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thesimplereader's review against another edition
2.0
DNF.
Whoa. Okay, first off. Snore. Not only was this book a boring black hole that sucked up my time and effort to try and make it through a chapter at a time, but even the movie was slow!
Whoa. Okay, first off. Snore. Not only was this book a boring black hole that sucked up my time and effort to try and make it through a chapter at a time, but even the movie was slow!
ec_newman's review against another edition
5.0
I don't meditate nor prescribe to eastern religion, but I totally enjoyed this book. Her observations were more often than not, right on and even though I will never live the life Ms. Gilbert lives, I found I could relate to a lot. Well worth reading for any woman from any background. Can't wait for the movie.
I must say though, I wonder if it would have been as successful had she not found love/a man at the end of her journey.
I must say though, I wonder if it would have been as successful had she not found love/a man at the end of her journey.
vanessab78's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
mimimilaa's review against another edition
5.0
At first, I was a bit apprehensive about reading this because it's a memoir. Before I read this, the only memoir that I had read was "Three Weeks With My Brother" by Nicholas Sparks and I hadn't really enjoyed that (which should pretty much be expected of a Nicholas Sparks book, honestly). Anyways, I am so beyond glad that I chose to pick this book up at the beginning of 2015.
It is and probably will always be one of my favorite books. I think the way that Elizabeth Gilbert writes is magnificent. Even with her occasional remark injected in parentheses, I thought her writing flowed so eloquently.The way she spoke of Italy and her love of the language made me want to go study Italian in Italy and eat whatever I wanted. I have read some reviews of how she only chose to focus on certain aspects of the Italian culture and how that was a weak point in the book, but in my opinion it's her memoir. This book was about her time to travel and find herself again after dealing with a brutal divorce and an emotionally strenuous relationship that followed. She chose to focus on the part of Italy that she wanted to and to declare her choice a mistake is totally irrelevant.
When beginning the section of Pray, I was a bit worried that I would lose focus and get lost in the technical terms of the synagogues and the actual places that she went, but I didn't get lost at all. I think that her depiction of yoga and meditation is extremely interesting and it even inspired me to start doing yoga myself. Her spiritual beliefs are some that I can relate to. I loved her friendship that she formed in this section and loved the way she grew in this stage. I think this was the main place where she mended herself. Eat was similar to the initial stage that any girl or woman goes through when her heart gets broken. Eat (preferably ice cream). Yet in Pray Gilbert shows that the only thing she needs to truly mend her heart is herself and the grace of a higher being. I think that aspect is what really kept my attention in this section.
Love was by far my favorite section of the book. I felt as if Indonesia was a sort of magical place. She formed such beautiful friendships and what she did for her friend's family was truly amazing. I was so glad to see that she ended up with who she did. I didn't have a preference to which guy she chose, but I think that she did make the right choice.
Overall, I thought that not only was the execution of the story (the actual writing) so elegant and appealing, but the personal growth and journey that the audience got to experience with Gilbert was truly amazing. I'm afraid to read another memoir because I fear it won't live up to this one.
It is and probably will always be one of my favorite books. I think the way that Elizabeth Gilbert writes is magnificent. Even with her occasional remark injected in parentheses, I thought her writing flowed so eloquently.The way she spoke of Italy and her love of the language made me want to go study Italian in Italy and eat whatever I wanted. I have read some reviews of how she only chose to focus on certain aspects of the Italian culture and how that was a weak point in the book, but in my opinion it's her memoir. This book was about her time to travel and find herself again after dealing with a brutal divorce and an emotionally strenuous relationship that followed. She chose to focus on the part of Italy that she wanted to and to declare her choice a mistake is totally irrelevant.
When beginning the section of Pray, I was a bit worried that I would lose focus and get lost in the technical terms of the synagogues and the actual places that she went, but I didn't get lost at all. I think that her depiction of yoga and meditation is extremely interesting and it even inspired me to start doing yoga myself. Her spiritual beliefs are some that I can relate to. I loved her friendship that she formed in this section and loved the way she grew in this stage. I think this was the main place where she mended herself. Eat was similar to the initial stage that any girl or woman goes through when her heart gets broken. Eat (preferably ice cream). Yet in Pray Gilbert shows that the only thing she needs to truly mend her heart is herself and the grace of a higher being. I think that aspect is what really kept my attention in this section.
Love was by far my favorite section of the book. I felt as if Indonesia was a sort of magical place. She formed such beautiful friendships and what she did for her friend's family was truly amazing. I was so glad to see that she ended up with who she did. I didn't have a preference to which guy she chose, but I think that she did make the right choice.
Overall, I thought that not only was the execution of the story (the actual writing) so elegant and appealing, but the personal growth and journey that the audience got to experience with Gilbert was truly amazing. I'm afraid to read another memoir because I fear it won't live up to this one.
togidemi's review against another edition
4.0
I LIKED IT. SORRY
The general consensus on Goodreads seems to be that Gilbert's kind of a conceited white bitch? And yeah, now and then the privilege shows and sounds faux-enlightened and it takes me out of it for a hot second, but MAN. WHAT A CHARMING AND ENGAGING WRITING STYLE. I ADORE the conversational, witty, and friendly way Gilbert writes. It's like listening to your bubbly, sorta grating rich-ass friend from high school telling you about her travels - like, yeah Glenda, good for you, being way above my socioeconomic class and getting hippie-dippie spiritual revelations, but you'd still listen because despite it all she's still a good friend and you have an inexplicable soft spot for her. The fact that there's 108 chapters - most of which are don't exceed five pages in length - also fed the "Oh Just One More Chapter" syndrome really badly.
so ye i'm apparently a middle-aged mom given my taste in books smh i'm having an identity crisis
The general consensus on Goodreads seems to be that Gilbert's kind of a conceited white bitch? And yeah, now and then the privilege shows and sounds faux-enlightened and it takes me out of it for a hot second, but MAN. WHAT A CHARMING AND ENGAGING WRITING STYLE. I ADORE the conversational, witty, and friendly way Gilbert writes. It's like listening to your bubbly, sorta grating rich-ass friend from high school telling you about her travels - like, yeah Glenda, good for you, being way above my socioeconomic class and getting hippie-dippie spiritual revelations, but you'd still listen because despite it all she's still a good friend and you have an inexplicable soft spot for her. The fact that there's 108 chapters - most of which are don't exceed five pages in length - also fed the "Oh Just One More Chapter" syndrome really badly.
so ye i'm apparently a middle-aged mom given my taste in books smh i'm having an identity crisis
sunnylivs's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
5.0