It's official--I've started reading, have you? I admit I knew next to nothing about this book, except it was a bestseller, was made into a movie, and takes place in several countries. I may not have selected it had I realized it was a memoir, as I've read a number of them lately (3 Cups of Tea, The Liar's Club, Reading Lolita in Tehran).
So here we have a memoir. Do you generally enjoy the memoir format? I'm iffy on them--but when I was actively writing, almost all my stories were memoir, or slightly ficitionalized memoir. I suppose this indicates I'm drawn to the style.
At this point I am enjoying the author's conversational, current, and fully-disclosing style of writing. I took exception with her need to protect the reasons for the demise of her first marriage. I guess in order for me to empathize with her state of mind, I would have liked to understand why she was consistently on the floor crying (she spends a lot of time huddled on floors). So, I was left cold as she attempted to portray herself as devastated and tortured, when it felt self-inflicted--which was further suggested by her relationship with David. One of the things I remember in my creative non-fiction courses, was this idea that we need to be disassociated from ourselves in order to connect our story to the reader. I haven't felt that with this writer, in fact she feels fully subjective ... but so far in a good way.
I'll keep reading and stop musing now.
If you are interested in more information on the author and the connections to the movie:
ReplyDeletehttp://us.penguingroup.com/static/pages/features/gilbert/
Q&A with author & discussion questions:
http://us.penguingroup.com/static/rguides/us/eat_pray_love.html
Loving the book. Completed the section. I was initially interested in reading the book because I had an "AHA" moment at 36 as well.
Will check-in again later with more thoughts
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ReplyDeleteI don't mind a memoir if the author can stay on point. I find this story interesting, but at times I feel the author is conflicted and there are moments I have a hard time believing her. She made a point of talking about name anonymity, and scattered name changes in her Intro, but then she spends another paragraph on page 42 driving home the names of Luca Spaghetti and Patrick McDevitt(?). I understand that this book is the description of a process she is going through, but she made a point of being humble about the reason for divorce on page 12, but after that was said it was hard for her not to implicate her husband as the cause for the lengthy divorce, and her financial stress and loss. Her implications of him during the divorce speak loud of his character and hers. She is dramatic and a bit of a martyr. I also found it amusing that she spoke of how Ketut showed her a sketch he'd drawn once during meditation, and then on page 39 she says the old medicine man had drawn the picture for her(?)...Does she not think we are actually paying attention to what she writes?
ReplyDeleteI did have some sympathy for her when she spoke of her depression...I can remember one very specific time in my life that I felt I wanted to lose control or check-out, but the consequences were not worth that route. I find it interesting that she creates a dialogue with depression and loneliness and how they just take over. I am thankful that I cannot remember being consumed by either of those feelings....Ask me about fear and I would probably have another answer.
I've read up to, and slightly past the allocated spot. All in all, I am enjoying this memoir, although there are moments when the writing feels almost a tad college-writing-course to me. Like Nancy, I'm finding some contradictions that irk me, and the metaphor of loneliness and depression as two badgering cops felt a little forced to me, but I still was very drawn in by her descriptions of depression and anxiety--since I've experienced both at various junctures through my life. She describes it well and without self-pity.
ReplyDeleteHer dialogue about medication really resonated with me, I've had the same internal dialogues, and made the same refusal (to take daily medication). She spent an entire chapter on these musings, and I actually went right along with her on the jag. All the spiraling thoughts imitated the trajectory of the kind of panic and self-talk that accompanies depression. I was immersed in her experience, here--unlike during the opening of the book, where I felt a distance from her.She even seemed to touch on a little social theory here, talking about a whole generation of medicated children and adults, and the potential effect on creativity or even our ability to truly experience the contrast of happiness and joy.
I'm a foodie, so I'm looking forward to hearing more about her experience of food--and how indulging might be a way of filling the hole in her soul. I also am really enjoying her descriptions of Rome. I think we spent about 4 days in Rome (maybe 5) back during our Euro-tour of 2006, and I really loved the city. It was daunting, to be sure, and I admire this author/character for her going there singly. Villa Borghese was one of my favorite spots in Rome, and we stayed withing walking distance. Its really a wonderful city, and I can see why she went there for reflection--the antiquities alone encourage a realistic view of the teeny moment we occupy temporally in this world.
