Eat, Pray, Love Book Review – Love it

Just finished reading Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert and did not, in fact, make it to the Bucktown Arts Festival like I had previously talked about going to all week.  I’m disappointed I didn’t go, but super happy that I was able to lay around in my PJs all day Sunday just finishing a wonderful book.  I always get sad when I know a book is about to end, especially when I am really enjoying it….this happened when I was reading The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin too.  It’s like I get worried there will not be another book to replace it that I like as much.

Crazy to think that I used to hate reading at all – it would be the last thing on my list of fun.  These days I’m thirsty for the next piece of literature to add to my tiny library. :)

Needless to say, I really enjoyed Eat, Pray, Love – it was like listening to someone very similar to my own sensibilities figure herself out on so many levels.  The biggest connection I felt was Liz’s nervous chattering mind, I felt like I could understand what she felt in so many moments – searching for a stillness, serenity, and peace of mind.  Her painstaking transition into what became such a huge triumph in India with a sudden understanding for the love in her whole heart, God, spiritual stillness, peacefulness, and strength really struck a huge cord with me.  And, the author’s intricate and detailed way of telling the story was so enveloping – makes me want to travel to India and find peace of mind myself.

Of course Italy was delicious and pleasure-filled and description of food was almost enough to make me order a pizza during the read~! Yum – it sounded like everything tasted so good.  A lot of friends who have read the book find Italy to be the best set of chapters, but I really enjoyed Indonesia the most, because through all these pleasures, pains, break-throughs, and lessons…Indonesia is where she was able to put everything she learned to work and begin to love herself and live her life again.  I can totally relate to the terrible-ness of divorce and it really does take a special set of things to get you through it – one huge element being passage of time.

Another super interesting aspect of this book is the talk about the “caverns” of the heart and the body as if they were compartments that get lived in by feelings and pain and anger – its so true how intense feelings can be after a traumatic event – as if they are lodged inside your body, I’ve always felt that way with divorce, death, even birth, and happiness….its like something grabs hold of you and its in there like a brick.  One of the most beautiful chapters is the part where she invites all her angers, fears, and sorrow into her heart before releasing them and telling herself she loves herself again.

It must be so empowering to feel all the strength and love after such a difficult time in life.

I love this book so much that as I was reading it, I was torn between who I would pass it along to first.  So funny because the person I give it to may not love it like I did, but I think to myself about how much enjoyment it brought me & hope the next person will feel the same.  :)

Happy reading everyone!