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Eat Pray Love book review

Updated on November 1, 2009

Eat Pray Love - One Woman's Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia. By Elizabeth Gilbert

Eat Pray Love is an autobiographical novel set in New York, Italy, India and Bali. The book documents the author’s travels in these countries after leaving her life in New York after a painful divorce. Elizabeth seemingly has everything – a home, husband and successful writing career but after they start trying for a baby, she realizes this isn’t what she wants and divorces her husband.

During the divorce Elizabeth meets another man and thinks she is in love, however this relationship also does not last and she is left even more depressed. She decides that in order to recover from the divorce and build her life again, she needs to take a year out from her normal life, travel away from New York and start the process of physical, spiritual and emotional healing.

Italy - Eat

Elizabeth’s first stop is Italy where she travels to take part in an Italian language immersion course.  She has always wanted to learn Italian purely because of the beauty of the language and uses these first few months to indulge herself both in the language and the tempting Italian food.  After four months of allowing herself everything her mind and body desires, she can speak Italian, has gained several new friends and also several new pounds from the rich food. Recovering the weight she lost through the stress of the divorce and the ability to enjoy life, Elizabeth is ready for the next stage of her journey.

India - Pray

In contrast to the indulgences of Italy, Elizabeth next chooses to visit India for some spiritual healing and joins an ashram where she practices a strict lifestyle of yoga, prayer and simple food for the next four months. After initially struggling to keep her mind quiet and fully absorb herself in this lifestyle, she finally finds spiritual peace and finally accepts her divorce in her heart. She is ready for the last destination on her journey.

Indonesia - Love

Finally Elizabeth travels to Bali, Indonesia, a country which she had first travelled to several years earlier in order to visit a yoga retreat for a writing assignment. On this first trip, Elizabeth met a Balinese healer named Ketut Liyer in the village of Ubud who told her that she must return to Bali. On this, her second trip, Elizabeth returns to the old man and becomes his companion with the guise of helping to improve his English. Along with several new friends including another healer (a young woman) and her children and a Javan musician exiled from America in the aftermath of 9/11, Elizabeth finally meets Filipe – a Brazillian expat living in Ubud. After her experiences in Italy (Eat) and India (Pray) and Indonesia, Elizabeth is finally ready to love again.

Elizabeth and Filipe are still together and happily married. The Eat Pray Love movie is currently being filmed in Bali and is scheduled for release in 2010.

Buy the Eat Pray Love book

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