Eat Pray Love

My Mom just started reading this book called "Eat Pray Love" by Elizabeth Gilbert. I finished it earlier this year. It had been recommended to me by my sister - and it is a must read book for all women. Sorry, but I don't think that guys will relate to it too much.

So Elizabeth Gilbert is going through a personal crisis. She's just had a messy divorce (her husband hates her) and she's had a messy divorce settlement (finances are at an all time low). She has a great offer though - she being a travel writer gets an offer to write a book on her experiences in three countries - Italy (Eat), Pray (India) and Love (Bali, Indonesia).

Italy... yups, you would definitely want to eat a lot there! But maybe your appetite will get curtailed because you'd want to stay in shape just to be able to flirt a little with the cute Italian guys - at least that's what I think. Did I mention that Italian guys are really cute? Cuz they totally are. And Elizabeth Gilbert notices this as well, as she takes up Italian classes with a cute Italian guy who in turn is trying to learn English. You'll zip through the Italy section and come to the following conclusions like I did. Firstly, this job of Gilbert's - being a travel writer, definitely ranks high on the list of good jobs! Secondly, I obviously did not spend as much time as I should have in Italy cuz I don't know any Italian! Another must do on my list of must dos.

The India section is deep. Like, very deep. You'll read a lot of philosophy, though condensed enough for a paper back novel. Elizabeth appears to calm down in this section and reflect back on her life. I remember I read this section while on a trip to Ranthambore National Park in the cold winter month of February. Definitely a good read. We used to sit around the fire in the evenings drinking tea (yes, tea - what else would one drink when it is cold?) and chat. One of my friends and I took this trip together. We had a great time!

Bali is ofcourse, beautiful. You almost feel like you're wobbling along on your cycle through the chaos going to visit the local medicine man. I liked the whole book and was sad when it came to an end. One interesting thing about Bali is that it is almost totally Hindu in population, unlike the Muslim dominated Indonesia of which it is a part of. They follow Balinese Hinduism - and even have their own Om sign. It's very interesting. Bali is a place I haven't been to yet, and I would think would be much easier to access. So hopefully I should go there sometime in the near future!! Europe will have to wait for me in the time being!

At the end of Gilbert's book, you feel all the good things you should feel. Optimism, happiness, gratitude for being alive.... It's a very feel good book. I guess that's why Oprah (from what my Mom has told me) keeps bringing Gilbert on her show. Eat Pray Love is being converted into a film as well. I don't know how they'll convert the thoughts that Elizabeth pens down onto the screen - maybe voice overs will be used. But I sure do know that it'll be a good film to watch!

Though the book is invariably always better than the film.

Ofcourse, in this one, there'll be the cute Italian guys to watch out for!