Eat, Pray, Love
In late 2020 and early 2021 I was on the hunt for inspirational books. Within two or three months I have read around ten books in total, either related to the “inspirational” theme or not. One book I wanted to keep until the travel was Eat, Pray, Love. I heard about it, as it blew up as a book and later the movie. And some people around me said that it was junk, useless. Who wants to read about a woman with existential crisis? Well, years later, I did. I used to look down on it and I am ashamed of how I felt about it. Not only because it was diminishing the author itself, but also the female empowerment that was hidden within the lines. So, in quarantine, I started to read the book. And Rob had to join me, because there were so many scenes I read to him out loud. Either they were funny, moving, hilarious or unbelievable. Due to my messed up first relationship I could relate to what Elizabeth Gilbert was talking about, her wish not to be married to that certain guy and how she took all the blame, while he took all the money (undeserved). I feel you, Elizabeth, I feel you. And I also felt how life was moving on, for both of us. Elizabeth Gilbert gave herself a long time to grow into her own personality, while I was doing everything in a rush.
Basically, Eat, Pray, Love, showed a new perspective on life. I learned a lot. I learned a mantra for meditation. I learned not to listen to “what crap is this?”-people, but to trust my gut and my heart. (Even though I learned that before, but the book was another proofing example.) And I learned, that I could actually read funny books, even though they are rare for me.
Eat, Pray, Love – The movie
I include the movie, because Rob and I wanted to watch it after I had read the book. The movie though was not as good as the book. They included a lot of keynotes from the book and put them into others people mouths. Still, I was mad at the film makers for showing one woman complaining about her weight gain due to the Italian food. I would have preferred the actual scenes from the book, where that same woman cried, because her pizza was so goddamn delicious. That would have been a more powerful message than “I can’t eat the pizza, because I am getting to fat”.
Marc Aurel – Meditations
This book I already started before the road trip through Europe and I took it with me to Egypt. I am not sure, if I finished it in Egypt or in Thailand. However, it was fascinating to read the thoughts of someone who was already dead since nearly two thousand years. While I truly believe, that Marc Aurel had always new ideas on how face his life or life in general, he repeated himself very often. Which, from a different perspective, is the key to meditation. Therefore, the title of meditations seemed suitable. He was talking a lot about being the intelligent part when being face to face with idiots. Or that the gods and fate are always giving you things you can deal with. I am not so sure about the last part, given how bad some people are treated by everyone and how they are breaking over it. Still, the book, its chapters and its words had a calming influence on me and I liked to read it.
Death on the Nile
Ah, Egypt! Hot nights, a quiet river, ancient ruins and a luxurious travel. And disturbing facts about nearly everyone (actors of the upcoming movie included). Death on the Nile made me miss Egypt, even though I was there and saw, that it was a rude country. And even in the book I could read that it wasn’t so different in the past. However, I love those Agatha Christie books. How many authors can claim to give their readers a cosy feeling while people are being murdered? Another thing, that I love about this book is the feeling of luxury.
Evil under the Sun
This is another Agatha Christie, and another Hercule Poirot. I had bought the book at the Cairo airport, right before leaving Egypt. On the back it said something about a sexy feeling. It was kind of there, but more important for me was the setting of an English coast hotel. It made me miss a good British summer holiday at the ocean. Yes, there was a bit of sexiness. I indulged more in the imagination of old fashion, a relaxing time and said, that I had to go to Great Britain again. And of course, it was terribly cosy again.
I hope you enjoyed me reminiscing about all those books. Thank you very much!
-Toni
TAKE YOUR SHOES OFF 