Elizabeth Gilbert is unsatisfied in her privileged life. Her marriage has crumbled and she is depressed. After a difficult divorce, she embarks on a journey to Italy, India, and Indonesia. In Italy, she finds pleasure and happiness in eating. In India, she finds God (and herself) through prayer. Finally, in Indonesia, she finds a balance between pleasure and spirituality through love.
Gilbert is a good writer. She has a style that I cannot characterize, mainly because it changes with location, but what does not change is her cleverness and humor.
The best parts of the story are the author's descriptions of Italy, India, Indonesia, and her friends. Gilbert never skimps on details and I actually liked her friends better than her.
The author is somewhat unlikable. She was an Upper East Sider who owned two houses and had a great job. Her marriage turned problematic and she cried a lot over it. Then she met this vibrant and young guy who she dated on and off and then she cried some more. Bottom line, she is whiny. She visited three exotic, interesting, and in some places, impoverished countries and only focused on herself. Her selfish exploration left me disappointed; there were few insights to draw on in my own life.
I didn't like the "ME ME ME" tone polluting the beauty of the places she visited; one and a half out of five stars.
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