Committed

A Skeptic Makes Peace with Marriage

By: Elizabeth Gilbert

Narrated by: Elizabeth Gilbert

At the end of her best-selling memoir Eat, Pray, Love, Elizabeth Gilbert fell in love with Felipe, a Brazilian-born man of Australian citizenship who'd been living in Indonesia when they met. Resettling in America, the couple swore eternal fidelity to each other, but also swore to never, ever, under any circumstances get legally married. (Both were survivors of previous bad divorces. Enough said.)

But providence intervened one day in the form of the United States government, which - after unexpectedly detaining Felipe at an American border crossing - gave the couple a choice: they could either get married, or Felipe would never be allowed to enter the country again. Having been effectively sentenced to wed, Gilbert tackled her fears of marriage by delving into this topic completely, trying with all her might to discover through historical research, interviews, and much personal reflection what this stubbornly enduring old institution actually is.

Told with Gilbert's trademark wit, intelligence and compassion, Committed attempts to "turn on all the lights" when it comes to matrimony, frankly examining questions of compatibility, infatuation, fidelity, family tradition, social expectations, divorce risks, and humbling responsibilities. Gilbert's memoir is ultimately a clear-eyed celebration of love with all the complexity and consequence that real love, in the real world, actually entails.

©2010 Elizabeth Gilbert (P)2010 Penguin

Comit to listening to this audiobook

I have to say right away, that I am a huge Elizabeth Gilbert fan. That said, I enjoyed Committed immensely and was not the slightest bit disappointed.

Ms. Gilbert is a very good reader. She adds to the feeling and sentiment of her words with the tone of her voice. I love her portrayal of Asian voices.

She did a wonderful job of intertwining research of historical facts with memoir.

I would even go as far to say that this book should be required reading for anyone who thinks they want to get married or anyone who is wondering why they are not married or wondering why they are divorced.

Unlike the reviewer from the NYTimes I am female and think that females probably like this more than males.

And I hate to admit this because I do not like weddings but I cried when I heard her relate the story of hers.

Full of Liberal Rants

Elizabeth Gilbert does a good job interviewing people from other cultures about marriage. Those parts were very interesting. However, I was so tired and annoyed of the author's liberal rants about every social issue under the sun. It took away from the enjoyment of the book. I really liked "Eat, Pray, Love" but this book is a serious let down. The author over analyzes every aspect of life and marriage to the point of annoyance.

such a fantastic part 2 to Eat Pray Love!

I love it when audio books are narrated by their authors. This was a fabulous book in the first place and I really enjoyed listening to it narrated by Elizabeth. I hope there's a sequel.

She knows what she's talking about

Now I don't have to think about ever writing a book on marriage, as it's all already been written. Thanks, Elizabeth Gilbert

Interesting, though not spellbinding

I enjoyed Ms. Gilbert's narration of her own work (though, Liz, if you ever read this, the correct pronunciation of Laotian is lay-OH-shun, not low-AY-shun; drove me nuts every time I heard it - very distracting). Aside from that gaffe, the inflection and nuance her narration brought to the story enriched it in a way that another narrator would not have been able to do. That being said, I was only partially engaged and drawn into the story and not immersed as I had hoped to be. There were parts that seemed redundant or wordy or irrelevant and, as another reviewer observed, the word "moreover" was used far too frequently (which also drove me nuts each time I heard it. Where are the editors?). Her references about the history of marriage quite were enlightening, and aside from the few nitty things noted above, Ms. Gilbert still writes with wit, charm and a forthrightness that I enjoy.

Fabulous!

I think I could listen to this book again and I’m not even in love, married......anymore or dating. The research and honesty that are in the words of this novel, read by the author’s own voice...electrifying. I loved this one.

Full Circle

She has forever changed my view of myself and the world in which we reside. I also appreciate that she is the narrator. Soft, soothing, mystical writing that makes you feel like you’re on a walk with a friend just figuring out life one crisis and triumph at a time.

Helped me with my own decision

I appreciated the opportunity to learn more about the history of matrimonial practices across the world. As well as the origins especially! This really helped me to become open minded in my search for yes or no to committing, again.

Liz Gilbert on marriage, skepticism, and compromise

Liz Gilbert's warm, empathetic voice (both written and spoken in this audiobook) guide the reader through a journey of discover. Absolutely beautiful and gripping.

Very in depth look at many facets of mariage

What did you love best about Committed?

The narrator and author are one and the same and I LOVE that. I love her style of writing and her explanations are so educated and well researched and she speaks to me because I can relate to her desires and needs.

Any additional comments?

It was a lot more educational than the first book, Eat, Pray, