Comments on The Book Vixen - A Romance Book Blog: REVIEW: Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert

I so agree with your review. I also really wanted...

2011-01-25T06:17:12.551-08:00

I so agree with your review. I also really wanted to close the book after the eat part as this for me was perhaps the most interesting part of the novel.

I also wrote a short review that you can check out if you are interested

http://bookscount.webs.com/apps/blog/show/5527180-eat-pray-love-elizabeth-gilbert

I have to say, I was really surprised that Roberts...

2010-10-06T06:38:24.245-07:00

I have to say, I was really surprised that Roberts was playing this role. I haven't heard positive things about this book. At least you gave it a try! :)

Kelli - The WHY is an important aspect of the stor...

2010-10-05T10:49:44.153-07:00

Kelli - The WHY is an important aspect of the story and it's missing. Maybe I would have felt differently about the book if the author would have explained the Why, maybe not. The author is not giving us the whole story. The foundation is missing.

I wish I could see the episode of Oprah where the author appeared. I wonder if it's on YouTube...

Did she have a child with her second husband?

I meant to say very appropriate terms!

2010-10-05T10:25:04.526-07:00

I meant to say very appropriate terms!

TBV, I agree with you completely. I would not hav...

2010-10-05T10:23:56.817-07:00

TBV, I agree with you completely. I would not have cared about her journey if I didn't know WHY she undertook. Why did she leave her husband? Why did she need to find herself? That's what I thought the book would be about.

But, you know, I was going to read this book then I saw the author on Oprah and she was so vague about her divorce that I decided not to read it. She described her decision to end her marriage coming to her when she was laying on her bathroom floor crying at 3 am, not knowing why she didn't want to be married, didn't want to work, didn't want to have a baby, etc. I found it ironic that she ended up doing all those things, just with a different man...

Jesi, I think you can say anything in the world about marriage, but until you are actually married, your comments do not have much weight. It's a whole different can of worms once you say those vows. "Forever only lasts as long as it does" that's the kind of thinking that has our country's divorce rate so high. Also, please note that TBV did not give this book a star rating, she simply told us why she did not finish it (in very appropriate, I might add. She did not bash the book like so many others would have done).

Hats off to Elizabeth Gilbert for finding happiness (for now) but that doesn't mean I'm running to read about it.

I appreicate your honesty TBV!

Jesi - I'm only going to speak for myself here...

2010-10-05T09:16:18.301-07:00

Jesi - I'm only going to speak for myself here. I married someone with the notion that I'm going to stay married until death do us part. I didn't go into marriage with the idea that I'm in it for only "as long it lasts". That to me feels like I would be looking for a way out. If that was the case, then I wouldn't have gotten married in the first place. Marriage isn't for everyone. Now, if the author's ex-husband cheated on her or abused her or something like that, then I can definitely understand her getting a divorce. But she doesn't give the reader any explanation at all. In order for me to completely be able to understand one's journey, I need to know what brought them to that point - the beginning of their journey - in the first place.

A review is an opinion and that's what I gave you here. Whether I finished the book or not doesn't matter. I clearly stated that I did not finish and I also said how far into the book I got. I paid for this book (and I paid to watch the movie adaptation) and I'm going to share my opinion of what I thought. Now if I were to have given the book a 1-5 rating, then that would be unjust since I did not read the book in its entirety.

Natalie - give the Kindle to your mom now! :) yli...

2010-10-05T09:12:21.152-07:00

Natalie - give the Kindle to your mom now! :)

ylime1981 - seems like people either love this book or they hate it. I really thought the movie would be better but unfortunately it wasn't. It's a good think the studio booked Julia Roberts for the leading role, otherwise I don't know may people would have watched it.

BV ~ Thanks for being honest about your experience...

2010-10-05T08:11:48.104-07:00

BV ~ Thanks for being honest about your experience with the book. DNF's suck, but they do happen, and I appreciate those who are up front about what didn't work for them.

I've never been interested in reading this (I think I told you that when you did the group read), but I know of two people who have read it and one loves it, the other hated it. :) Opinions are always so subjective.

