The one idea that I did really like in the book, was the idea that every place and every person should have a word that perfectly describes them. This was a very fun topic for my brain to stew over. My kid's words would be: "Intense", "Play" and "Charm" and my husband's would be "Conquer". I struggled trying to come up w/ my word. At first, I thought it might be "Create", but I think that's a little too fancy for me and it makes me sound like I have some artistic talent. I think my word is "Fix". I fix meals for my family, stuff around the house, and everyone in the family's problems. I keep buying ugly houses and fixing them up.
So what's your word?
UPDATE: I'm still waiting for someone to tell me what I missed and how this is a life-changing book. Still no takers-but people have some great words.
Linking up here
I didn't read the book, but I saw the movie and I have to agree with your analysis. I think it was a little over-hyped.
ReplyDeleteI think my word would be "joy." Not that I am always joyful myself, but I am always trying to find joy and appreciate it.
I liked the book well enough (I wouldn't pass it on to a friend, but I didn't feel like I wasted my time either), but the sequel, Committed, was terrific. It's a really fascinating book about her researching marriage and working through her issues with it. I loved it.
ReplyDeleteAs for the EPL movie, ugh. We saw it at the dollar theater and still thought we paid too much.
I also just wrote a blog post about the idea of each place/person having their own word. That was one of my favorite aspects of the book as well.
ReplyDeleteYou can read my post here: http://momentswithmichellem.blogspot.com/2011/05/oh-my-word.html
I didn't like the book. The author was way too whiny and like you said extremely self absorbed. Not to mention a huge double standard. If a guy had written a book about leaving his wife and hopping from relationship to relationship, the media would have torn him a new one. And like you said, it was boring. I stopped at love b/c I couldn't take her melodrama anymore. I wished the media would have called a spade a spade (I'm looking at you Oprah and Julia Roberts) and said it is basically about a woman with mental illness and depression. I didn't find it uplifting or relatable and she is not someone I would want to emulate.
ReplyDeleteI didn't read the book but I saw the movie. It didn't love it. But I thought the book came off whiny. In the end she found love and was almost willing to let it go for no good reason. Ugh!
ReplyDeleteMy word is Nourish.
I am so happy you posted your review! I did not care for it either. I read it a year or so ago and could not understand what all the hub bub was about! I hard a hard time finishing it (but did). I think my main problem with it was that I simply couldn't relate to the author. I could never just "take off" for a year in pursuit of delicious meals and my own happiness. ??? who cares? Although it did make me hungry reading about her yummy food in Italy. lol
ReplyDeleteIt was awful! What a waste of a few hours of my life. I only made it part way through Italy before I gave up. I can't get into that level of self-absorption and whining. She knows there are people starving and dying all over the world, right?
ReplyDeleteMy cousin works in publishing and gave me the scoop on that book. She said they gave her a large front to travel and write the book. They knew it was crap, but had to hype it in order to recoup and make the best of it.
Of course Julia Roberts, another self absorbed Hollywood type, was unable to put the book down. Shocking.
I read the book over a year ago and enjoyed it...I struggled thru the "pray" part but enjoyed the "eat and love" parts...I also enjoyed when Elizabeth toured the circuit promoting the book - what I took from it is that no one should be so unhappy in their lives that they forget about themself - and that we should be willing to sacrifice many materialistic things that don't bring true happiness - - she was just so pathetically unhappy and found love so unexpectedly....I would do the same if I was paid to write about my life (travel, eat, meet interesting people) the movie didn't do the book justice, but Julia Roberts was entertaining....oh, to each their own!!
ReplyDeleteI read the book about a year ago and was so bored out of my mind that I couldn't finish it. I don't get what the big deal about this was. Totally agree with you. Thanks for sharing at my Swing into Spring party.
ReplyDeleteI started it and couldn't finish it. I felt like it was not the best use of my time.
ReplyDeleteI never read the book but rented the movie after all they hype. I hated it. I hated that I spent a dollar at Redbox for it. I am just thankful that I didn't pay at the movies to see it. I can't imagine why everyone was raving about it. I can't believe she just walked out of her marriage so easily. I hated the entire character and all that happened in the book.
ReplyDeleteI loved this book with all my heart. But, I totally understand how others didn't like it and possibly didn't relate to it. Having gone thru a rough divorce, I related to her story very personally. I honestly feel this book helped changed my life and outlook post-divorce. So, I am glad she wrote the book. We never fully understand what makes a person leave a marriage. We also never know the scares that remain.
ReplyDeleteI also enjoyed the follow-up book "Committed." It explains a bit more about why she left her first marriage.
The movie, however, was terrible.
Finally, someone that loved the book. Still no love for the movie. It's been on my DVR for a few weeks, but with such rave reviews, it may stay there a while longer
ReplyDeleteI didn't care for the book either! The movie was only so-so and mostly because of Julia Roberts!
ReplyDeleteI loved the book and read it twice! Her religious journey really resonated with me. Also, my dream in life is to be a nomad and move from one amazing dream vacation spot to the next, so I loved that about the story as well.
ReplyDeleteI saw the movie finally last week. I liked it well enough. It wasn't worth $10 to see in a theater, but free off netflix I enjoyed it.
I find the book pretty spiritual in a very unorthodox kind of way, and for some reason I just really connected with that at this point in my life. It helped me to think outside my box and figure out the best way for me to find by own inner spirituality.