Thursday, June 03, 2010

1 day to Eat, 3 days to Pray, 5 days to Love

Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman's Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia

That's the time I took to finish reading each part. It started out really exciting with lot's of fun and humor but somehow it ended sounding a tad too good to be true and too "self-help-y" (hence the slowed down in the page turning rate)

I loved her days spent in Italy without a care and just enjoying the moments, eating good food and discovering the place. The descriptions of Piazza Barberini (been there), the passionate albeit cursing crowd at a football match (done that - twice), the beauty of Italian language and the humor she injected in her sentences made life sounded so wonderful that anyone would want to pack their bags and fly off immediately to join her (provided they have the $$ of course).

Okay, I might be a little over-excited since I'd been to Rome and absolutely loved the place. So it's not wonder I gobbled up the pages in a day. Perhaps the expectation was what caused the downfall.

Off she flew to India next where she spent her days meditating and practicing yoga. All the peace and quiet and serenity went down well with me though somehow it was not as gripping. Call me cynical but I wonder if one can really encounter all the goodness of being found, of feeling nirvana and achieving enlightenment in a short span of 3-4 months. And the way she told it, seemed like she was the chosen one to begin with. 

Her days in Bali were kinda draggy, living the high life similar to an expat retiree. Yet something was missing. Everything in life was just falling perfectly in place for her. Too perfect. And yes, she found love....

Still it's a pretty decent read. Who doesn't want to imagine taking a year off just for self-discovery, right? If you can't do it, then read about it. It has also been made into a movie, starring Julia Roberts...

*detours to check out trailer

Looks interesting - which trailer doesn't - but even though I started out looking forward to watching it the cinema, I guess I will have to see what happens when it happens ☺

My Rating:

2 tots:

Soo Huey said...

haha! the "personalities" in each part is different n in a way the italy part is most interesting (whether or not u've been).

the india part memang kinda crap, but its the insight into her personality through the way she tells the story that kept me interested.

the bali bit is pretty true sort of with the way i see my aussie friends who work overseas. you're an angmoh in a small town, spending time with other angmohs, each there because they're lost or seeking something... and coz u're angmoh, you feel you can make things happen.

so no real complaints from me about the book. it just is. nothing too special, not too bad. can't say anyone part is better than the other; all are part of overall journey.

Catherine said...

haha yeah only because she's an angmoh.

true, nth too special to make it a favorite :P

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