Eat, Pray, Love

Theonlythingwrongwiththisreadable,funnymemoirofamagazinewriter'syearlongtravelsacrosstheworldinsearchofpleasureandbalanceisthatitseemssomuchlikeaJenniferAnistonmovie.LikeJen,LizisapluckyblondAmericanwomaninherthirtieswithnochildrenandnomajormoneyworries.Asthebookopens,sheisgoingthroughareallybaddivorceandsubsequentstormyreboundloveaffair.Awashintearsinthemiddleofthenightonthefloorofthebathroom,shebeginstoprayforguidance,“youknow——like,toGod.”Godanswers.Hetellshertogobacktobed.IstartedseeingtheStarheadlines：“Jen'sNewFaith！”“WhatReallyHappenedattheAshram！”“Jen'sBrazilianSugarDaddy——ExclusivePhotos！”PleaseunderstandthatGilbert,whoseearliernonfictionbook,TheLastAmericanMan,portrayedacontemporaryfrontiersman,isseriousaboutherquest.Butbecausesheneverleavesherself-deprecatinghumorathome,herjourneyoutofdepressionandtowardbelieflacksacertaingravitas.Thebookiscomposedof108shortchapters(basedonthebeadsinatraditionalIndianjapamalaprayernecklace)thatoftencomeacrossasscenesinamovie.Andhoweversadshefeelsorhoweverdeeplysheexperiencessomething,shecan'tseemtoavoiddressingupherfeelingsinprosethatcangettoocuteandtootrite.Ontheotherhand,sheconvincedmethatsheacquiredmorewisdomthanmostyoungAmericanseekers——anddiditwithoutpeyotebuttonsorotherclassichippiemedicines.WhenGilbertdeterminesthatsherequiresayearofhealing,herfirststopisItaly,becauseshefeelssheneedstoimmerseherselfinalanguageandculturethatworshipspleasureandbeauty.Thissetsthestagefora“Jen'sRompinRome,”whereshestudiesItalianand,withnewfoundfriends,searchesforthebestpizzaintheworld......作者伊丽莎白·吉尔伯特在小时候有个梦想：以为自己长大后会是儿女成群的妈妈。但在30岁以后，她才发现自己既不想要小孩，也不想要丈夫。108个短篇象征了灵魂探索、自我发现之旅。作者在意大利、印度、印尼三个不同国度之间寻找自己——到意大利品尝美食，尽享感官的满足，在世上好的比萨与美酒的陪伴下，灵魂就此再生。在印度，与瑜伽士的接触，洗涤了她混乱的身心。巴厘岛上，她寻得了身心的平衡。在这一整年的追寻快乐与虔诚之间的平衡中，她终于发现：“拯救我的人，并非王子，而是我自己操控我，拯救我”。