my spirit. I was on the very brink of buying a ticket to some exotic locale on the heels of this treasure. But even better, this is one of those books that invited me to find those joys in my everyday life. I recently read another book that does that lifting the spirit thing, too. It's called Being Here: Modern Day Tales of Enlightenment [ASIN:1888043180 Being Here: Modern Day Tales of Enlightenment)] by Ariel and Shya Kane. Enliven yourself, your day and your life by reading both of these books.

I was completely amazed to see any negative feedback about this book. It was honestly one of the best book I have ever read. I loved the author's honesty and openness. She was funny, real, and relateable. I wrote so many of the things in her book down and look over them for inspiration. I especially loved how I cheered from her and got to see her progress. It made me want to read the sequel with then next year of her life!

I have heard so many positive things about this book, so I decided to buy it for my sister-in-law as a Christmas present last year, without reading it. What a mistake. I was given the book recently and was very excited to read it, but my excitement faded with every page. The endless sob stories and self reflection was just boring. Every other page, I found myself caring less and less about what this self absorbed, whining woman had to say. I partially blamed it on the fact that I had just finished "Infidel" by Ayaan Hirsi Ali, which is an amazing story about one woman's ability to overcome poverty, genital mutilation, arranged marriage, political chaos, etc... It is a tough jump from that book to this one. One reviewer criticized those of us who said we couldn't finish it. I honestly tried, but after I was half way through India, I found myself skipping through sentences and entire paragraphs due to lack of interest. I don't think any strong, happy, independent, positive person could enjoy this book.

It's seems funny to me that all these negative reviews start with "I didn't finish the book" You can't critique what you haven't read. This book is soooo amazing, it gets better with each page. I hated to see it end. It's so real and endearing. I love this woman, this journey is so like my own. My husband also read it and loved it. I can't wait till the movie comes out!!!

This is a really terrible book. The first part, about Italy, is still fairly readable although you start to realize very early on that the author doesn't seem to have much of substance to say. Her writing confirms that just because a person decides to write about her emotional life, it doesn't mean that the description is going to be insightful or intelligent or, most importantly, even readable. A lot of the writing is of the personal journal kind--one section that immediately springs to mind is when she writes an analogy about loneliness and anxiety; the analogy reads like something written by a 10 year old child who is trying to explain to herself in baby-talk these emotions in an effort to deal with them--and who is also learning to write at the same time. That was the first time I wanted to stop reading the book.

There is something quite false about her account regarding her improving mental health in the Indian ashram, the subject of the second part of the book. She gives the impression that she is making rapid strides in the spirituality department as if it is some exam she is preparing really well and frantically for. Contrary to her claims, it doesn't sound like she is achieving her goal of becoming a calmer person. Then there are these encounters she has with a Texan at the Ashram. These descriptions really made me cringe: the fact that not only does she admire the kind of intrusive, judgmental, condescending and cliched remarks this guy makes about her--the book is autobiographical and you really have to wonder how intelligent a person our author is to give so much credence to this random guy--but also the way she writes about them as if they're these out-worldly pearls of wisdom she is oh-so-lucky to have received and is eager to share with her hapless readers. I think I decided to finally stop punishing myself by reading this book when she started describing her dreams: some really boring, commonplace dreams which belong only to her journal--to reiterate--and no other place. Please don't waste your time on this book, there are many smarter and more insightful things to read out there.

Gilbert posesses a unique voice that brings her readers into an intimate journey alongside her. This book captures what it is to be a woman who seeks more than materialism in these modern times.

I have such mixed feelings about this book. For starters, in order to even read it I had to put aside a pretty major reservation: To finance one's personal spiritual quest by getting an advance on a book one will write about said quest seems more than a bit exploitative.

But I put this reservation aside, and I actually enjoyed the first two thirds or so. I think the Italy section was the strongest. At this point in the book, the author is still feeling rather unsure of herself and the mess her life has become. In other words, she's humble, and her self-deprecating humor is enjoyable. This section alternates between travelogue--which, as an armchair traveler, I was very attracted to--and the beginnings of a search for the causes of the author's personal misery. At this point, she seems excited and open-minded, and so was I.

