Book Review: Committed: A Skeptic Makes Peace with Marriage by Elizabeth Gilbert

How does a successful author follow up mega-wattage success? That question has plagued best-selling writers since they started keeping track of book sales. (Hello, Shakespeare!) Elizabeth Gilbert answered that question by writing a book that’s quite different than “Eat, Pray, Love,” the book that vaulted her to literary superstardom. For the uninitiated, “EPL” was Gilbert’s best-selling divorce memoir and carried the author’s distinctive and lyrical voice as she travelled through Italy, India and Bali.

Her success became the pinnacle of the memoir genre and inspired Oprah and Julia Roberts to come knocking. Both women bought dozens of copies for friends; Oprah hosted on her show several times and Roberts is currently turning “EPL” into a major motion picture.

In “Committed” Gilbert picks up the story where “EPL” left off with the author still romantically entangled with her darling Felipe. The book opens with a prologue that attempts to answer the question of following up success. Her answer: The feat is impossible. So she decided to go in a totally different direction. The result is a book that takes an almost anthropological, Margaret Mead-esque approach to the how’s and why’s of marriage.

The book’s prologue points out that Gilbert had been working on a manuscript for a year before she decided the tone was too self conscious. Not wanting to repeat her work line-for-line she threw the baby out (with the bathwater!) and started afresh.

Gilbert and her amore were content to stay united in partnership, not marriage, until the Homeland Security Department got involved and questioned Felipe’s legal status to remain in the U.S. A kindly U.S. Customs agent suggests the one way to get around the complications was to marry and therein our heroine begins her tale.

Fans of “EPL” will find the same type of delicious writing that propelled Gilbert to success with that tome and her previous books and magazine career. The only downside is that the stunning moments of beauty are knitted together with some prose that can sometimes feel pedantic. Readers looking for a repeat of the same type of navel gazing about the inner workings of one of human kind’s most vaulted institution might ultimately be disappointed. Limited to the conventions of marriage, albeit crossing a span of age and cultures, Gilbert’s limited topic and extreme focus can sometimes feel like neurosis.

As a writer, Gilbert is like a Golden Retriever with a sunny disposition and willingness to please. “To thine own self be true,” Hamlet’s Polonius reminds us. She does accomplish her mission. Though her readers may want to know what happens next. The book ends on the not-too surprising conclusion but leaves you craving more. Perhaps she’s saving those details for Book 3. No matter. Gilbert’s ability to turn a phrase and her ability to elevate the mundane to the magical guarantees her a legion of loyal and committed readers.

“Committed” is available at booksellers everywhere.

Feb. 2010 Book Club Selection: Committed by Elizabeth Gilbert

Join us Monday, Feb. 22 at 7 PM at Barnes & Noble at Carolina Place Mall for our discussion of Elizabeth Giberts newest book, "Committed." Please RSVP by e-mailing bookclub@carolinaweeklynewspapers.com.

Hope you're having a great month!

Alison

Fall sizzles with best-selling authors

The Queen City will host some of the nation’s best-selling and most beloved authors. The following is a list of some of the author visits book lovers can look forward to this fall.

Noted documentary film maker and author Ken Burns will appear at Joseph-Beth at SouthPark on Sept. 14, at Noon, to discuss the companion book to Burns’ newest documentary “The National Parks: America's Best Ideas.” Burns, whose illustrious 25 year of filmmaking includes documentaries on baseball, jazz and the Civil War, wrote the introduction to the book; writer Dayton Duncan wrote the book and co-produced the series.

The series looks at NPS’ span from inception to current status. Now almost 150 years old, there are parks in every state of the nation, except for Delaware. The National Parks System now includes 400 individual sites and 84 million combined acres.

“Parks” is a six-part series that will begin airing on PBS stations around the nation on Sept. 27.
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Dr. Andrew Weil, best-selling author and health guru, will speak on Sept. 29, at 7 p.m. at Queens University of Charlotte. The Harvard-trained physician will discuss this and other topics included in his newest book, "Why Our Health Matters: A Vision of Medicine That Can Transform Our Future. The book shares his analysis of where he believes the American healthcare system has gotten off track and he offers suggestions for new wellness-based models.
Weil’s other 10 books include "Healthy Aging," "Spontaneous Healing" and "8 Weeks to Optimum Health.”

Tickets are $40. The event will take place at the Dana Auditorium. To purchase, click here.

The visit is being sponsored by The Learning Society of Queens.
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Elizabeth Gilbert, author of mega best-seller and our own book club favorite, “Eat, Pray, Love” will speak with her sister, Catherine Gilbert Murdock, Oct. 26, at 8 p.m. at Davidson College’s Duke Family Performance Hall.

The New York Times named “Love” as one of the top 10 books of 2006; filming is currently underway for the movie version starring Julia Roberts. Gilbert is putting the final touches on her new book, “Committed: A Skeptic Makes Peace with Marriage,” which is due out early next year.

Gilbert’s sister, Catherine Gilbert Murdock is the author of young adult novel “Dairy Queen” -- the story of a girl who runs her father’s struggling dairy farm and tries out for the high school football team. Its sequel (and third book in the series) “The Off Season” will be published this fall.

Tickets are free, and are available at Davidson’s College Union from 10-4 weekdays, and will be distributed at the door beginning an hour before the presentation.