We are thrilled to kick off our Alumnae Book club with "Eat Pray Love" by Elizabeth Gilbert. This book has been made into a film starring Julia Roberts, scheduled to open in August 2010.
Here's what Publishers Weekly has to say about Eat Pray Love:
Gilbert grafts the structure of romantic fiction upon the inquiries of reporting in this sprawling yet methodical travelogue of soul-searching and self-discovery. Plagued with despair after a nasty divorce, the author, in her early 30s, divides a year equally among three dissimilar countries, exploring her competing urges for earthly delights and divine transcendence. First, pleasure: savoring Italy's buffet of delights — the world's best pizza, free-flowing wine and dashing conversation partners — Gilbert consumes la dolce vita as spiritual succor. 'I came to Italy pinched and thin,' she writes, but soon fills out in waist and soul. Then, prayer and ascetic rigor: seeking communion with the divine at a sacred ashram in India, Gilbert emulates the ways of yogis in grueling hours of meditation, struggling to still her churning mind. Finally, a balancing act in Bali, where Gilbert tries for equipoise 'betwixt and between' realms, studies with a merry medicine man and plunges into a charged love affair. Sustaining a chatty, conspiratorial tone, Gilbert fully engages readers in the year's cultural and emotional tapestry — conveying rapture with infectious brio, recalling anguish with touching candor — as she details her exotic tableau with history, anecdote and impression." (Starred Review) (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.)
Have you read this book? Please leave a comment about what you thought!
Interested in hosting a book club meeting in person? Let us know!
Or if you have a book club already that has reviewed this book, please get in touch.
And then we can have a girls movie night in August!
Love, love, LOVE this book
Couldn't put it down...definitely hit home with me.
Was surprised that i enjoyed
Was surprised that i enjoyed the pray part the most. And of course eat was great! I typically enjoy books written by journalists, and this was no exception. While not a classic memoir, this book is enough like the genre to be over the top self-absorbed. Nice summer read.
Eat Pray love
A different view--I gave copies to 3 daughters when it was first published, based on the media. NOT ONE of them gained from its pages: Our home was built on traditional value systems, including Boy & Girl Scouting & formal religion. Now, one girl is less traditional & a free spirit, the other 2 more traditional and more spiritual, yet they felt the author had not developed a value system as a younger person, and saw her journeys as a more selfish motives. Greg Mortenson's "Three Cups of Tea" & "Stones into School" are truly worthy works for ANYONE to read & follow as good examples in today's world. Hope you will add them to your list?
Thank you!
Thank you so much for the wonderful suggestions for future books to choose. I'm currently looking for the next book now. Thanks also for sharing your view on the book. I personally still have not yet gotten through the Italy section :-) So I can't comment yet, but I chose the book because of its popularity and because I thought it would be fun to do an alumnae movie outing as a follow up, not for any spiritual reasons.
I'm definitely taking suggestions for which book to choose next!
Thank you everyone for your comments!
Warm Regards,
Michelle Yang
Some great some ok!
I picked this book up because of all the press. I was excited to read it but found her self absorbed whining and misery a bit trying. I kept wanting to say, get a hold of yourself woman. Once I got past that I truly enjoyed her descriptions of food and language and her obvious skill in meeting and getting to know people. I am uncomfortable meeting new people and could never do some of the things she has. She certainly was brave in my opinion. By the end I'd say I enjoyed the book overall. I am looking forward to seeing some of the places she described in the movie.I would agree with anonymous that her morals were perhaps not quite in line with Girl Scouting but I do think her spirit of adventure and willingness to try new things makes her interesting. I'd say give it a try!
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