The second section, in India, kept my interest, largely owing to Richard from Texas, a colorful character whose own struggles in life have made him a refreshing, humorous wise man of sorts. I enjoyed the descriptions of the Ashram and some of the other seekers there, although I had some issues with the rather sudden breakthrough the author claims to have had, moving from complete meditation ineptitude to a kundalini experience with the mere change of mantra. As a yogini myself, I was disappointed that there was virtually no discussion at all of her hatha yoga practice; the meditation was all.

It was in the third section of the book that I started to develop a bad taste in my mouth. It is never clear, even from the outset of the book, what the point of the Indonesian segment is. She talks about finding "balance" there, but did she need to go to another country to find that? And she failed to convince me that the Balinese live a balanced lifestyle at all. In fact, this entire section was riddled with contradiction, not the least--or least concerning--of which is the fact that twice, she admits to lying outright to her friends. Is this the behavior of a woman who has been growing spiritually and finding a personal connection to God? The last lie she tells, to her friend Wayan, is nothing more than a way of manipulating the woman into doing what she wants. The author rationalizes her behavior by saying she made her friend do what was good for her and her children, as if it's her business in the first place. Let me back up. The entire situation that culminates in the lie originates in the author's decision to email her friends and ask them for money to buy her needy friend Wayan a house. However, she does so without even asking Wayan if this is what she wants, and then when she gives the money to Wayan, instead of using it to buy a house for her, she winds up manipulating her with lies in order to get her to use the money the way it was intended. Does this not seem a bit controlling and meddling? And is controlling and meddling a sign of spiritual growth?

What's more, it's one thing to do a good turn for someone and ask for nothing in return. Many people help others anonymously as a way of doing good in the world as a purely selfless, spiritual act. But the entire time Liz Gilbert is raising this money for her friend, she is TELLING US ABOUT IT IN GREAT DETAIL. In other words, she reaps the ego benefit of her act, which, in my own humble opinion, is not a spiritual approach to helping others. In fact, it keeps the author at the center of the story.Of course, simultaneously, she's making money off the story in the form of sales of the book, which to my understanding have been quite substantial, but I guess one could argue she didn't know it was going to be a best seller.

Meanwhile, the man she calls "my medicine man" (another thing that rubbed me the wrong way; what makes him hers?) keeps mentioning how badly he needs money, yet it appears Gilbert is spending day after day talking with the man and allegedly gleaning gems of wisdom from him without doing any more in return than photocopying his notes and putting them into binders. Does she even pay him for reading her palm and imparting his knowledge? If she does, she doesn't mention it, although she seems bemused enough by his repeated request to bring her Western friends to him for palm readings because "I am very empty in my bank." It seems only fair to pay a working medicine man who primarily serves a poverty stricken clientele for his time. In fact, there is something too colonial about the entire expate scene Gilbert becomes a part of. A bunch of well-to-do Westerners who can afford to live it up in an impoverished country live among and befriend the poor locals. Excuse me if I sound cynical, but Gilbert seems always to have the upper hand; her telling shows the local people revering her like some sort of goddess. Can you say British in India? French in Vietnam?

Yes, as other reviewers have said, Liz Gilbert 's memoir is self-absorbed, but what else could I expect from the story of one person's spiritual growth? I guess I expected her "growth" to look more selfless and less narcissistic. You know, more "spiritual."

I don't think everyone will like this book. There's lags in the book. Some parts over dramatic, other parts overly detailed however, this is one book that I will never forget. Elizabeth Gilbert has faced some incredible lows in life. I find her ability to rise above the situation inspiring and for me, I take from it, the realization that life can continue when you've lost it all. I love one of her tales on the power of prayer. It's beautiful. How can you not be uplifted by her journey.

It's flawed but so INSPIRING.

One thing became very clear to me while listening to this chronicle of self-love and middle-class privilege: the most dangerous place to be if in proximity of Elizabeth Gilbert is between her and her hugely high opinion of herself.

This puling, grueling, whiny tale of...what? Someone who's SUFFERED so BADLY because they went through a divorce (well I never heard of such suffering! Golly whilickers!) with a man who has committed unspecified crimes (no doubt: didn't praise her highly at least three times an hour). It's a cringe-worthy read, especially when she swoops down on a completely impoverished "medicine man" who cannot for the life of him remember her after her absence of several years (how could he? She's so gosh darned SPECIAL!!!) or when she suckers some friends into ponying out money so that she can later write about how she saved some Balinese grifter lady's life.

