Janet Souter
Janet Souter asked:

How and why did this book ever get published?

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Brandi Wilson Probably because we all enjoy different things, are inspired by different things and despise different things. Needless to say, it got published because somewhere, somebody loved it. And that's ok.
Ryan Kovacsik Well, it has a beginning and an end; it's about 300 pages long; it begins with a conflict, and after many ups and downs and side to sides, there is some resolution. It has moments that are somewhat exciting, sad, appalling, happy. It is a memoir. It is someones personal journey as she bares her tattered soul and then explains in detail the process of attempting to heal that soul. There are a slew of colourful characters. We get to go with the author to places all over the world, and get an interesting feel for those places. While this is not an incredible, award winning book by any measure, these few things I've listed were probably enough to get it published, and it appears the people involved made a good choice and probably made a good deal of money in the process. Just sayin'.
Mdsimms I asked myself that same question Janet. There's absolutely nothing special, mystical, engaging or compelling about this book. Booooooooring.
Felix Sun I am betting $100: because it has a catchy title. we have 100 million readers who judge book by its cover.
Nono Who knows? -I asked this myself, too, on each d*mn page of this book while reading.
Beverly The author mentions that she had an advance to write the book - the publisher funded all or part of a year of travel, based on the strength of her previous writings (books and articles). Sure, the publisher could have looked at the manuscript and rejected it, but after investing that much money, the odds were in favor of publication.
I picked it off the "free books" box at my local coffee shop. I know I would not have bought it in a bookstore. And at first, it was a little slow (and over-dramatized) for my taste. But after awhile I realized that the slowing down to allow time for introspection was the point. Toward the end, I found that it calmed me down during a period when there was a lot of stress in my work.
I'm not making any value judgments about liking or disliking the book (Ms. Souter's post seems to be a thought-provoking way of saying "I disliked this book"). I'm glad I "tasted" it, and it was 50/50 whether I would put it back in the "free books" bin or continue, and either path would have been morally fine.
Chelsea I actually enjoyed it! Different strokes...
Noah As, I confess, it is my nature's plague
To spy into abuses, and oft my jealousy
Shapes faults that are not.
Othello (3.3)
Mashenkacov One more mystery for the female world.
اية هشام because she find a way to her happiness,it was a message for every person not only women to seek their own happiness
What do you mean exactly?
Hamsa Selvam Because different people derive inspiration from different things- closely to someone' journey they can relate to. The book has an interesting view about a writer's way of spending a year- getting over a broken marriage and a bad break up. It is dramatic at some point and marvelous at another. Nevertheless it is about a tale of someone's difficult part of life. It was like a personal diary sort of tailored then and there eventually for publishing. There is nothing special with the story. But the writer has done a better job at expressing every simple thing that mattered along the way. Sure, the places are exotic and I enjoyed quite a few characters. But her journey was remarkable that makes this piece of story worth sharing.
Tracie Moyo i honestly loved it....
Kris I am a huge fan of fiction books. So transitioning to nonfiction tends to be a struggle, but a friend recommended this book and while there were parts I thought to myself, who is this and why is her life special enough to write about and be turned into a book?
But as I really listened, I felt a part of it resonated with me. I have never been married, therefore I have never experienced divorce. But I have experienced loneliness, feeling like my life is not going anywhere, and just lost a bit. So I realized, I'm not the only one feeling this way. I don't have the money to travel the world or the personality to be comfortable with doing so on my own, but I valued the concept and learned a bit. There is something I feel we all could take a way with just how people in other parts of the world live their lives. The idea that people in Italy no how to truly take it easy without feeling guilty or fearing someone will accuse them of being lazy. The notion of being able to sit in complete silence and quiet the mind. I felt blown away at how the lady in Indonesia was struggling financially, but seemed to be calm about it. If I knew I was going to be evicted (even if it was a year from now) I'd be in absolute panic. So beyond learning about Elizabeth Gilbert's struggles and self realization, I felt I learned something about other cultures. So there is more than just her ups and downs.
Leslie Bratspis I loved this book. It touched many parts of my soul as I have personally struggled to overcome some painful experiences and learn mindfulness meditation as a way of acceptance and healing. As an anthropology major in college, I was fascinated while reading about the different cultures and their history. Also, I thoroughly enjoyed Elizabeth Gilbert's humor. It was so honest and refreshing. This is a book for anyone on a quest of personal growth, healing, and learning to let go and move on. Judging by some of the comments, it's obviously not a book for everyone. I didn't like the movie because it changed facts and detracted from the truth and value of the story.
Mona See the movie, forget the book. While this book has been a commercial success, I definitely feel the movie is better and the book benefitted from it. The writing was really average, sort of predictable.
Modus Because the author gave it to the publishers and they wanted to print it because they liked it. Get over yourselves, fools who keep asking this question pretending they're clever. We get it, you're desperate for attention. Despite giving you answer, it doesn't change how pathetic it sounds...
Book Worm some people love trash
Chanell Wilson I saw the movie and was a little disappointed. After a long conversation with a friend about it; she got the book for me and I started reading it. Some parts were good but I found myself checking out. I hate checking out of books, so I stopped and bought the audio book because I really wanted to get the full story. I must say I enjoyed the audiobook. Some stories just need to be shared from the point of view and voice of the author. I liked it and I liked what she had to say. Especially about her feelings towards gelato.... lol but the audiobook was good
Melinda Because there is no justice in this world.
Dalia Hasan Did the book change your life?
Bradley Aden This book is the definition of rhetoric.
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by Elizabeth Gilbert (Goodreads Author)
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