Committed

A Skeptic Makes Peace with Marriage

By: Elizabeth Gilbert

Narrated by: Elizabeth Gilbert

Length: 8 hrs and 30 mins

Publisher's summary

At the end of her best-selling memoir Eat, Pray, Love, Elizabeth Gilbert fell in love with Felipe, a Brazilian-born man of Australian citizenship who'd been living in Indonesia when they met. Resettling in America, the couple swore eternal fidelity to each other, but also swore to never, ever, under any circumstances get legally married. (Both were survivors of previous bad divorces. Enough said.)

But providence intervened one day in the form of the United States government, which - after unexpectedly detaining Felipe at an American border crossing - gave the couple a choice: they could either get married, or Felipe would never be allowed to enter the country again. Having been effectively sentenced to wed, Gilbert tackled her fears of marriage by delving into this topic completely, trying with all her might to discover through historical research, interviews, and much personal reflection what this stubbornly enduring old institution actually is.

Told with Gilbert's trademark wit, intelligence and compassion, Committed attempts to "turn on all the lights" when it comes to matrimony, frankly examining questions of compatibility, infatuation, fidelity, family tradition, social expectations, divorce risks, and humbling responsibilities. Gilbert's memoir is ultimately a clear-eyed celebration of love with all the complexity and consequence that real love, in the real world, actually entails.

©2010 Elizabeth Gilbert (P)2010 Penguin

Excellent

Elizabeth George does a great job of laying out all her research on marriage that went into her own decision. Plus she is a very professional reader of her own books.

Great Follow Up

Committed is a honest and informative read which is the continuation of the story of Liz's relationship with Felipe from the monumental best seller Eat, Pray, Love. It combats the whimsical idea of happily-ever-after by providing insight into making happiness and companionship last after that initial burning of loves penetrating arrow becomes merely an annoying sting. I find this to be a refreshing "love" story which every woman should read to help bring reality to their own love fantasy.

Lovely as Ever

As a financially independent "modern" woman who is happily living with my boyfriend of 7 years and cannot figure out why my parents want us to marry so badly ... this is a wonderful read. It takes you through the history and cultural value of marriage and while I'm excited for my future wedding, I'm also even more so content with my current outlook on marriage today and what it means to me.

I understand where my parents are coming from but more importantly I understand why I view it so differently than they did. My favorite part of this book was learning about the hmong women. I couldn't stop laughing at the clear cultural differences and language barriers that led to an awkward but warming exchange. And the conclusion Gilbert draws is careful and insightful. Lovely as ever, Gilbert.

Well researched, thought out & communicated

Coming out of a divorce, this book gave me such grounding, empathy and gritty inspiration.

Engaging and informative

I love the personal honesty in Elizabeth Gilbert’s writing. What I didn’t expect (and was fascinated by) were the studies and facts interspersed in her narrative illustrating social pressures and standards imposed on married people. As a 42-years married person, I learned how much I didn’t know about the institution.

Just OK.

I loved Eat, Pray, Love.....it is incredible book that changed my perspective on a lot of things so of course I had to get this as soon as it was available. But I found this boring at times and I couldn't help but notice that she over used the word "more-over" which drove me nutty! That being said, I still love her narration...one of the best I've heard to date and I found certain stories/facts interesting and helpful. If you loved Eat, Pray, Love you should give this a chance and decide for yourself.

What a great author and book!!

As one marriage-doubter to another, this book is a beautifully woven historical retrospective, blended with modernity, that certainly makes for a very thought-provoking and inner-turmoil-balancing conversation about the personal and social impacts of marriage and non-marriage.

Liz called the Supreme Court decision on same-sex marriage, not based on secular and religious politics, but rather from the study of society's pattern of societal protectionism. As illogical as that may sway. It is ironic how the original Christian community was against marriage as one could not achieve Christlikeness while married, yet today the Bible is being used as the basis for why some should be "allowed" to marry. AND marriage is only deemed legal, because it can only be authorized and recognized by the state, NOT the Church of any religion.

Liz, (which is what the author calls herself - I'm not taking familiar Liberty here), also beautiful job of layering humanity next to honor next to legal obligation next to multi-generational/cultural personal experiences to show that this endeavor is ever-evolving and thus there is no singular answer about what "marriage is."

This book has not convinced me to marry. That ultimately will depend on the person I choose to join me on that path, but I know this, that person, if they exist, will add another level of fabulous-ness to my life and will certainly need to be a silently strong man with a good sense of humor. 😉

#Committed
#ElizabethGilbert

easy to listen to. Interesting perspectives.

Leaves you wondering if they're still together.
I have eight words left to submit review.

Very hard to put down

Would you listen to Committed again? Why?

This is just the book I was looking for. Thank you Oprah for bringing this author to my attention. I have no desire to read eat, pray love, but this book is just what I needed. The author is inspiring, intelligent and enlightening.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Committed?

The examples of how women who have chosen not to have families have been depicted as unhappy when in fact, statistics show that those women are often more prosperous and healthy than women with children and husbands. And in fact, it is men who fair better in marriage.

Have you listened to any of Elizabeth Gilbert’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

So far, no, but I am now a fan.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Yes. Chuckle at times

Any additional comments?

Listen to this book if you are a women and especially if you are a young woman.

Pretty Good Read

I recently got married, so I think I found this story more fascinating then at any other time in my life. If you are recently married or interested in the evolution of marriage, what "causes" divorces and women's rights this is a good read.