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Eat Pray Love: A Voyage of self-discovery

As a woman reader there are some books that appeal to and affect me on a deep personal level. Book adaptations are sacrosanct and only a precious few have passed the muster for me. I liked reading Eat Pray Love, although I wouldn’t go as far as calling it my favourite book. I liked the movie better, but then it had the lovely Julia Roberts so I might be faintly biased.

A strong woman protagonist who travels to three different countries and gracefully accepts what they graciously offer to her. The sinfully tempting food of Italy, the tranquility of praying in India and peace and true love in Indonesia. While this whole voyage of self-discovery is probably something any person would want to and should take up at some or the other juncture in his life, I disagree with the author on some levels.

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Financial concerns can dampen the most well-meaning trips, and the fact that the author was commissioned to write this book before she set out for this work-vacation is made of stuff imaginary genies are created for. Where my magic lamp is hiding, I wonder!

Not just Eat Pray Love but in general, they call India the land of snake charmers. However, this is where foreigners come to when they have to unscrew their screwed up lives. The number of shots to be taken before they set foot in the country bothers them while the mental catastrophe their developed nations have imparted is conveniently forgotten.

Some lines in the book make a lot of sense though, like this one. My conditioned-to-diet mind and tongue couldn’t agree with it more. The pleasure is momentary, but the niggling guilt overrides it completely. It also makes self-acceptance seem like the easiest and most obvious thing to do. Do we have to put ourselves through the grind of misery before realising it?

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My takeaways from Eat Pray Love:

Others’ opinion about you should never consume you or your existence.

Self-loathing of any kind is unnecessary and is often about matters no one apart from us is concerned about.

If possible, try not making your life so chaotic that no one less than a professional can help.

Loving and being loved are organic feelings and must be allowed to flow freely.

We have one life to live, make mistakes and learn from. Why stop ourselves then?

The perfect woman is a myth and can take away what you truly are from you.

Finally, open your arms and welcome what life has in store for you. You might be pleasantly surprised with what you get! 🙂

Have you read Eat Pray Love? Do you agree with me? Let’s talk about this woman to woman, shall we?

25 thoughts on “Eat Pray Love: A Voyage of self-discovery

        1. That’s alright. ???? We end up relating our lives with characters and have our own point of view to add too right? They are like a culmination of both. ????

      1. Will look for this book. Books do help make sense of things. Although problem solving involves much more than bookish knowledge, quotes,blogs etc and there one’s inner strengths are suitably tested ☺☺

        1. One can only suggest. Putting yourselves through any kind of tests is completely upto you. I simply so what I want and make changes only if I feel like.

  1. So rightly said. We should not be consumed by others’ opinions. I also liked this movie and would like to watch it again. I love Julia Roberts and her smile.

  2. Going with your take from the book, I am definitely getting it to read once the ebook carnival list is over, Self love and care is important, – Eat Pray Love seems like the book I would like to read soon.

  3. I liked the movie eat pray Love. Not read the book though. My take away is unless we are happy with ourselves no amount of effort can make people around us happy. The focus for peace and happiness and acceptance should be I. Rest will fall in place.

  4. All the phrases you have mentioned are true. Perfect woman is actually a myth. No one is perfect here and one shouldn’t define other . I am yet to read the book but sounds very much inspiring.

  5. I don’t know why but I enjoyed watching the movie more than reading. I loved the pace of the movie and the script writing more as compared to the book. Glad you liked the book. It’s subtle yet puts across the right messages.

  6. I have read the book and watched movie as well. I loved the book and it is often kept on my shelf as I love to re-read it. It is always beautiful to read how the reader has interpret the book and its meaning, I second you on the takeaways you took from this.

  7. It’s my all time favorite read and like you I loved the movie more. There is something about it which resonates with my heart too, loved the learning’s you enumerated

  8. I liked the movie better than the book too. And that’s about the only time that has happened. I agree with you it must be because I adore Julia Roberts. Loved your crisp review

  9. It is essential that we need to have acceptance of what God serves us in our life. We should accept everything with open arms and live with it, this gives happiness for sure.

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