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3.75 AVERAGE
3.75 AVERAGE
A friend recommended this book to me a few years ago, lauding it as "Eat, Pray, Love, only better," and was she ever right. I loved this book: more anthropological in nature, and without any feeling of pretension, it spoke to my heart.
Rita Golden Gelman ends her marriage of many years in her forties, and sets off to live a life of exploration. Bali and New Zealand are just two of the places where Golden Gelman makes her home over the course of many years of travel: one thing that lends itself to the strength of these memoirs is that Golden Gelman is writing many years after her adventures. She did not set out to find herself, or make changes to herself that she would bring back to her life in the U.S. She wanted to know people, their stories, what happens in their daily lives, what is important to them, to us. She wanted to lose herself in the lives of other people, in order to find a better connection with the world and all it has to offer, including its people.
There is no romantic lilt to this story: Golden Gelman had left behind that part of her life when her marriage ended, and there are no moments where the reader wonders whom she'll end up with, or what happy ending the story may have. Golden Gelman is completely and utterly herself, and she is brilliant. She admits her errors in new places, or how difficult it is to be alone in a country without knowing a language. She discusses her isolation openly and honestly, and these moments often lead to a demonstration of the kindness that exists within people everywhere.
I feel that I'm rambling, but I wish I could find the words to describe how inspirational this book was. A few weeks ago I attended a dinner event alone, something I might not have had the courage to do a few months ago, but I was ready to do it now, and Golden Gelman's book was the final puff of confidence I needed to leap off that particular ledge. We all have the courage to do the things we want to do, we just have to find a way to make them happen.
Rita Golden Gelman ends her marriage of many years in her forties, and sets off to live a life of exploration. Bali and New Zealand are just two of the places where Golden Gelman makes her home over the course of many years of travel: one thing that lends itself to the strength of these memoirs is that Golden Gelman is writing many years after her adventures. She did not set out to find herself, or make changes to herself that she would bring back to her life in the U.S. She wanted to know people, their stories, what happens in their daily lives, what is important to them, to us. She wanted to lose herself in the lives of other people, in order to find a better connection with the world and all it has to offer, including its people.
There is no romantic lilt to this story: Golden Gelman had left behind that part of her life when her marriage ended, and there are no moments where the reader wonders whom she'll end up with, or what happy ending the story may have. Golden Gelman is completely and utterly herself, and she is brilliant. She admits her errors in new places, or how difficult it is to be alone in a country without knowing a language. She discusses her isolation openly and honestly, and these moments often lead to a demonstration of the kindness that exists within people everywhere.
I feel that I'm rambling, but I wish I could find the words to describe how inspirational this book was. A few weeks ago I attended a dinner event alone, something I might not have had the courage to do a few months ago, but I was ready to do it now, and Golden Gelman's book was the final puff of confidence I needed to leap off that particular ledge. We all have the courage to do the things we want to do, we just have to find a way to make them happen.
Published about 5 years before [b:Eat, Pray, Love|19501|Eat, Pray, Love|Elizabeth Gilbert|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1269870432s/19501.jpg|3352398], this is (in my opinion) a far more engaging story of a lone female traveler finder herself by exploring the world. Rita Goldman Gelmanâs travels show a remarkable âjump and the net will appearâ philosophy combined with an honest interest in the people she meets that I find admirable. If only I could travel with that much openness and faith!
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
2.5 stars. Interesting story of one woman's post-divorce journey. I understand that this book is one woman's reflection of her OWN personal journey moving from country to country and living in different cultures BUT I could not relate with the author because I saw her as quite self-centered (shows up with no warning in villages in countries she travels to and expects to live there - I think that is a pompous and disrespectful way to travel on purpose, her story of flying into a random village in West Papua Indonesian for a few days and then chartering a flight to get out was ridiculous) and I was annoyed by the writing style - so many paragraphs start with "I" so it often reads like a list - I did this, then I did this, then I thought this, then I ate this - rather than an engaging story.
A fun read and chance to find out what happens when a 40-something woman runs off and starts over, all over the world, creating new lives for herself.
I loved this book. When the author’s marriage breaks apart, she realizes that it’s not just the marriage that doesn’t fit her. Her whole life is slightly off, and what’s missing is freedom, adventure, risk and surprises. And so she sets out to bring these things into her life.
It was wonderful to go along on this ride with her, going to distant places and trying new things. Some of the places she visited were familiar to me, others not, but I was completely engaged in every page. And I admired her courage, her willingness to live nowhere and everywhere.
It was wonderful to go along on this ride with her, going to distant places and trying new things. Some of the places she visited were familiar to me, others not, but I was completely engaged in every page. And I admired her courage, her willingness to live nowhere and everywhere.
I found this to be a really inconsistent book -- not enough description in some places, transporting in some sections (how I'd love to visit Bali now), and tedious detail about visits from family in other parts. In the end, I am glad for this vicarious journey of a woman so different from me, and for all the things I learned about other cultures, particularly the Balinese ceremonies around death.
I listened to the author reading her book and loved it. She took me to worlds I have dreamt about (the Sumatran rainforest) and made me wonder, could I do this? She makes it sound so easy! I loved how she is so open to whomever she meets, what she sees, and what she is offered to eat. Would I be able to go with the flow, trust my instincts and other people, and have the guts to attend sacred ceremonies and even sample unfamiliar foods? I know that sounds silly, but c'mon...when your travel has mainly involved places that serve gourmet meals, plenty of good wine, and well-traveled tourist paths (plus the promises of a soft bed and a hot shower), RGG's kind of nomadic travel is a challenging concept. But I also absolutely loved the worlds and experiences, the stories and the pictures she painted with this travel memoir. I come away from this book very inspired to try new things, to let it all go (my pre-conceived notions) and to venture out into the world to truly embrace different cultures, food, music, traditions, dress, customs and languages. I really admire Rita for doing this with her life--a life that sounds so rich and full that I can't really even imagine living it, which makes this such a touchstone book for me. What an inspiring book! Now I have to track down some of her others because I love having her "voice" in my head.
Arrogant and self-righteous, Gelman spends so much time talking about how much better she is than all her "friends" back home (and you, the reader) that she forgets to actually experience real life around the world. Totally missed the mark, here. Perhaps she should stick to kids books...