I read the book (it was one of my book club’s selections and so I read it) and secondo me, in my opinion…how shall I put this? It blows.
The “eat” part – the part in Italy – was surely the best, but that’s not saying much. Actually, Elizabeth Gilbert is not a bad writer and I got a pretty good picture of what she was up to over there. She was having fun – hell, I get that. When I went to Italy by myself for the first time and went to language school I, like Elizabeth, was a drop out. I got there, thought about how I wanted to spend my two weeks in Italy, and decided it was not in a classroom. Unlike Elizabeth, however, I didn’t kid myself – I didn’t do it because I thought I’d learn more Italian out on the street, as she believed. ‘Cause that’s bullshit. You wanted to run around, seeing the sights and meeting cute Italian men that’s your business, Elizabeth. But man up and come clean. You didn’t learn any Italian; did you?
And unlike Elizabeth, I returned to Italy to finish what I’d started. I enrolled in La Scuola Leonardo da Vinci – the same school she went to in Rome, and I learned ( even the passato remoto – and I have no idea why, but I learned it). It was an experience of a lifetime and anyone with the opportunity that was given Elizabeth should go there – and stick it out. Yeah, it’s hard. But how cool is it to abandon your native language and immerse yourself in a new one – doing it with people from all over the world. I was in class with people from every continent and it was WONDERFUL. If Elizabeth Gilbert was really interested in knowing Italy she should have really learned to speak.
People are always asking me if I’ve seen movies like that one, assuming I’m first in line when they come out. I didn’t like Under the Tuscan Sun and I feel like such a grouch saying that. Maybe I’m just jealous? Maybe I want to move to Italy so badly that I can’t stand other people’s (even fictional people’s) happiness?
I just think that if you want to know about Italy you should watch Italian movies. It you love Julia Roberts then by all means you should see Eat Pray Love, but if it is Italy that you love, go see Pane e Tulipani.
I Love Italian Everything 