Elizabeth Gilbert's first book, "Eat Pray Love" was a book about her travels in search for herself after a bad divorce, and it was devoured by readers around the world. Her second book,
"Committed: A Love Story" (interestingly, and fittingly, my hardcover version says" Committed: A Skeptic Makes Peace with Marriage" ) explores the aftermath. She has fallen in love, but struggles with the idea and the legal issues of marriage with a foreign man. Part memoir and part anthropolgical/historical discussion, Gilbert explores her own doubts and fears as well as cultural expectations and realities of marriage. As a skeptic myself, I was glad Gilbert stayed true to her mostly cynical and overly analytical, almost neurotic voice, as many books on marriage only show us the pretty parts. This is basically a love story for realists, and I assure you it won't make you run away shrieking from weddings, but it does make you think very hard about the romanticized notions of marriage in our culture. (that being said, it's not as fun or funny a read as "Eat Pray Love", and I doubt it will ever get made into a smiley Julia Roberts movie.)
On the issue of romanticized notions of marriage, I apologize for bringing up something that most people are already tired of hearing about: Royal Wedding Fever. What is our obsession with celebrity weddings, and especially the nerdlike fascination with British royalty? Ok I admit, British fascinators ARE fascinating, and I too wanted to know what Kate Middleton was wearing, and what makeup she wore, she did her own, apparently! (see chart below)
I can understand being mesmerized by the proper pomp and circumstance of Lady Di and her wedding years ago, but although times have changed, Kate and William apparently disappointed some by not ultimately sticking to tradition or being uber fancy. I say that's awesome, and award them the Prettynerdy Couples award of the century. Cheerio!
P.S. British Cadbury chocolates are way better than Hersheys anything....Another award?
Hey Faith, this looks like a super interesting read! I would love to read these books! I watched the movie, Ear Pray Love but well....I would rather read the book and get inside the head of the character.
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