I was destined to read this book. A few ladies in my apartment joined to form a book club, and this was the first book chosen for reading ,followed by a discussion thereafter, the next month. The flip side of being a member of such a club dawned on me then. You are "forced " to read a book. This when my "want to read" book list still begged attention. On second thoughts, I argued that I joined the book club so that I'll be forced to read books. I decided that I'll read the book. If I find it boring, I can always not read it!
Next, I didn't have to work hard to find the book. It was just there in the library close home and a good friend dropped it home.You see,if I was destined to read it, the truth is that I didn't find it boring either.
The club discussed it last week. On a scale of five, the maximum rating given was a generous 2.5! Most of the ladies felt that it was a typical American perspective and so there was an extent to which we Indians could relate to. There was a clear disconnect with the "Self" obsession for everything under the sun and above it! Personally, I was quite happy to hear this line of arguement. I was often given to think that, that disconnect was diminishing. Never the less some members did opine that our future generation may be able to relate with this obsession better than us. But that's another matter for another day, may be.
However, I am now on a give- the- devil- her- due review.
To begin with, I found an honest, genuine voice in the writer. Here is a woman who lays herself bare, digging up the whole gamut of her feelings through this art of writing---excruciating, pleasurable or theraupetic.It is no mean job to get the right words to emote your feelings. It is indeed a lucid style that communicates well with all kinds of readers.
And that is why one lady said that she too wanted to go roam the streets and eateries of Rome like the author.
India ,is mostly represented in the Ashram . I am curious to know which place in reality was that?
For me, Bali came alive in all her charm. Also, the idyllic description of Gili Meno, the tiny coastal island.
The road trip with Yudhi is another skilful interlude in the book. Yudhi draws the Manhattan map on the white sands of Gili to talk of all their favourite haunts and foods. That young man's nostalgia ,loss , yearning and helplessness is so evocatively brought out there.
Well....the prayer, the meditation bits are ironically the dampeners. Like the Indonasian kids the author writes about, our tropical genes are so given to prayers that an adventure or roller coaster ride on it doesnn"t just ring true!
I am told quotes from the book are quite popular. I have not seen them as yet.
Eat Pray Love had its bits for me. And I enjoyed chewing on it. Felipe's signature line holds good for me too: "if you tell me slowly, I can understand quickly."
