Book Price Comparisons
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 Easy read I guess I have been picking up God awful books lately because I finally liked this book.:) It helps that I have been to the places she has. Even an Ashram. I have done the whole Guru thing while I was very young and I think it took me back. I had similar feelings in certain situations and some I dont agree with her. For example I did not find Rome so charming but loved Venice. Anyways, it is no Pulitzer winner but an easy, enjoyable read.  Self-absorbed woman takes self-absorbed journey... I really can't call this a full review it as I couldn't get past the first leg of her journey in Italy. This was chosen by a member of my book club. I read 30 pages and put it down and dreaded picking it up again. I managed about 50 more pages but couldn't go back. The author's tone is whiny and tries too hard to be witty. I had no sympathy for her so I could not get invested in her need to find herself. I will gladly pass this book along rather than have it waste space on my shelf as I have no desire to continue the author's "journey". A Better Title: Me, Me, Me This is a book that I had to force myself to finish. I kept thinking to myself that there must be something to all the buzz regarding this book. I honestly don't know what all the fuss was about. I understand that this is a memoir and about the author's experiences but my god this woman is damn proud of herself. Why? I wouldn't know. She strikes me as an affluent white woman with all of the opportunities that others only dream of. She is a Siddha yoga devotee and refuses to divulge who her guru is in the segment devoted to her ashram stay. But why would she mention Guru Chidvilisananda and Guru Muktananda when she is sooooo absorbed with herself. She should have titled this self indulgent fishwrap, "Me, Me, Me". It would have been a much more apt title. Her characters come off as caricatures. She is clearly dazzled by the exotic. Sure, wealthy white women are entitled to their ennui but please, save us from hearing how you had to make a parallel shift in your lifestyle or how you had to lose all of your money before you got lots and lots more!!! Perhaps the writer does not, in fact, lack depth but you wouldn't know it by this memoir.  This is a spiritual treasure! I am amazed at the mean-spirited people who panned this wonderful book. I love travel, have been on a spiritual path for 30 years, love having new meditations to help me rid mind, body and soul of negativity, love excellent writers who make me laugh a lot and also make me cry from being deeply moved. This book was written for me! I have both the book and the book on CD from my local library. Elizabeth Gilbert does a great job of narrating her own book. She has a pleasant, well modulated voice. As an English major, I liked her structure of having a third of the book set in Italy, a third set in India and the last third set in Indonesia. As a psychotherapist, I cheer her journey from the depths of depression to transcendent joy with roadmaps to share on how to get there. I relate to her experience of finding her higher divine self and assurance of the omnipresence of a loving God. You go, girl! | |||||||||||||
