Elizabeth Gilbert, author of "Eat, Pray, Love" and "Committed" will now be racking up a second divorce (another article. There's also a thread on PPD on this topic, so check it out when you have some time.
I read both "Eat, Pray, Love" and "Committed" and I'm now inclined to go back and comb over the books again. I remember disliking the way she described the process by which she was 'pushed' or 'expected' or 'lead' into marriage as though she had no voice in the matter until much later and she was so miserable she just had to bolt. That said, I also remember enjoying the way she described things, and that she was trying to embrace/discover inner changes (even if it was via the vehicle of outwards travelling). I remember connecting with a few passages, and overall enjoying the story.
"Committed" however left me with a very different impression. I don't recall enjoying it at all, and I remember thinking that the entire book struck me as the author either 1. Caving to pressure for a sequel to the first, or 2. Desperately trying to convince herself that this time was for 'realsies' and she was ready for it.
In either case, the author never struck me as someone I would ever want to know, or associate with (in the first book she makes a vow of silence that the 'universe' then immediately shows her is a mistake - and she needs to talk and be a guide or something). I'm all for embracing your personal strengths, but it's also beneficial to work on your weaknesses as well. Fleeing, running, and seeking change are all things that seem to come naturally to Gilbert, so I'm not entirely shocked that she's now getting a second divorce.
I do find it interesting that she was more than willing to tell all in the first two books, but now that she's divorcing the man that played such a huge role in her first cash-cow...I have to wonder if the silence has less to do with her wanting to retain 'privacy' and more to do with the fact that even her most adoring readers will be unable to ignore the smell of sh-t wafting from any material she writes about the failed marriage.
I also wonder if any women that found her first book inspiring and compelling now feel 'cheated' or 'tricked' in some way. Did Gilbert change at all? Or was it just one big vacation dressed up and polished to make people think 'this is how you connect with a deeper part of yourself."
As I said, I enjoyed the first book from what I remember, not as a self-help, or source of advice or anything. Just as a fun read.
Have you read the books? What are your thoughts?
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