Tune-In Tuesday: Eat, Pray, Love...and Read!

Today’s Tune-In Tuesday post reviews one of my favorite books (which was made into a movie of the same name): Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman’s Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia.

You would have to be pretty shielded from current events to not have heard of this popular autobiography made into a movie starring the talented Julia Roberts. A New York Times Bestseller, Eat Pray Love now has over 7 million copies in print.

This literary work is not only being featured on EYC due to its food-related content, but also because it is a unique look at how to achieve a healthy outlook on life. How many of us wake up in the morning and think, “I want this day to be special, enjoyable, valuable”? Who doesn’t want to pursue a fulfilling life that excites them every single day? I believe one of the healthiest ways to embrace life is to focus on helping others without overlooking one’s own needs. In Eat, Pray, Love, the speaker attempts to do just that.

The book follows Elizabeth Gilbert’s spiritual journey after a difficult divorce and a spiral of depression. A medicine man whom she meets on a journalist trip to Bali inspires her to one day come back to study with him. At 32 years old, she leaves behind a home, husband, and career to take a global journey, spending four months each in Italy, India, and Indonesia.

The book is divided into three parts. In part 1, Gilbert enjoys life (and fabulous cuisine) in Italy. She discovers her favorite word in an Italian class (Atrraversiamo, meaning “let’s cross over”),  befriends a man named Luca Spaghetti (yes that was his real name), and discovers mouthwatering pizza at Pizzeria Da Michele in Naples.

Part 2 follows her attempts to achieve states of total relaxation at an Ashram in India under the guidance of a respected guru and insightful, loudmouthed, Texan, ex-truck driver named Richard. 

Finally, Gilbert is reunited with the ancient medicine man in part 3, and finds a happy medium between enjoying life and embracing spirituality when she falls in love with a Brazilian factory owner.

Here are some of my favorite quotes from each section:

EAT

• "For years, I’d wished I could speak Italian—a language I find more beautiful than roses—but I could never make the practical justifcation for studying it. […] What was I going to do with Italian? It’s not like I was going to move there. It would be more practical to learn how to play the accordion. But why must everything always have a practical application?" (Pg. 23)
• "I heard my ex-husband’s voice speaking disdainfully in my ear: So this is what you gave up everything for? This is why you gutted our entire life together? For a few stalks of asparagus and an Italian newspaper? I replied aloud to him. 'First of all,' I said, 'I’m very sorry, but this isn’t your business anymore. And secondly, to answer your question…yes.'" (Pg. 64)
• "I felt a glimmer of happiness when I started studying Italian, and when you sense a faint potentiality for happiness after such dark times you must grab onto the ankles of that happiness and not let go until it drags you face-first out of the dirt—this is not selfishness, but obligation. You were given life; it is your duty to find something beautiful within life, no matter how slight” (Pg. 115).

PRAY

• “People think a sole mate is your perfect fit, and that’s what everyone wants. But a true soul mate is a mirror, the person who shows you everything that’s holding you back, the person who brings you to your own attention so you can change your life” (Pg. 149).
• “We gallop through our lives like circus performers balancing on two speeding side-by-side horses—one foot is on the horse called ‘fate,’ the other on the horse called ‘free will.’ And the question you have to ask every day is—which horse is which? Which horse do I need to stop worrying about because it’s not under my control and which do I need to steer with concentrated effort?” (Pg. 177) 

LOVE

• "People tend to think that happiness is a stroke of luck, something that will maybe descend upon you like fine weather if you’re fortunate enough. But that’s not how happiness works. Happiness is the consequence of personal effort. You fight for it, strive for it, insist upon it, and sometimes even travel around the world looking for it” (Pg. 260).
• “Yet what keeps me from dissolving right now into a complete fairy-tale shimmer is this solid truth, a truth which has veritably built my bones over the last few years—I was not rescued by a prince; I was the administrator of my own rescue” (Pg. 329)

What I Liked: Gilbert’s diction and storytelling abilities are mesmerizing. She clearly chooses her words carefully, eloquently conveying very personal emotions in a universally relatable way. After finishing part 1, I wanted nothing more than to hop on a plane to Italy to indulge in the food. Tell me your stomach doesn’t start swooning after reading this excerpt: “big, fresh, sheets of pasta folded ravioli-like into the shape of the pope’s hat, stuffed with a hot, aromatic puree of crustaceans and cotopus and squid, served tossed like a hot salad with fresh cockles and strips of julienned vegetables, all swimming in an olivey, oceany broth” (112). Additionally, I will be doing some traveling abroad in the near future, and this book’s content reminded me exactly why I want to explore the world; there are simply too many sources of inspiration out there to confine yourself to one locale for too long. Gilbert’s voice is extremely honest, reminding me that no one has the answers when it comes to love, happiness, and resolution in life, but everyone has the chance to discover them on their own.

What I Didn’t Like: A critique that I seem to share with many readers of this book is the dryness of Part 2. Part 1 in Italy is full of rich cultural descriptions and high-paced explorations, while Part 3 keeps you on your toes between wondering whether Gilbert’s friend will get money or a house and whether her newest romantic relationship will work out. Part 2 is a bit lagging when wedged in the middle. Granted, most of Part 2 focuses on Gilbert’s experiences sitting still and meditating. I am not saying this part was not enjoyable, but rather it broke up the pacing of the book and seemed a little out of place.

I hope you're considering checking out this book. In the meantime, you can get a taste of Gilbert's voice by watching the movie trailer:

Have you read or seen Eat Pray Love? What foreign country would you like to visit?


Today's Recommended Read: San Francisco Bans Happy Meals (LA Times)