I'd love to see what Liz Gilbert would do if she had to write a book like Barbara Ehrenreich's "Nickled and Dimed"...where she actually had to go out and do some work and publish something that actually opened up our eyes to the inherent difficulties of most human lives (underappreciated, underpaid, tired, overworked). Oh let me guess...she'd cry on the bathroom floor until we all got so tired of her we'd raise money and send her to Bali, Italy, an ashram...anywhere, just out of our faces.

I really can't say enough good things about this book. I think it really is a masterpiece and will be a classic for women for years to come. Gilbert is a fantastically witty and engaging writer who knows how to draw the reader in. Interestingly, after reading this book I found that it was easier for me to be more honest and open in my own journal writing which is something I didn't expect to have happen. I would say that the book is definitely more for women who feel a need to look at their lives in a different, shall I say, more spiritual way. But Gilbert is such an excellent writer that really anyone would enjoy it. I think it's a must read.

This is not the type of book I would have bought for myself. However, my mom gave it to me for Christmas and I found it difficult to put down. It did get a little long and sluggish in the middle, but I'm glad I finished it.

My mom sent me this book last Christmas. I couldn't put it down.

I loved the food, the exotic scenery, and every one of the author's (often hilarious) adventures. The style is friendly and easy to read. It is romantic without being mushy and adventurous without pretension or bravado.

When I finished, I felt as though I had made a new friend.

I really have enjoyed this book, although I started it after the KITE RUNNER (which was the best book I have read in years) and didn't think it would even compare. Well it doesn't compare because it would be "apples to oranges" but each book in its own right is FANTASTIC! I am now in the last 1/4 of this book (finally) and have to say that I got curious about the author's other books and her personal life outside of what was revealed in this book so I checked out her website here and read the FAQ which were fascinating and well worth the read.Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman's Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia

I really enjoyed Eat, Pray, Love. I got a lot from this book. I found her writing style very entertaining, easy to read yet still very deep and moving. This book has made a big impression on me and I will read it again and again.

I am so happy to see that other people had the same reaction to this book that I had. I, too, had to quit before getting too far and I NEVER do that! But the author is unbearably self-absorbed. Thanks to other reviewers for their honesty.

I LOVED this book! I borrowed it from the local library after seeing it in almost every store I entered, then after reading about 2 chapters, I knew it was one I had to own so I could lend it to everyone else!
Gilbert brings you into her life at apoint when she is completely miserable, not because she has a horrible marriage but simply because she finds herself in the middle of a life she so does not want. You follow her along through a year's time where she gets herself out of the marriage, finds herself and heals herself.
I have never run across a book where I was ready to start it all over again the same day I finished it.... but this one was it for me.

I was dubious about this book, but I needed something not too demanding to make it through jury duty. I sat in a crowded room for two hours next to a fidgeting, groaning woman with halitosis and I hardly even noticed. Elizabeth Gilbert can write. I'm going to read epl again just for the metaphors.

Why wouldn't a memoir be self-absorbed? Aren't they supposed to be? Read _Three Cups of Tea_, by all means. But when you want to bust out laughing, read this.

Everyone loved this book, and while I live my life to eat, pray and love.. She wasn't on the same page with me. She gives up on her marriage in the first chapter. Then she sleeps with a series of men. Who has money to travel to three countries, and have such a distaste for everything. I wanted to reach into the book and ring her neck. I find humor in everything, but this book just made me feel depressed. But, I should have known better.. I'm not in the Oprah book cult.

This book really give me the chance to do some different in my life style! Beth teach us with her own history, so we can know about dificulties without live the difficulties! Fantastic!

I HAVE BEEN VERY PLEASED WITH ALL OF MY AMAZON PURCHASES FOR TWO PRIMARY REASONS; 1) THE PRODUCTS HAVE BEEN IN GOOD CONDITION AND WELL RECEIVED, AND 2) SHOPPING IS SO EASY (NO PARKING, CROWDS, ETC.)

I like this book! It is well written, honest, humorous, smart, spiritual and I felt good while I was reading.

