Eat, Pray Love - Elizabeth Gilbert

I had heard much about this book and was naturally wary of it. Liz Gilbert's book however, is certainly worth a read as she honestly tells all, from the low point of her lows after a break up, her clinging to her faith and moving on despite all the pain, fear and doubt and finally resurfacing in a brighter, happier world. I took a long time to complete the story because it is not an easy, flippant read and also because at times it is rather slow as Elizabeth delves into her thoughts and picks the ones that made her act in a certain way. She is funny, self-deprecating, brutally honest and has obviously seen and traveled a bit in her life - which translates into an enormous amount of knowledge, research and experience that is very evident in her writing.

I flitted through the Italy parts - less with the Italy and more with her and her eating, enjoyed and suffered her stay in the ashram at India and was rooting for her when she finally resurfaces in Indonesia. The last part was the best for me in terms of identifying with her while in the other parts you feel like telling her exactly what the guy from Texas tells her. "Groceries, pick yourself up and now!"
I loved one bit from the book though when she says that her guru tells her that even happiness does not come by chance and it must be worked upon and acquired carefully, bit by bit. I liked that perspective and it really made sense to me.
I am sure to watch the movie just to see how it all plays out on the screen, to see the characters actually take shape and come to life.

An mostly I am glad for Elizabeth Gilbert for having the courage to write this book. I think, like Julia Roberts says, it is the perfect gift for all women.