Today’s book review is Committed: A Sceptic Makes Peace with Marriage by Elizabeth Gilbert.
The blurb
“Having been effectively sentenced to wed, Gilbert tackled her fears of marriage by delving completely into this topic, trying with all her might to discover what this stubbornly enduring old institution actually is. The result is Committed – a witty and intelligent contemplation of marriage that debunks myths, unthreads fears and suggests that sometimes even the most romantic of souls must trade in her amorous fantasies for the humbling responsibility of adulthood.
Committed is ultimately a clear-eyed celebration of love, with all the complexity and consequence that real love, in the real world, actually entails.”
My thoughts
If I am totally honest, I barely determined what this book was about before I dived in. Initially I thought this book was going to pick up where we left Elizabeth Gilbert in Eat, Pray, Love.
While this is true to a point, as the blurb explains this book is Elizabeth Gilbert exploring marriage throughout history, in different cultures and from different perspectives.
Intermittently throughout the book, Elizabeth Gilbert talks about her own relationship with Felipe and how they are both coming to terms with marriage (having both been previously divorced). The progress on Felipe’s visa case is a central narrative of the book, and the whole reason why the book concentrates on marriage.
Because of this, I didn’t glide through the story like I would a standard piece of fiction, and although it’s not intentional, at times it does read quite academic, which I personally didn’t mind but it wouldn’t be for everyone.
Understanding the prequel
Do I think you need to have read Eat, Pray, Love before Committed? Not really. It would help of course to provide some context about her personal journey with love, marriage and her relationship with Felipe which Elizabeth Gilbert doesn’t delve into too much, but it’s not essential as her relationship with Felipe aside, the book is exploring marriage from a historical and sociological perspective.
My own thoughts on marriage
From a personal perspective, this was a great book to read in the lead up to my own wedding and actually made me consider a few things I hadn’t otherwise thought about.
The book made me properly consider my own values and beliefs and why I was making the commitment to my husband and to marriage that so many take for granted. While it is very easy to plan a wedding (despite the stress), marriage is a totally different thing and sometimes I feel that people fall in love with the idea of a wedding, forgetting that what follows is a lifelong commitment to someone.
Elizabeth Gilbert’s book discussing marriage has helped me appreciate the institution I have now entered and its importance, not just for myself and Ian as a couple, but in our families and in society overall. If you’re getting married soon, I would definitely give this book a shot!
Next on the reading list, The Bees by Laline Paull which I have been despite to read for months!
Until next time x