My book group (a thoughtful bunch of people) decided not to read this book because, as one member said, "It's self-centered and trivial." So I read it on my own.

Perhaps Liz Gilbert IS being self-centered as she makes her very personal journey through limited parts of Italy, India and Bali. If that offends you, by all means skip Eat, Pray, Love. On the other hand, her adventures, perceptions and, most of all, joys, are contagious and at times delicious. I tired of her search for God, perhaps because I don't care to look myself. But her experiences with personal revelation and, just as important, characters, food and culture, are a lot of fun.

I suggest you read it with a light heart - it's okay to be self-indulgent once in a while, and Liz Gilbert admits several times that she knows she's got it good and is lucky to have this year of self-discovery.

I was in no hurry to finish this book, because it was a simple pleasure.

Inspiring. It's never too late to change your life and Elizabeth Gilbert shows how deep you can go.

I've never been a big fan of the memoir style of writing. I mean really, we all know that important people have everyday life experiences. I guess I'm generally too wrapped up in my own life to worry about theirs (I have been called insufferably self-absorbed.... I prefer to think of myself as focused on consciously evolving myself). For this reason I was reluctant to read `eat pray love' by Elizabeth Gilbert. Here is a normal person writing a memoir. I mean really. But while sitting in Borders one day, innocently enjoying an iced coffee (my new crack), it kept staring at me. Have you ever had a book stare at you? Like the way that sometimes the cat litter box stares at you. You know you should go look. You know it needs your attention. It is relentless. So, in the spirit of adventure (which, as it turns out was very appropriate to the experience) I picked it up. And almost didn't put it back down until I was finished.

The book is billed as `One Woman's Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia'. The search for everything? OK, I'm in. I like a girl with ambition. The book recounts the author's experience with divorce, and her corresponding catastrophic clinical depression. She writes `I took on my depression like it was the fight of my life, which, of course, it was'. She relates the turning point in her recovery as akin to sitting down in the middle of the road, in the middle of her life, and not walking one step further until she received some help. Through a series of important baby steps on her part and a bit of good fortune (I honestly believe this is necessary to any good turning point) she winds up traveling across the globe, writing this very memoir as her job - Lemonade! This is a brilliant woman. She turned her depression into a fabulous career opportunity. Even if the book sucked, it would be worth reading for this reason alone.

As is often my wont when starting a new book, I scooted over to Amazon.com to see what other readers had to say about the book. Although it scored almost 4 out of 5 stars with over 1600 reviews, the top three featured reviews were unanimously abysmal. These three reviewers ripped the book apart, calling the author `narcissistic, needy and shallow' among other things. Wellll folks, it is a book about her experience with her divorce and her depression... one would think the focus would be rather inward-searching. Two of the reviewers were men, and it's possible they simply were not interested in what can be, admittedly, a rather girly book (During her time in Rome, the author spends a vast sum of money on pretty underwear.... and then doesn't have sex until two countries and several months later. Surely this is enough to frustrate the most patient male readers). The third reviewer was a woman who had five children, and who admitted she couldn't understand nor relate to a woman who left a marriage `simply' because she didn't want to have children. The point of the book, my dear friend, is that the decision was not simple at all.

Elizabeth Gilbert writes about her experiences with divorce, depression, travel, and spirituality with such personal style that it began to feel like she was my friend. OK, it's possible I make friends too easily, but she was so present in the book, and so relentless in her journey toward self-awareness that it was impossible not to be drawn in. She has a beautiful yet conspiratorial writing style and a way with analogy and metaphor that bring her most intimate experiences to life. During one section of the book, she personifies Depression and Loneliness as a couple of Pinkerton Detectives who come to shake her down and interrogate her while wielding billy clubs and stinky cigars. It is truly brilliant writing, and certainly the most accurate evocation of those two miserable emotions as I've ever read. Now for those of you who have never suffered a bone-crushing depression and who are wondering why you would even want to read about one, I will say (spoiler alert!) that the book has a satisfyingly happy ending and plenty of laugh-out-loud moments. Besides which, everyone knows someone who has been depressed. If you've ever loved a depressed person and wondered why the heck they can't just be happy... this book might help you clarify. Besides which, now I want to travel to Italy, India and Indonesia. I'll be sure to put them on the list of things to review.

