Eat, Pray, Love

One Woman's Search for Everything Across Italy, India, and Indonesia

By: Elizabeth Gilbert

Narrated by: Elizabeth Gilbert

Length: 12 hrs and 49 mins

Publisher's summary

Around the time Elizabeth Gilbert turned 30, she went through an early-onslaught midlife crisis. She had everything an educated, ambitious American woman was supposed to want: a husband, a house, a successful career. But instead of feeling happy and fulfilled, she was consumed with panic, grief, and confusion. She went through a divorce, a crushing depression, another failed love, and the eradication of everything she ever thought she was supposed to be.

To recover from all this, Gilbert took a radical step. In order to give herself the time and space to find out who she really was and what she really wanted, she got rid of her belongings, quit her job, and undertook a yearlong journey around the world, all alone. Eat, Pray, Love is the absorbing chronicle of that year. Her aim was to visit three places where she could examine one aspect of her own nature set against the backdrop of a culture that has traditionally done that one thing very well. In Rome, she studied the art of pleasure, learning to speak Italian and gaining the 23 happiest pounds of her life. India was for the art of devotion, and with the help of a native guru and a surprisingly wise cowboy from Texas, she embarked on four uninterrupted months of spiritual exploration. In Bali, she studied the art of balance between worldly enjoyment and divine transcendence. She became the pupil of an elderly medicine man and also fell in love the best way, unexpectedly.

An intensely articulate and moving memoir of self-discovery, Eat, Pray, Love is about what can happen when you claim responsibility for your own contentment and stop trying to live in imitation of society's ideals. It is certain to touch anyone who has ever woken up to the unrelenting need for change.

©2006 Elizabeth Gilbert (P)2006 Penguin Audio, a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc., and Books on Tape. All rights reserved.

Critic reviews

"The author's reading of this memoir adds depth; she's obviously not a professional narrator, but her vocal presence provides vivid color and quirky humor as she eats (in Italy), prays (in India), and finds love (in Indonesia). This is a delightful memoir that explores exotic countries as well as the author's heart and soul." (AudioFile magazine)

"Sustaining a chatty, conspiratorial tone, Gilbert fully engages readers in the year's cultural and emotional tapestry, conveying rapture with infectious brio, recalling anguish with touching candor, as she details her exotic tableau with history, anecdote and impression." (Publishers Weekly)

"Gilbert's sensuous and audacious spiritual odyssey is as deeply pleasurable as it is enlightening." (Booklist)

Just loved this book

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and recommend it highly. I see some of these critical reviews and I can't understand what these readers difficulties are. I found this book to be a complete delight and Elizabeth Gilbert to be an introspective, inspirational woman and whose prose I admire tremendously. She made me laugh out loud over and over again and I so enjoyed her sharing her insights with such honesty and clarity that I am in awe. She makes a great case for being exactly who we are, making peace with ourselves, seeing the divine in ourselves. She inspires me to do the same.

Best Book this Year

I wasn't sure I would like this book when I stared listening to it, but I stuck with it and was handsomely rewarded. The author has an amazing ability to take you with her on a year long journey to Italy, India, and Indonesia. She has an amazing ability to tell the story of the people, places, and wisdom learned along the way. If more people could see the world as she has, our planet would be a much better place for everyone.

loved it.

Once I accepted that the author is somewhat self-absorbed ( a hazzard in the world of personal memoirs) I really enjoyed her adventures around the globe. A great listen, read by the author to boot.

Excellent Book

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and the narration. Writing from the heart the author tells a wonderful story about her journey.

Beautiful!!!

I enjoyed this book! Being so much older than the writer, I was impressed that someone that young could address and struggle with such a profound subject. She expressed beautifully our interaction with food, prayer, and relationship. Well written and inspiring!

Sulk Flirt and Whine

O.K., the title is not necessarily true to my review. When the author mentioned she was a Cancer it all made sense. She is very insightful, articulate, witty, charming, but yes she loves to whine and becomes self-absorbed in herself. Yet, the story and plot is perfect and represented everything I wanted in a book---food, adventure, travel, and an exploration of spirituality. Once I warmed up to her writing voice, I was immersed in the book and the story.

Loved this audio!!!

The audio made the book come alive unlike I've experienced reading it myself. Very inspiring and even funny at times!!

Lovely Reading, Captivating Story

If you want to be transported to three distant lands and actually feel as if you lived the experience, this is the book to get. Combo travel book, autobiography and personal development narrative, every minute is a joy. If you like Barbara Kingslover, you'll especially love this book.

What an insightful and incredible story!

This continues to be my favorite audio book. It is so candid, with the author, Elizabeth Gilbert, sharing her life experiences intermingled with the many fascinating people she encounters in her journey to find herself. The best part of this audiobook was the experience of hearing the author describe her world in her own voice. I'm sending the unabridged version to my daughter.

Wonderful!

Wonderful story and narration. I could listen to this multliple times.