Customer Reviews
Disappointed - By: Comas Barnes Maite, 19 Jun 2008 
I'm afraid I cannot agree with some of the other reviews on this book. I have just started the Balinese bit & I am struggling. I could not see what the fuss was about with Italyin the Italian part of the book & during the Indian part, it just felt that the kind of detail she was puttingin just made it all seem fake.
I agree that she writes very well, she is witty & I like her characters, but so far I have not been able to enjoy the book. In all, I have found it a disappointment as it was recommended to me.
Great insight but a little too self centered - By: V. woodbridge, 12 Jun 2008 
I did enjoy this book. Do not get me wrong. BUT I think that there is a great cultural divide. In the US people tend to be less backwardin coming forward about themselves & about half way through the book started to grate on me. Elizabeth just seemed to be totally obsessed with me me me me me to the extent that as a UK woman I was cringeing. I am not saying that women should not be confident, or that UK is better than US, but very different. I would like to have seen more contextin her writing, more consideration for others & her effect on others, perhaps less ego centicness. All being said it is a unique book.
Amazing book...some people may be missing the point - By: N. Martin, 24 May 2008 
I just finished this book & have to say it has had a profound effect on me, it was a fantastic account of one woman's journey to find herself. Admittedly its a great 'story'in itself, but its more than a story about a woman who got her heart broken, ate some food & then *skip the Ashram bit* found lovein Bali. Anyone who treats this book like that is somewhat missing the point. I'm not a religious person at all, I have no religion, & I agree the Ashram section wasn't an easy read & I found some resistance to it, but that's exactly the point, her timein the Ashram wasn't comfortable, & we are made to feel that too. You can't gain anything from this book by skipping the middle section, it's only through her experiencesin India that she learned to accept herself, find inner peace & strength & have the self knowledge & love to be ABLE to move onin Bali. That's the whole problem with this society, & that's exactly why she has laid herself out here as a guinea pig, an example. Rushingin life for the 'happy ending' will get you nowhere. Or it will get you divorced & suicidal at 34 looking for answers. The whole point of this book - & many others like it - is a forewarning that you will have to go through the struggles she did (albeitin not necessarilyin India) if you're going to be truly happy. EAT PRAY LOVE the book is called. not EAT & LOVE. As a society we need to open our minds a little I think.
An Inspiring Story - By: NYC Reader, 03 May 2008 I really enjoyed this book & was surprised to see so many uncomplimentary reviews that have been posted. I admire Elizabeth's courage & honesty to tell the world her personal experiences. Throughout the book she lets the reader into her private world.
In each of the 3 sections of the book I felt includedin Elizabeth's life.
While Elizabeth wasin Italy, I felt her passion for food & empathy for her while she weaned herself off anti depressants (that certainly takes couragein my book). Whilein India, Elizabeth tells us about how she learned to find balance. One chapter that stood out for me was when Elizabeth speaks of how when the harder she tried to quiet the voicesin her head, the louder they got, & when she finally stopped trying the voices quieted on their own. In Bali, Elizabeth found balance & love. I truly enjoyed this book.
Another book, by renowned authors Ariel & Shya Kane "Being Here Modern Day Tales of Enlightenment" also a book I really enjoyed & highly recommend. The book consists of short stories about transformation.
Flawed, but still a good read - By: Julia Flyte, 03 May 2008 
Before reading "Eat Pray Love", I noticed that many of the reviews on Amazon were highly polarised. While overall I very much enjoyed this book, I can also understand those who didn't. In many ways the book feels like a self-indulgent first draft that needs the hand of a good editor to tighten it up. While Elizabeth Gilbert has an intimate style of writing & a witty turn of phrase, it did feel like EVERY funny story & EVERY clever thought had to be crammed in. Sentences like: "every word was a singing sparrow, a magic trick, a truffle for me" - why use one metaphorin a sentence when three will do?!
I found it interesting the way that the writing style mirrors Liz's journey. When she starts outin Italy her writing is frenzied & self-obsessed. We hear far more about her depression than we hear about Rome. She revisits her failed marriage & failed relationship to the point that it feels like the book is stagnating. What makes this extra frustrating is that when she does occasionally talk about Italy, her writing is exquisite. She describes Venice as "a wonderful cityin which to die a slow alcoholic death...spooky under its gray November skies". Another standout for me is a wonderful description of going to a football game. She also integrates quotes from famous people & facts about places very well.
In the middle section of the book (at the ashramin India), the pace slows. This section is mostly about Liz's struggles with meditation - lots of breakthroughs followed by setbacks. I found this section interesting, but it's not really about India.
The final section,in Bali, was the standout for me, as Liz learns to assimilate the personal growth that she achievedin India into everyday life. She builds some very real relationships with the locals & I found her descriptions of Bali & the culture to be insightful & interesting. For the first time, it felt like she was able to look around & recognise that she was not the most interesting & important thing to write about.
Despite its flaws, I very much enjoyed this book. The short chapters & frequent humour kept me turning the pages & I warmed to Liz as I read on. The idea of taking a year off from life is not something that I would bein a position to do, but I enjoyed reading about someone else's adventure.