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Eat, pray, love was one of my favorite books I read this summer. It is a must- have beach read! I suggest this book to anyone who wants to feel motivated to put themselves first and conquer their dreams! The story begins with a woman who has everything she wants, or so people think. It is about living up to society's expectations. She has the perfect job, husband, home and is thinking about children. However, something is missing. Her marriage is unfulfilling and unlike her husband, she does not want children. She does the unthinkable. She leaves everything she created and worked for. She left her job. She left her husband. She left her home. It was the beginning of a nasty divorce, but she needed to do to grow as a person and be happy. She had to start over, clear her mind, and live a free-spirited life that she had been missing all those years. Basically, she needed to fill the void that had been lingering.
Along her journey, she meets a variety of people who impact her in one way or another. She first goes to Rome to fulfill her need for the hearty Italian food. She meets a man who teaches her Italian. She then travels to India to submerse herself in spiritual healing. Lastly, she travels to Bali where she attempts to fulfill her life with "balancing."
This book is humorous, powerful, and a necessity for those soul searchers out there! It will make you want to travel the world and live a life you have been missing! Not to mention, Amazon delivered it promptly and in great shape. I will continue to order from Amazon due to the efficiency and reliability of the product and service.

... cause it was just plain naive! I don't want to give it 1 star because parts of it at least made me interested. But overall (until I stoped reading it)this book really didn't do it for me. I think first of all it was too spiritual to suit me and secondly I got really annoyed with the selfishness of Gilbert. I blame myself for the second part though - I should have realized that reading some other reviews and given the fact that the book is about one woman's life crisis. However I just found it bland and annoying. The part in Italy was ok (I think that this is because I have lived in Rome myself before) but it is the India part that made me give this book away. So many people recommended this book to me and I would too... if the person in question is really spiritual, to me it just got wierd.

This book is not a heavy read, but a sit around the pool read of a woman on a journey of self discovery. All along her journey were tidbits of learning, new people, and good food. All the things that would make her savor the cultures of each place while finding her authentic self.
I took a journey like this and it was awesome, It is all about seeing new places and finding out something new about self in each place.
This is a spiritual treat.

This is a wonderful, insightful book that will really help open your eyes to Yourself!

I listened to this in traffic for about a week. I actually looked forward to sitting in traffic. Her voice is soothing, the content is inspiring, and I can't imagine why anyone would give it one star. I loved it and was sad when I got to the last cd. Wonderfully written and very well read.

While this book does sometimes bog down in her descriptions it offers a way of dealing with things that affect many women and their choices/decisions today...I only suggest you don't worry about understanding everything or believing everything she says...the important parts will jump out at you and stay with you....."See, now that's your problem. You're wishin' too much, baby. You gotta stop wearing your wishbone where your backbone oughtta be."
Gotta love Richard from Texas' logic....

Great book, so rare to find a travel book that also includes the author's inner spiritual journey. Not the story intensity or level of Kira Salak's two travel books ("Cruelest Journey" and "Four Corners") or her latest fiction work loosely based on her real life experiences "The White Mary" (the ultimate book of adventure and travel that takes the main character through an amazing physical and spiritual journey) that define inner spirtual journey travel writing, but still a great read worth five stars. If you like travel books that cover the inner journey as well as the external journey, you will greatly enjoy this book.

I loved this book. What a beautiful writer she is! She makes the English language sing. Very encouraging for anyone who is "lost" and wants more out of life.

Get it on CD......her voice is just like syrup......you really feel like she is telling her story directly to you as well.

The book is excellent, and a good read that's hard to put down. Elizabeth Gilbert did and excellent job in sharing her journey to get closer with God, in this book. This book has change my views on the day to day stressors and how I handled them. My development with God has truly been changed in reading this book, I have found God to be so wonderful and exciting and my life has truly changed for the better.

This book is a road map illustrating beautifully---and at times quite humorously--- how one person made sense of this world by connecting to the Other. It's a wonderfully written guide to drawing back the curtain that hides us from our true nature, from God's presence within us. Elizabeth Gilbert has made a lasting and important contribution by sharing her deepest personal issues and efforts to resolve them. Rarely does an author convey such important lessons with such a delicious and delightful personal voice.