I am posting close the the deadline, albeit one day late :) We are in Seattle with our oldest son and his 4 little boys, the newest having arrived 10 days ago. While Cannon is at school, Henry is napping, Luke is playing with blocks upstairs and baby Matthew is with his mother, I am going to post my review.
I am posting before I read anyone else's because I wanted to review rather than just respond. Then I am looking forward to participating in the discussion because I think we will have a lot of different opinions. I do have to raise one general objection to Gilbert's view of the world. I found it interesting that she could be so tolerant of the non-traditional religious beliefs of others, loving mystics and all varieties of Eastern philosophies from Hinduism to Buddhism and associating with Christians-who-don't-speak-very-strictly (see pages 13 & 14), but, she draws the line at accepting (ick) Republicans! (see pages 48 & 88)
I found her to be typically broad minded and accepting of people who consider themselves "broad minded" and "free thinking" but as narrow-minded and bigoted about people who might have issues with her morals or disagree with her assessment of world issues as any of the conservatives she dislikes. (Good grief . . . she loved every word out of the foul-mouthed Italian at the soccer game!?! It was an "exquisite" and "lucky" moment to be sitting in front of him--page 69?! She seemed so much like the artsy, pompous, full-of-themselves intellectuals I have encountered in life!) She offers regrets for any hurt feelings "strictly religious individuals" might have to her writing and then summarily dismisses them as she excuses herself from their business (page 14). Using the label of "a liberal" is really too simplistic to summarize any complex human being (including Elizabeth Gilbert), but in the interest of time, "if the shoe fits"!
This having been said, I thought this book was full of valuable insights and enlightening views that all of us could benefit from examining. In other words, my plan is to sift through what I read then keep the wheat and blow the chaff away (including the parts where love turned into ????) Enough of criticism. Here's the wheat:
1) I loved her quest to learn who she really is. I loved watching her "transformation." I loved considering our need for food for the body, food for the spirit, and love in our lives. I loved her search for the quiet mind and for "balance" in life. I loved her acknowledgement that she should be the best in "Elizabeth Gilbert," rather than trying to be someone else. (page 192--"If God wanted me to be a shy girl with thick, dark hair, He would have made me that way, but He didn't."
2) I really enjoyed the section on prayer and meditation. It was rich with lessons on our relationship with God. I found much that was really "true." The idea of surrender to God, letting go of the junk, praying with focus, choosing not to harbor unhealthy thoughts . . . there was sooooo much in this section that has already been of value to me!
One final note, the ideas in Eat, Pray, Love are receiving consideration on many levels and in many venues throughout the world. Some call it humanistic, some call is faux or new age religion. On my flight here, I was seated next to a lady who was reading "A New Earth" by Eckhart Tolle. We kept stopping in our readings to share insights with each other and they were amazingly similar. My seat-mate shared the "100 monkeys" theory with me. She said that researchers of primate behavior have found that if a new behavior is exhibited by a group of monkeys, that when the critical mass of 100 monkeys exhibit this same behavior, distant communities of monkeys with no contact with the original group will start exhibiting the same behavior. The theory is that life is all connected and that if enough people will start thinking about themselves and their world differently, we can truly create "a new world." (Sounds like life in the Millenium to me--they just leave out the 2nd coming!)
Anyway, I am glad I had the opportunity to read this book. I have already found changes that are occuring in my view of life and its experiences that have resulted from reading this book. Thanks!
--Karen Smith
Tuesday, March 25
Sunday, March 23
Love eat pray love
A great big thank you to whoever suggested this book for our club. I found it fun, fascinating, insightful and stimulating. I relate personally with so much of Gilbert’s own insights and feelings, and I like her method of expressing them.
Her writing is both direct and meandering, interesting and funny:
“I’m grateful for Luca [Spaghetti] because he has finally allowed me to get even with my friend Brian, who was lucky enough to have grown up next door to a Native American kid named Dennis Ha-Ha, and therefore could always boast that he had the friend with the coolest name. Finally, I can offer competition” (p. 58).
As for Gilbert’s insights and feelings related in the book, I feel very connected with her. She sees herself as I have done at times, in terms of how she thinks the world sees her, as in this exchange with Richard from Texas at the Ashram in India:
“’OK, I think you’re probably right. Maybe I do have a problem with control. It’s just weird that you noticed. Because I don’t think it’s that obvious on the surface. I mean — I bet most people can’t see my control issues when they first look at me.’
Richard from Texas laughs so hard he almost loses his toothpick.
‘They can’t? Honey — Ray Charles could see your control issues!’” (p. 151).
I walk around thinking I’m fooling the world about who I am, thinking what a good actress I am. And I just know there are some wise souls out there, shaking their heads and tsk-tsking me for playing this time waster of a game.