I'm not sure it's an entirely fair review ...

2010-10-05T07:42:51.419-07:00

I'm not sure it's an entirely fair review if you didn't finish the book. The India and Bali parts were the best of the book, imo. Gilbert really began to shine at her ashram in India, and you missed reading one of the funniest--and funnest--"characters," her American guru who dropped sardonic pearls of wisdom just when she needed them. And finding love again, a deeper, truer love than she had experienced before, in Bali was a transcendent read in itself.

The movie adaptation was unfortunate. I usually like Julia Roberts' acting, but even that couldn't save the film, which was simply mis-directed and mis-written. It's a pity, because this book struck a chord with so, so many women, myself included.

I have never been married myself, but I try not to presume facts about people's marriages. The institute of marriage has many inherent flaws anyway, so judging its participants on whether or not they stay in one particular marriage is unfair. Most people do (and should) experience various emotional etc. changes in their lives as they age. Forever only lasts as long as it does, and sometimes that doesn't mean until death. If Gilbert has found a newer and truer forever in her current marriage, I say that's great for her. Maybe her first marriage was just not compatible and flexible enough for the changes each partner experienced over time. Who knows? I must add that giving a marriage ten years is a pretty significant effort. After only six months, say--now, that might be more questionable.

Anyway, I loved the book, although I should read it again and see if my perception of it has changed in the several years since I finished it. After all, our tastes do change, and I give myself allowance that mine might do just that.

I'm glad that I'm not the only one who fel...

2010-10-05T07:35:06.046-07:00

I'm glad that I'm not the only one who felt that way. I actually only made it to page 20. My girlfriends and I were reading it and then going to see the movie. Sitting through the movie was torture.

I read it. I liked it. Though I must admit... I sk...

2010-10-05T07:34:02.300-07:00

I read it. I liked it. Though I must admit... I skimmed through the Praying" part and identified with the eat and the love. It was "ok" but I didn't love it.

lololololol... I feel like I just read one of Kell...

2010-10-04T20:14:43.550-07:00

lololololol... I feel like I just read one of Kelli's 1 star reviews which ='S "NATALIE WILL NEVER PICK UP AND READ AND SHE MIGHT WATCH THE MOVIE ON DVD",,,

I would have been pissed if I finally got a babysitter and the movie sucked! I feel your pain :(

PS the kindle is awesome! I don't think I will hold out until Christmas before I give it to my mom :)

LisaMM - I emailed you to find out what I missed o...

2010-10-04T19:27:00.596-07:00

LisaMM - I emailed you to find out what I missed out on. I just have to know! :)

Ruby - Definitely trust your instincts. I don't normally read non-fiction unless it's about a person who I find really interesting (like Diablo Cody, which I've read or like Nicholas Sparks, which I haven't yet read but will because I love the man) or contains elements I find interesting (like Sinner Takes All by Tera Patrick the porn star). Other than that, I shy away from the genre.

Chrystal - its seems to be a hit or miss kind of book; either people love it or they hate it. If you're hesitant about reading EPL, try to get it from the library or a swapping site.

Hmmm maybe I will pass on this one then. I've ...

2010-10-04T17:42:44.420-07:00

Hmmm maybe I will pass on this one then. I've been thinking down the road I would pick up a used copy, but maybe I will pass for someting I know I will love.

Thanks for sharing such an honest opinion. :)

I couldn't agree more!

2010-10-04T17:19:00.436-07:00

I couldn't agree more!

Dang, I had wanted to read this book but kept hold...

2010-10-04T16:49:43.320-07:00

Dang, I had wanted to read this book but kept holding back. Based on your review, I'm thinking I might not waste my time and trust my instincts lol

WOW, I agree 100% with everything you said about t...

2010-10-04T16:47:58.343-07:00

WOW, I agree 100% with everything you said about the book (haven't seen the movie) and the reasons you disliked it are very similar to my own. The part I hated most, though, you didn't even get to!! I wish you had, it would have been fun to rip into it with you!