Committed

A Sceptic 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 survivors of difficult divorces. Enough said.)

But providence intervened one day in the form of the U.S. government, who - 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 completely into this topic, trying with all her might to discover (through historical research, interviews and much personal reflection) what this stubbornly enduring old institution actually is. The result is Committed - a witty and intelligent contemplation of marriage that debunks myths, unthreads fears and suggests that sometimes even the most romantic of souls must trade in her amorous fantasies for the humbling responsibility of adulthood.

Gilbert's memoir - destined to become a cherished handbook for any thinking person hovering on the verge of marriage - 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 Bloomsbury Publishing Plc

Absolute reading pleasure

The author's delightful style of writing and sober, yet entertaining take on marriage is a must - especially for those skeptical of the concept of "holy matrimony". The reviews here which complain about the factual aspects seem unfounded, as the facts are seemlessly woven into top class prose about a beautiful story of love and commitment like only Gilbert can.

Before you get married, listen to this!

I have loved Elizabeth Gilbert since the first time I read "Eat, Pray, Love". I find her honesty very comforting, and the way she writes is entertaining and funny. She's a very smart woman and a very accomplished writer. With this book, she goes even further on the meaning of what a marriage is, the commitment that so many people are afraid of. Through investigation and interesting reflections, the reader can learn about the tradition of srriage in different culture, its origins and what it means today, for the author and many others. It's a must for people who are considering to get married!

Amazing!

If you could sum up Committed in three words, what would they be?

Insightful, thought provoking and rewarding

Any additional comments?

Brilliant book. Feels like it was written for me. I am married and have always questioned marriage, wondered about history of the thing. This book delves into the history of marriage, the way it varies in cultures and countries, why we do it and what it all means. Now I just need Elizabeth Gilbert to have children so she can answer all my questions about raising children and motherhood.

Clear the thoughts about marriage

The writer is very honest, brave and creative. You can find the answer why people hesitate about marriage.

Profoundly Simple

Being on the precipice of marriage myself, I bought Committed hoping it would discuss marriage from a few different sociological perspectives, which it did, albeit lightly. What surprised me is that this book is primarily a story, a story about Elizabeth Gilbert's attempt at coming to terms with the whole idea of marriage after having been through an intensely painful one already.

And being a guy I was hesitant to read an emotional account of her experience, but having just finished the book, I'm pleased to say that I have grown by reading this book. Without really expecting it to, it has addressed some of my own concerns, doubts and questions about marriage. And now, going into marriage, I think that I will approach it with a better appreciation for what women have given up for marriage in the past, and hopefully I'll use this knowledge to help redefine marriage within the privacy of my own union, and in doing so, within my community.

This is not a sequel of Eat,Pray, Love

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Commited is a book for those people who have or have had at some point in their lives, a hard time coming to terms with the institution of marriage. It is probably not for those who do not or did not question marriage, or those who do not or did not feel uncomfortable with conforming to such traditional institution. Commited is a long personal reflection of the author with regard to the need of getting married independently of her will. It seems that process took her took many months. To me, it took years. So, I definitely recommend the book. But don't expect a sequel of Eat, Pray, Love. This is an exercise on introspection, with rather little travelling and fun.

Would you be willing to try another book from Elizabeth Gilbert? Why or why not?

After finishing the book, I immediately looked for some of her speeches and talks and particularly enjoyed her TED talk on the creative process. She is an incredibly articulate writer with the perfect mixture of ironic and serious prose.

What about Elizabeth Gilbert’s performance did you like?

I had never listened to a writer speaking his (her) own book. It is very interesting and she did it well. I wished, though, she sounded a little more ironic on the ironic parts and paused longer after them, so that I would have had time to finish laughing before she started the following paragraph.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

It is a long book, impossible to listen in one sitting for someone who juggles between family and office.

An honest, open hearted look at marriage

What did you love best about Committed?

Elizabeth Gilbert feels like a friend now after listening to her read this book. I love how she argues both sides of the argument fairly, looking honesty at the issues she's concerned with.

Brilliant !

authentic masterfully storytelling. helped me seriously understand and develop my own feelings about marriage

Great book.

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I would strongly recommend it to readers married or unmarried, pro or against marriage, regardless of sex, age or sexual orientation. It was reassuring to me as someone who is pro and actually happily married, yet it opened up the horizon from the point of view of those who might be against matrimony for various reasons. I felt it was an honest narrative, which sometimes even brought tears to my eyes. Moreover, in my opinion the style was flawless, and in addition, the vocabulary and the way the text was crafted offered wonderful practice to my not-mother-tongue-but-dearly-beloved English. As an extra bonus the reader herself narrated it. I enjoyed every word. I am ready to listen to it again.

What other book might you compare Committed to and why?

I would not like to compare it to another.

What does Elizabeth Gilbert bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Extra layers of her personality.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Several.

Any additional comments?

None.

If you’re in a similar situation helps a lot!!

I liked the book as all from Elizabeth, just sometimes she started telling other stories way too long that nothing had to do with the subject.
We have very very similar stories , before with eat pray and love... and now this one, help arrives when you need it, maybe that’s why I took so many years to find this book.
Thanks Liz