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)

A Great Listen

I really enjoyed the author's narration. As someone who has struggled with depression, self-doubt, and "meaning" in one's life, I found this book to be insightful and inspiring.

Great Listen

This was a great listen! Listened on my way to vacation and on my way home; not to the destinations in the book but still a great book to listen to for vacation! Love the book, one I will probably re-listen to again at some point.

A feel good journey

This story will not be for everyone as I can only imagine some will criticize how not everyone is able to travel around the world to find themselves. HOWEVER sometimes you just need to listen to a win and this book gives that. Her voice was easy to listen to and you can tell this was her truth and a lived in experience.

I needed this

The book I never knew I needed. I laughed, cried, took notes, and sometimes had to pause to take in what resonated most with me.

Amazing!

Really able to paint pictures of where she went and what the people look like! I felt like I traveled around the world!

Superb

Highly recommended. I loved every minute of this book. I’m going to rewatch the movie.

Love this book

This is one of the best books I have read! I feel like I was on her journey with her.

Forever changed me

Elizabeth Gilbert is, I believe, an Angel sent to my life. I think it’s because I relate with her so deeply, and not everyone will feel that. However, every word she writes is poetry. She is so articulate in describing the full spectrum of emotions, which I think every human knows and feels. This book forever changed me and was words of inspiration on my own spiritual journey.
I Hope you enjoy x

Very short "chapters"

I'm not far into the story. I am enjoying the story itself. But, I wish audible programmed the chapters to include a few. sometimes I like to listen as I'm laying in bed winding down. I'm also someone who can't turn off mid sentence. I like to select to turn off at the end of a chapter rather than 30 minutes. Some of these chapters are 6 minutes. it just makes it difficult to listen to a decent segment while stopping at the end of a chapter with the auto shut off settings.

Or maybe my complaint should really just be audible having a multiple chapter shut off option.

1st time -read it, This time -I listened

I loved it more now then when I read it 10 -12 years ago! I think b/c I grew up, I had lived more life understood more which made me understand the pain of divorce, of failing to preconceived ideas, and then beating ourselves up. And this time I listened more, really listened I think sometimes I’ve read books too fast and missed the overall message. Great read, great listening, great writing, great book!