I don't know how I managed to finish a book in between moving furniture into our new place, but I'm happy to say that we are finally "all moved in" and that the only (rather large) task left for us to do is unpack everything. And find some living room furniture, but that's another story. We have several wonderful friends who were willing to help us move in yesterday. Exhausted today, I spent the majority of my Sunday resting, reading, and eating Asian food. Perfect Sunday. And somehow, I managed to finish book #27 for 2011 -- Elizabeth Gilbert's memoir Eat, Pray, Love.
When writer Elizabeth Gilbert finds herself sobbing on her bathroom floor in the middle of the night, overcome with the realization that she no longer wants to be married, she knows that she is missing something very fundamental in her life. Upon concluding her very messy divorce, she takes a year-long trip around the world, spending three months each in Italy, India, and Indonesia -- the three I's, as she puts it -- to find God, seek enlightenment, and rediscover the joy in her life.
As a woman who has struggled with anxiety disorder and religious conviction for the past six years, I felt a kinship with Liz as she fought against her problems with opening up her consciousness and letting go of her guilt. I found myself cheering for her as she learned to indulge herself again in Italy, to meditate and enlighten herself in India, and to flirt again in Bali. Her whirlwind year of re-learning to express herself, and looking for God in all things, was really a treat to read. I agree with a lot of reviewers on the Goodreads page, that the Italy chapter (the book is divided into three segments for the three countries she visits) is really the one that is the most forgettable -- India was my favorite part. But still, good.
My one complaint about the book is that the ending can read as a little trite and unbelievable. I realize that it is Liz's life, and it did happen...it's just a little too predictable, you know? (Or maybe you don't know, you'd have to read the whole thing to really relate). Still, I enjoyed the book, and that's two memoirs in the past week finished.
Rating: ****
Totally agree about the end. I loved the whole thing up to the last couple of chapters where for whatever reason I started to pull away, though I never was much into romance and it starts to be that.
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