I don’t really read non-fiction; I’m a novel junkie. So I knew about Eat Pray Love when that came out, but I never really felt tempted to read it. It also had this vague self-help aura about it, moving it even further down my lists of to-read.
But then our CEO heard Elizabeth Gilbert‘s TED talk and fell in love with her. We watched the TED talk at a company meeting, and I felt rather compelled by Elizabeth Gilbert myself and decided to give Eat Pray Love a read. I bought a used copy, in a token gesture of defiance for the non-fiction book buying.
And, just like everyone else, I loved it.
It made me want to go to Italy and eat a lot of pizza. With double mozzarella.
And then I wanted to go to India and study meditation, even though it did sound a bit awful.
And then and then! I wanted to go to Indonesia and visit beaches and party with expats!
It made me want to be her, I suppose. She was so smart and witty and interesting. And excitable and boisterous and optimistic. But other than appreciating the neatness that just is this woman, I very much liked the tidiness of the book. The way it was organized. I like how it referenced back to itself in clever ways and how the themes were subtly woven throughout the story. I liked her descriptions of people and all the wise and sage things they had to say. I appreciated just how deeply sad and hurt she was and how well she described it. And then I appreciated the way she pulled on her boot straps and just told herself to get better, and she did it.
margaret edith 