The description of her Level 2 Italian experience was very funny, and I enjoyed her honesty here.
Some discussion questions you may or may not want to consider:
1. Could you ever travel alone to a foreign city for the purposes of self-discovery?
2. Do you speak anything other than your native language, and if so, do you think it connects you to the greater world differently than those that do not?
3. Have you ever wanted to live abroad, and if so, where?
4. Do you have any other thoughts about the author's journey?
5. Can you relate to the author? Do you (as I do) have any reservations about this journey that result from the author's clearly different socio-economic situation. For example, I think self-discovery through travel is inevitable, but who has the means by which to do something like this?
1. I'm sure I could travel alone if I had to, but I don't think I'd want to.
ReplyDelete2. There are times that I have regretted my parents not teaching me Spanish, but for whatever reason I've not felt the neccessity to learn on my own.
3. I would like to know the United States better before considering living abroad, and then I have to consider how I'd support myself.
4. & 5. I think the author is fortunate to be able to travel and use this experience for growth, but I know when I've had problems I've had to deal with them head-on where I'm at. It's not feasible for me to leave my job, my home or family to get my head together.
6. I'm more intrigued by her quest for an understanding of God, and her development of a relationship with God.
Section 1, Tale 18:
ReplyDeleteI love Elizabeth's description of her journaling experience. I don't do it daily, but I've learned to use journaling as a tool in place of therapy, or spiritual counseling. It can be like confession. I have been fortunate to have people in my life I could go to and have a good cry, but sometimes you get to the point where it's just as easy to dump your burden on paper than on a friend. It can help lighten a load, and it's a good reminder to oneself when the opportunity arises to look back upon your writings.
I should answer my own questions:
ReplyDelete1) As much as I'd WANT to, I don't think I would have the courage to go live in a country where I do not know the language well, on my own. I'm too much of a worrier and a planner, and dealing with the unforeseen alone would work my nerves I think--and the only discovery I would make (not that I don't already know this) is that I'm driven by the need to prepare, and my little neuroses! But the idea of the possibilities and being somewhere wholly new is extremely exciting to me. I like that this author/character is doing this, and that I can live through her experience.
2. I speak really elementary, conversational German. Enough to not be entirely afraid when I'm in that country--and I understand more than I can speak. I regret that my father did not teach me Spanish (American immersion program I guess), and I further regret that I cannot, anatomically, roll my "r's" -- please don't try to teach me, everyone does and I learned in biology that your tongue has to have a certain genetic ability--I do not have it. But I can make a perfect "ICH" sound in German (lovely).
3. I am in a stage right now where I'd love to live abroad, and I think I could do it, too, if someone were with me. I'd love to live in Italy (of course), or Germany, or France, or Denmark, or pretty much any European country Germany and west. We have friends who were living in Budapest--don't know if they've returned (my dog literally ate their address). There are parts of South America which are intriguing: Uruguay, Paraguay ... but the political situation there is rough. Australia and New Zealand finally intrigue me--it took a while for those countries to capture my imagination.
4. Will save these for a new post later on.
5. I haven't been able to really connect with the author yet, and I'm not sure why. I find her witty, amusing, smart ... but also a bit self-indulgent and maybe even a little bit elitist. I feel like I often read memoir-type articles from wealthy, well-educated individuals in which they lament their amazing work ethic and achievement skills. Something about this irks me, as I think it is easier to succeed and indulge an adventurous spiriti (and thus become financially stable or better) when you, a) have a secure home and the emotional and even financial backing of parent(s), and b) your world view consists of your immediate neighborhood and the process of even obtaining a passport is beyond your realm of experience. I can't believe how many children I encountered at the YWCA who had never left North Portland, who had never gone more than 2 miles from their homes, seriously!
Still, this is for entertainment and reflection, so I've decided to lighten up and enjoy some of the very amusing moments she's giving us. More later.