Vision quest lite … kinda.

“Eat, Pray, Love” was one of those “trendy” books that I was going to skip, until a trusted friend gave it a high recommendation. I’m glad I read it.

Liz Gilbert was not writing a how-to book per se, nor do I think it’s a travel book, though it’s classified as one. It’s both a literal journey and a journey of growth

Her prose is very readable, and yet there were times that I felt myself slogging through this book. So many seemingly life-altering events take place, and while her descriptions are very clear and sometimes profound, readers are off to her next experience before we can fully absorb what’s happened. There were just so many things I wanted to know more about.

Gilbert’s story is part Anne Lamott (with expletives deleted and less anger), part “Jonathan Livingston Seagull,” with some Bill Bryson thrown in for good measure. It would be nice to read more of her adventures, taken at a slower, perhaps more contemplative pace.

I happened upon this book in the bookstore when I needed it the most. Gilbert’s memoir is inspiring, well-written, and most of all, HUMAN. Undoubtedly I will turn to it like one turns to a friend for comfort or advice. Read it, read it, oh read it.

I loved this book! Maybe it is where I am in my life right now, but I have never been truly been inspired by a book by the way I have with this one. It is a cross between a woman’s growth into an independant self that she likes, her travel experiences, and learning about cultures from around the world. The book is separated into three parts. Eat, she is based in Rome and explores Italy. Pray, she is at an ashram in India learning about herself. Love, she is in Bali winding up her adventure and setting her paces for the next step in her life.