Another example of how I feel connected to her is when she describes how singing the Gurugita for her nephew changed her relationship with the task:
“I filled the song with everything I wished I could teach him about life. I tried to reassure him with every line about how the world is hard and unfair sometimes, but that it’s all OK because he is so loved. He is surrounded by souls who would do anything to help him. And not only that — he has wisdom and patience of his own, buried deep inside his being, which will only reveal themselves over time and will always carry him through any trial. He is a gift from God to all of us” (p. 169).
The sentiments Gilbert expresses in the lines above are similar to ones I feel toward my nieces and nephews. I would imagine parents feel the same way about their children. There is so much love in those lines. Pure, simple love. No strings attached. Nothing her nephew needs to do to deserve any of it. I find that utterly beautiful. I also see it as a reminder to myself: that I am loved, that I am a gift from God. There are moments in my life (in fact, the majority of them), when I act as if I am not loved. Here is another reminder that I am.
Finally, the books contains so many nuggets of wisdom, from her Italian comrades to her friends in India and Indonesia:
* Richard from Texas: “A true soul mate is probably the most important person you’ll ever meet, because they tear down your walls and smack you awake” (p. 149).
* The plumber at the Ashram: “With all your heart, ask for grace, and let go” (p. 185).
* Giovanni: “Liz, you must be very polite with yourself when you are learning something new” (p.56).
Besides all the spiritual insights, Gilbert describes a Yogic practice that absolutely fascinates me. The blue energy pitching though her body as she meditates tests my curiosity: Is this really possible? What is really happening here? Is it good for you? Is it a spiritual or a physiological event? Tale 46, beginning of page 143, bears rereading.
So again, thanks for this reading. I tore through it so quickly the first time, I think I will have to make time to reread the entire thing, starting with Tale 46.
Her writing is both direct and meandering, interesting and funny:
“I’m grateful for Luca [Spaghetti] because he has finally allowed me to get even with my friend Brian, who was lucky enough to have grown up next door to a Native American kid named Dennis Ha-Ha, and therefore could always boast that he had the friend with the coolest name. Finally, I can offer competition” (p. 58).
As for Gilbert’s insights and feelings related in the book, I feel very connected with her. She sees herself as I have done at times, in terms of how she thinks the world sees her, as in this exchange with Richard from Texas at the Ashram in India:
“’OK, I think you’re probably right. Maybe I do have a problem with control. It’s just weird that you noticed. Because I don’t think it’s that obvious on the surface. I mean — I bet most people can’t see my control issues when they first look at me.’
Richard from Texas laughs so hard he almost loses his toothpick.
‘They can’t? Honey — Ray Charles could see your control issues!’” (p. 151).
I walk around thinking I’m fooling the world about who I am, thinking what a good actress I am. And I just know there are some wise souls out there, shaking their heads and tsk-tsking me for playing this time waster of a game.
Another example of how I feel connected to her is when she describes how singing the Gurugita for her nephew changed her relationship with the task:
“I filled the song with everything I wished I could teach him about life. I tried to reassure him with every line about how the world is hard and unfair sometimes, but that it’s all OK because he is so loved. He is surrounded by souls who would do anything to help him. And not only that — he has wisdom and patience of his own, buried deep inside his being, which will only reveal themselves over time and will always carry him through any trial. He is a gift from God to all of us” (p. 169).
The sentiments Gilbert expresses in the lines above are similar to ones I feel toward my nieces and nephews. I would imagine parents feel the same way about their children. There is so much love in those lines. Pure, simple love. No strings attached. Nothing her nephew needs to do to deserve any of it. I find that utterly beautiful. I also see it as a reminder to myself: that I am loved, that I am a gift from God. There are moments in my life (in fact, the majority of them), when I act as if I am not loved. Here is another reminder that I am.
Finally, the books contains so many nuggets of wisdom, from her Italian comrades to her friends in India and Indonesia:
* Richard from Texas: “A true soul mate is probably the most important person you’ll ever meet, because they tear down your walls and smack you awake” (p. 149).
* The plumber at the Ashram: “With all your heart, ask for grace, and let go” (p. 185).
* Giovanni: “Liz, you must be very polite with yourself when you are learning something new” (p.56).
Besides all the spiritual insights, Gilbert describes a Yogic practice that absolutely fascinates me. The blue energy pitching though her body as she meditates tests my curiosity: Is this really possible? What is really happening here? Is it good for you? Is it a spiritual or a physiological event? Tale 46, beginning of page 143, bears rereading.
So again, thanks for this reading. I tore through it so quickly the first time, I think I will have to make time to reread the entire thing, starting with Tale 46.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
