eat, pray, love by Elizabeth Gilbert

I could not get into this book the first time I opened it. Gilbert was way too self absorbed for my shallow self. But when I tried again (and stuck on the plane with nothing else to read), I found it oddly thought provoking. At some point, I had to pretend this was fiction to keep from getting too cynical about most of it. Only in the reality of fiction would somebody provide the financial backing for a basket case to find herself in an expensive Italian apartment and out of the way pondering places. On the other hand I can imagine a publisher feeling that this loss of self is the all too common angst of the hyper-driven 21st century individual. And, that maybe one person's story would enlighten the rest of us. I will say that some parts were funny but I'm not sure if I was chuckling appropriately.