Comments on: Elizabeth Gilbert’s ‘Eat, Pray, Love’: What Do You Say to God Besides, ‘I’ve Always Been a Big Fan of Your Work’?

By: canadada

canadada — Mon, 29 Oct 2007 14:35:04 +0000

Me again. Your SITE is sooooo interesting!!!

Of interest to other readers may be this quiz – ‘Belief-o-matic’.

http://www.beliefnet.com/story/76/story_7665_1.html

It’s an interesting ‘take’ on the whole thought of ‘religion’: what it does and doesn’t do for you …

Haven’t read Gilbert’s effort. It just doesn’t appeal for some reason – maybe it’s the cutsey title itself that turns me off?

Cheers, c

By: P

Sun, 15 Apr 2007 00:03:43 +0000

Sorry – my last sentence is pathetic What I wanted to say was : “I’ll wait for my library to get these types of books and I’ll spend my reading money more wisely.”

Thanks,
P

By: 1minutebookreviewswordpresscom

1minutebookreviewswordpresscom — Sat, 14 Apr 2007 20:45:09 +0000

Oh, how critics appreciate comments like yours! “Eat, Pray, Love” has been a huge bestseller … and whenever I take on a book like it (as I seem to do often!) I have the sense that I am swimming so strongly against the current that I brace for assaults. It’s so heartening to hear that you “got” the review.

You’re right that Gilbert is offering a fantasy of divorce that is unrealistic for all but a few women. A fantasy can be OK if the writing makes up for the unreality (if a book justifies itself as art if not as self-help). But the writing in “Eat, Pray, Love” isn’t nearly as good as in many other books about divorce, including Wendy Swallow’s “Breaking Apart,” which I just reviewed.

But Gilbert’s book is still highly visible — I just saw the paperback yesterday at the front of a bookstore on Fifth Avenue — and I hope that people who are tempted to buy it will take your comments to heart. Thanks so much for leaving them.

By: P

Sat, 14 Apr 2007 18:40:45 +0000

Hi Janice –
I couldn’t agree with you more. Cutesy prose. I realized quickly that this was a high maintenance woman…not that *that’s* a particularly bad thing…it’s just an observation…er…my oberservation.

The main idea that I couldn’t shake was this: There are probably many many women in similar positions that she was in…but they certainly didn’t / don’t have the luxury to disassociate themselves from life, take several months off to regroup, have the money to travel the world during the process and …oh yeah…write a book.

With all that said, I actually DID buy her hardcover edition, so I am, in fact, a supporter in the firmest sense. I gave up cash…but I won’t do that again. I’ll wait for more reviews and hopefully types of books will turn up in my library first and I can spend my reading money more wisely.