Eat, pray, love is a memoir about Elizabeth Gilbert’s year long, soul searching trip she takes after finding herself in the midst of a terrible divorce and depression. I personally did not enjoy the memoir much, but I may have felt differently if I was a forty year old divorcee reading it. Another reason I struggled to engage with the book is because it felt somewhat unrealistic to me. Most people cannot pick up and travel the world for a year and soul-search when times get tough, yet Gilbert did just that. I do not judge the road she took, and understand that many view study abroad as a similar experience of stepping out of your comfort zone to discover new parts of yourself. Given the time and resources I’m sure most people would do the same thing, and it seemed to help Gilbert find herself and improve her life. Although it was not my favorite read, there are many takeaways from her experiences that readers can incorporate into their own lives.

The book is split into three parts each corresponding to the three countries she visits. After a brief introduction, she starts with her time in Italy where she finds pleasure in life again. Between her stories and lessons she paints a picture of Italy using experiences, especially those involving food. Through food she meets her closest friends in Italy and has her most fond experiences.

Gilbert struggles to define pleasure, and goes to a country where she is free to do so. While Americans question this decision and the financial repercussions, the Italians congratulate her and wish her luck. She decides she just wants to eat good food and learn a beautiful language. She explains that first dinner in Rome was nothing extravagant, but yet that night when she returned home was the first night in a while that she did not cry and finally felt contempt again. She continues to share many of the amazing meals she has while in Italy, and the memories that come along with them. She meets her first friend, Giovanni, because of an ad at a cafe. They bond over meals and exchange language tips as well as new foods. She describes another new Italian friend, Luca, as a good eater and goes to hole in the wall dives with him where she finds proudly Roman servers and locals. She later goes to Luca’s birthday dinner which consists of all homemade dishes, plenty of friends, and an abundance of laughter and tears. This meals exemplifies the Italian dining experience and how it is about more than just the food.

Bel far niente. An Italian expression meaning “the beauty of doing nothing,” that her friend Luca Spaghetti teaches her. This Italian idea is shown in many aspects of their lives, including meals. Italians sit for hours, cherishing the food and company that accompany their meals. They take long lunches during the day and have late evenings to enjoy dinner with friends and family. Americans, on the other hand, rely on fast food during quick breaks and simply eat out of necessity. Luca teaches Elizabeth another Italian expression —l’arte d’arrangiarsi— meaning the art of making something out of nothing. This is also demonstrated through Italian food culture. Their recipes often contain a few basic ingredients which, when combined, create amazing meals such as cacio e pepe, the traditional Roman pasta dish consisting of pasta, cheese, and pepper. It is also demonstrated again during the meals when a gathering of a few friends turns into an hours long celebration of food and life. Another of Elizabeth’s favorite Roman expressions is “parla come mangi,” which means “speak the way you eat.” She interprets this as keeping language as simple and direct as Roman food when composing your words.

Her last trip in Italy is to Sicily. It is here where she asks if it’s wrong to live, just temporarily, for the next lovely meal? It is also here she realizes why Italians are so passionate about their food as well as other beautiful things in life. Many Sicilians live in poverty, and are surrounded by corruption and injustice. Rather than focusing on the harshness of reality, they choose to direct their attention towards their meals instead. Gilbert says that this is why only beauty and pleasure will be accepted in the world of art and food. She also says that their food is a way to hold on to a part of themselves when everything else is falling apart. Overall, this portion of the book offers many insights into Italian food culture and lessons to be learned from it. Gilbert shows the simplicity and pleasure found in Italian culture and food culture. It also teaches readers to take time to enjoy the simpler things in life, to slow down and appreciate a good meal. It encourages readers to find the beauty in nothing and everything.