Eat Pray Love (Discussion)

Did you get a chance to read Eat Pray Love with us this month for our book club Page Turners? Perhaps you’ve already read it because it’s such a popular story. We chose it for that exact reason. Lisa and I couldn’t believe that neither of us had read this book, although it’d been sitting on my book shelf for years.

A quick background story of the author, Elizabeth Gilbert. Elizabeth wrote Eat Pray Love in 2006 as a memoir of her terrible divorce followed by an amazing, inspiring trip around the world, where she discovered herself. Elizabeth quoted, during an interview with Oprah last year, ‘For some reason, and this just boggles my imagination, there are still just huge swaths of women who never got the memo that their lives belong to them.’ Elizabeth is devoted to sharing her message and encouraging her fans to be strong. Last week she wrote an open letter to ‘the broken hearted’ on her Facebook page encouraging them that it will get better. I know people who have met Elizabeth and they’ve said she is as genuine and sweet in real life as her book leads her to be.

Before we begin, I’ll remind you that there may be spoilers ahead. Only continue if you’d like to be a part of the discussion of the entire book. Also, please use my questions as a jumping off point. Ask your own questions and start your own discussion of the book within the forum.

1. Travel is a big theme throughout Eat Pray Love. I can’t go without discussing it! Liz learned to just ‘be’ in Italy, learned how to be completely devoted in India and take the leap to mending her broken heart in Bali. Do you think people are more open to new experiences when they travel? And why?
   I definitely think people are more open to new experiences when they’re traveling. Personally, I’ve tried a lot of food I wouldn’t normally eat, wear clothes I wouldn’t wear at home and am a bit more daring with my activities.
2. Sitting in an outdoor café in Rome, Gilbert’s friend declares that every city-and every person-has a word. Rome’s is “sex,” the Vatican’s “power”; Gilbert declares New York’s to be “achieve,” but only later stumbles upon her own word, antevasin, Sanskrit for “one who lives at the border.” What is your word? Is it possible to choose a word that retains its truth for a lifetime? (Questions issued by publisher.) What is your current word?
   My word for 2015 is LEARN but I don’t think that word encompasses the entirety of my life and who I am. The word I would use as my word is ‘tender hearted.’ I am a roller coaster of emotions and my heart is at the root of it all. I haven’t decided yet if this is a good thing or something I want to work on. I’m not sure it is something I can work on.
3. Which, of Liz’s three ‘I’ countries would you like to visit? Which country do you think you would benefit most from?
   I would enjoy visiting all three of the countries Liz visited and would follow her lead on what I’d want to learn in those places. Bali would be my top choice of places to visit. I enjoyed the Balinese way of meditating with a smile. I would enjoy the simplicity of life that comes with not having as much ‘stuff’ and ‘things to get done’ in Bali. Most of all, I would cherish experiencing the beach as well as forest and beautiful weather.

Did you know she has a follow up story called Committed? I liked this book so much I’ve got to check what happened next.

Now, it’s your turn! Answer any or all of the questions in the comment section below. Ask questions of your own. Or, link-up a blog post with your review and/or the answers to these questions. Also be sure to check out Lisa’s discussion questions on her blog. We’re sharing the same linky, so no need to link-up on both blogs.

Remember our February selection is The 100-year old man who climbed out the window and disappeared by Jonas Jonasson. The title is a mouthful but hopefully the book is easy and fun to read. We’ll be discussing The 100-year old man on February 27.