“Tell the truth, tell the truth, tell the truth.”
July 14, 2008 at 6:07 pm | Posted in Emotional honesty | 9 CommentsTags: authentic living, Eat Pray Love, self-discovery, transformation
I’m pretty late in coming to the worldwide party for Elizabeth Gilbert’s 2006 bestseller, “Eat, Pray, Love.” Admittedly, I’d passed right over it many times in the bookstore because, based on the title, I thought it sounded too “fluffy.” I couldn’t have been more out to lunch!
The minute I opened Gilbert’s book to the introductory quote by Sheryl Louise Moller , “Tell the truth, tell the truth, tell truth,” I sensed this was going to be a transformational book for me. And it was.
“Eat, Pray, Love” is Gilbert’s memoir of her one-year journey of healing and self-discovery in Italy, India, and Indonesia. Her story is funny, inspiring, poignant, and deeply involving . . . but the element that was most meaningful for me was her refreshingly real, authentic voice. Gilbert is so vulnerable about her humanity and womanhood, so incredibly honest in sharing the questions she asks about life, questions many of us wonder about silently but may be afraid to say out loud. She seems to be fearless about telling her emotional truth.
In case you haven’t yet read this vibrant book, I’ll refrain from going into further detail . . . except to urge you — no, implore you — to run to the closest bookstore or library or friend who has a copy you can borrow, and begin reading it now! It’s THAT good!
If you’re already a fan of “Eat, Pray, Love,” — or even if you’ve read it but didn’t care for it — I’d love to hear your impressions of this story. What did you learn from it? How did it change you?
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There are very few books that are truly life-changing . . . but this is one of them!
Comment by Ellen Antill— July 14, 2008 #
sounds like a must read book…..
Comment by jimmy— July 15, 2008 #
I was surprised that you loved this book so much! I hated it.
I thought the author/character was so self-focused, self-involved and downright selfish. I didn’t find anything about it encouraging or inspiring. I don’t think I finished it before throwing it away.
Comment by Kathleen— July 15, 2008 #
Kathleen – I sincerely appreciate your comments. Perhaps, if you had read further in “Eat, Pray, Love,” you might have seen loads of evidence regarding Gilbert’s absolute unselfishness. What do the rest of you think, those of you who’ve read the book?
Comment by Ellen Antill— July 15, 2008 #
I resisted it for a long time, because I thought it was a “chick” book, and the first chapter about eating in Italy and obsessing about her relationships confirmed that. But she won me over in India, maybe because I’ve been there, and have met her teachers, and I also thoroughly enjoyed the last section which made me want to go to Bali and fall in love, but then I remembered I’m already in love, and married. Oh well. So two out of three is pretty good. I wish she had called it Pray, Love.
Maybe you’d enjoy my male version of her book, except I don’t eat much or fall in love in it. I do pray, but I utterly fail to get enlightened in the end. It’s called
The 99th Monkey: A Spiritual Journalist’s Misadventures with Gurus, Messiahs, Sex, Psychedelics and Other Consciousness-Raising Adventures.
You can read the Prologue here to see if it grabs you:
http://www.the99thmonkey.com
Thanks!
Eliezer Sobel
Comment by Eliezer Sobel— July 19, 2008 #
Hi Eliezer, good to hear from you. Here’s to our collective paradigm shift toward spiritual enlightenment!
Comment by Ellen Antill— July 19, 2008 #
I felt the same way. A bit skeptical about the title. Didn’t even bother giving it a 2nd look. Then I saw the previews to the movie and went out and bought the book instead. Recently started reading it and I’m loving it. 😀
Comment by MJ_Marti— February 27, 2011 #
I am a fifteen year old boy. People say that the book, the same one you have posted about, is a memoir of a female and caters mainly to female audience. And being the member of the conventional Indian society, I hesitated to oppose. But I was secretly always interested in reading it. I had read a few excerpts, my moments of guilty pleasure with the book, and it had sent shivers through my body. I loved the book and the movie and no matter what my age or my gender, I cannot deny its irrefutable influence on me.
Comment by offmyrockers— January 5, 2012 #
Dear “Rockers” . . . how good to hear from you, in response to a post I wrote several years ago. I hope you go on reading and writing material with which your soul resonates. EAT, PRAY, LOVE is the narrative of a very significant transformational journey, one that can inspire anyone who’s listening closely. It’s life-changing. May you go on embracing deep growth and change in your own life. All peace to you.
Comment by Ellen Antill— January 6, 2012 #