Book Club

No, I am not joining a book club. But if I did this is the book I would choose and the report I would give. My boyfriend's mom lent me a book she just bought but hadn't read yet. It is called Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert. I quickly dismissed this book as one I was not interested in because it is a nonfiction book about a divorcee's journey to find herself in 3 countries. I could not have understated the greatness of this book anymore. I totally just oversimplified all that is so fascinating about this book by summing it up in the one sentence above. It is so good (and I'm only on page 40) that there is no way for me to attempt to address and explain all that I find so enjoyable about it. I will try a little harder in a minute though. I also dismissed it because one of the countries she visits is India. I don't like Indian food, don't know much about the culture and have absolutely no interest in learning anything about it. Very ignorant of me I am beginning to realize as I just wrote that last sentence. Anyway, the introduction got me. She started talking math and I had to respect anyone who respect the laws and the beauty of mathematics. How can you not love math with all it's balance and possibilities??? Don't let that scare you though, it's not a major deal just an explanation of the layout of the book.

I think that books are good for the same reasons that comedians are funny. Ever heard anybody say "It's funny because it's true". Nothing is funnier than the truth sometimes because we can all identify with it. I think the same can be true for literature. Already, as a woman, I can identify with so much of what the author is writing about even though I have never traveled internationally nor ever been through a divorce. Even if some of her experiences are at extreme ends of the spectrum we can all identify with feelings and emotions, confusion and questions, happiness and wonder that she goes through on some level or another. It's good because it's true. To some degree we all feel like that sometimes.

The last thing I really enjoy about this book is that I started reading the introduction out loud to my boyfriend on our way back from Iowa. Then I kept reading and we have shared every word thus far and even stopped and shared thoughts about the book and about our lives after every chapter (sometime in between chapters). We have decided to read the whole thing together and to continue the shared enjoyment of the book. I think I like this part best of all. The new topics of conversations it is evoking between us and the learning that we can do from all the good that the other possesses makes me happy. It makes me feel blessed.