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CarpeLibrum

Carpe Librum

Bookish conversation with author Samantha Wilcoxson.

 

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Historical Novel Society

Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman's Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia - Elizabeth Gilbert I knew when I bought this book that it would be a story of travel and self-discovery. What I didn't expect was a story of self-absorbtion and self-worship. Liz symbolizes most of what is wrong with our society. She breaks up her marriage for no good reason (at least none that she shares) besides that she's decided she's not ready to move on to the next level which is having children. We are supposed to feel bad that this self imposed drama causes her depression and loss of assets. Though she bemoans her financial losses, she then goes on to spend a full year travelling to Italy, India, and Indonesia. I kept reading thinking that eventually she would begin to have some substance, but if that is what you are waiting for you may as well stop reading. I thought the section about Italy was shallow as all she talks about is eating and how good-looking the guy she practices Italian with is. It turns out that this was the good part. Then we move on to "pray" which is her worshiping herself - the diety within as she calls it. She is full of self-pity and an I'm-worth-it attitude that literally sickened me at times. Finally, we have "love" (possibly should call this a spoiler). I have to admit that I was only scanning by this point because I just wanted to be done. The love is not what most of us would call love, but the author deciding that her self-enforced celibacy really needs to end. "One woman's search for everything" seems to actually be one spoiled woman's quest to do whatever makes her feel good regardless of how it effects anyone else. I have no idea why this book was so popular - even getting made into a movie. Clearly I am in the minority, but I didn't think it was worth the $3.98 I paid for it at a used book store.