Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert

After a bitter divorce and rebound fling, Elizabeth was determined to embark on a year of self-enquiry.




She bases the structure of her book on 108 beads of the Japa Mala then divides the book into 3 parts - locations: Italy, India and Indonesia.

108 (re: beads) divided into 3 = 3 sections of 36 chapters. What is also curious is she is in her 36th year when she is truly discovering herself!

Parts 1 and 3 made the best reading for me.

Acceptance as well as allowing yourself space and time to think (rather than speak) were invaluable lessons shared.

I read this book in March (some time ago now) as part of a promise to myself to read one book per week (week ending 3rd January being week one) a New Year resolution for 2010.

Due to the film now based on this book, it has become a topical theme of conversation right now, hence I am including a view point in this blog.

I plan to see the film this week,featuring Julie Roberts as Elizabeth, an adaption I am both curious and keen to view.

Read my blog: www.writeaboutfilms.blogspot.com, coming soon!

I score this novel 8/10 (10 is high)

Major Pettigrew's Last Stand

First novel by Helen Simonson...

A book with a wonderfully simple cover that provides reasons to set out to discover who owns each coat on the stand.

Ernest is a widower, who prefers the quiet life since his wife died. He demonstrates depth of character, a traditional stance and standards, yet under his formal exterior and awkwardness when someone stirs the passion in him, he is actually worldly-wise and sensitive!

Just when you think the story is going to be about his inheritance of his fathers second gun (after the death of his brother) one that when put alongside his own gun returns a pair, the storyline turns to an unexpected friendship that develops between himself and a shopkeeper in the village.

A love story unfolds that takes the reader into the realms of family obligation and tradition verses risk to obtain personal happiness.

I liked how he described the stage the lady he falls in love is in, "the very prime flowering of mature womanhood."

The character (Major Pettigrew) also reminds his son, "Youth is a wonderful time of vigour and action. For collecting friends and experiences." which I believe is so true to life.

The Author describes his relationship with another lady as having "developed a gravitational pull, slow but insistent, as a planet pulls home a failing satellite". Another description that I think is worthy of note and a situation that you can recall happening if not to yourself, someone else.

As someone who makes the most of an opportunity to take in the early morning air, I also found Helen's description, "The frost was still deep and the sun only a vague promise in the mid-morning sky" quite striking.

A book I just had to finish. A quirky yet lovely novel which holds a few surprises.

I score this book 7/10 (10 is high)