What readers think of Eat, Pray, Love, plus links to write your own review.

Gilbert is an excellent writer and seems to have an engaging personality. At first, I was caught up in the drama of her life, but her almost-fiction-like adventures began to strain my credulity. Wherever she goes, she immediately and conveniently becomes best friends with a group of exciting, fascinating, extraordinary people who all seem to become almost more interested in her quests than in their own. I have no doubt that the crux of her adventures is based on things that really occurred, but I can't help but wonder how much exaggeration, florid expansion of truth, and hyperbole were added on to achieve the goal of best-sellerdom. I lost interest halfway on because I just could maintain belief in the authenticity of this story.

I was very much attracted by the cover and as they say 'don't judge a book by it's cover'. I was very disappointed with it. It is very boring and I wish I never spent these 7 Euro on it. I flipped my ebook pages as fast as a tornado. I wanted to try and find some interesting part but nowhere was this found. Maybe one part which was not as bad was the Italy part. The rest lacks all features which normally make up a 'good book'.

I too have for four years tried to recover from a broken 27 year marriage with two kids that ended in divorce. I was married to a very immature man that didn't have the back bone to be a grown man. I put him through college always had to figure out a way to get his latest whim with the credit card paid . . . I too realized I was exhausted and was not getting want I needed in life. I gave my husband the divorce he wanted only to be repeatedly dragged to court by him wanting more. Our American legal system loves the heart-break of divorce. The court repeatedly encourages the couples to fight thus providing the bread and butter to the lawyers and the rest of the system to cash in on the hurt. I continue to try to pay the bills the x has created with the court's blessing. I do have a college education and struggle to provide for my children and myself. My pain has played out in the daily battle of life in today's economy. . . No Italy or other exotic trips for me. I checked out the book from the library and I am glad I didn't give the author money for yet another lavish vacation prompted by a publisher. I too find comfort in yoga and meditation but no fancy planned trip - just daily life of trying to cover bills. I wish I could afford such luxury as she did to recover and believe me family, friends, and co-workers certainly wish I could have gone on a luxury trip to recover instead of the tearful journey most of us have to live called the reality of life . . . Congrats on making a buck off of walking out of a marriage. I hope your x gets some of the proceeds. Too bad you haven't had to really experience life. The reality of living on the edge of poverty following a divorce. Way to give the world a fake view of the true American Dream.

This was the best motivation I've had to move on in life and search within my self for happiness. I strongly believe that everyone should read this book.

“Make the movie and they will come!” That must have been the creators’ and producers’ mantra. They knew they had us—all of us to whom the book had meant so much. Those of us who were inspired by the book….who identified with Liz’s journey…who evolved and grew from the experience of reading the book. They knew they didn’t have to be concerned about a first-rate screen play. We were already hooked. They had us at, “Coming to a theatre near you August 2010.” But we were hooked because we naively expected the same quality in the movie as in the book. We at the very least expected to hear the same message…the essence of the story. But we didn’t get it. And I for one feel betrayed. In the meantime, the creators and producers have made a ton of money…while each of us have lost the price of the ticket and two hours of our time.

My review: Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman's Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia (Hardcover)
It is hard to imagine that this book is a truthful and spontaneous life and chance adventure.
It gives the impression that the whole idea of this book has been based on a planned and calculated project, for it comes across like it could have been an arrangement with the publisher: In general, it is no secret that most Americans go to Italy for food, to India in search for spiritual enlightenment, and to Bali for love affairs; Nothing mysterious and deep about that.
However, portraying a planned designer book project as a series of unanticipated and blessed events and fortunate experiences with serendipitous people?? The impression that this book gives is so not inspiring. One can only reflects how unoriginal and convenient for a journalist it must have been to take off for one year and divide the time almost proportionately in these places to write a premeditated script.
Sometimes I feel that we Americans are so gullible and such an amazingly profitable target for book publishers!!

Sincerely,

Veracity, Washington, D.C.

The book is beautifully written, but I found the author/protagonist shallow, self-absorbed and pretentious. I was turned off at the opening, and reviewer Wanjugu nailed it when she wrote “The only thing that I could not get past is her leaving the marriage, and that she did not understand why her husband who thought she would never leave him could not forgive her! Many people say it was courageous for her to leave him, but the word selfish kept coming to my mind. Also thought about the DOUBLE STANDARDS in the American culture because a man who leaves his wife because he is sad in the marriage I bet would not sell so many books."

Beginning with an inexplicable renunciation of her promise to stick with her husband until death, this book is one narcissistic, self indulgent episode after another. She needs to grow up, be responsible for her own life, and do something useful with her time and talent.