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abibliophileshaven 's review for:
Eat Pray Love
by Elizabeth Gilbert
Let me start by saying I don’t usually enjoy nonfiction, so don’t take this review too seriously. That said, I was honestly more excited to write this review than I ever was to pick up the book. Eat Pray Love felt like a slog to get through—way longer than it needed to be—and if it hadn’t been a book club pick, I doubt I would’ve finished it.
Gilbert’s journey in Italy, while full of pasta and potential, came across as pretty superficial. It felt like more of a vacation than any kind of real soul-searching. Her time in India was the most interesting part for me, probably because it seemed like she was actually grappling with something deeper—but even then, I wasn’t fully pulled in.
By the time she got to Indonesia, I was frustrated. She’s on this whole mission of self-discovery and swearing off relationships, but ends up in one anyway. It felt a little hypocritical, like she was falling right back into the patterns she was supposedly trying to break. I really wish she had stuck to her original plan of a year alone—it would have made her story more powerful and believable.
Also, for a book that delves into spiritual and cultural experiences, I would’ve appreciated more sources or context for where she got her information. At times it felt a little too “trust me, I was there” without giving much else to go on.
All in all, not my cup of tea, but I get why some people connect with it. I just wasn’t one of them.
Gilbert’s journey in Italy, while full of pasta and potential, came across as pretty superficial. It felt like more of a vacation than any kind of real soul-searching. Her time in India was the most interesting part for me, probably because it seemed like she was actually grappling with something deeper—but even then, I wasn’t fully pulled in.
By the time she got to Indonesia, I was frustrated. She’s on this whole mission of self-discovery and swearing off relationships, but ends up in one anyway. It felt a little hypocritical, like she was falling right back into the patterns she was supposedly trying to break. I really wish she had stuck to her original plan of a year alone—it would have made her story more powerful and believable.
Also, for a book that delves into spiritual and cultural experiences, I would’ve appreciated more sources or context for where she got her information. At times it felt a little too “trust me, I was there” without giving much else to go on.
All in all, not my cup of tea, but I get why some people connect with it. I just wasn’t one of them.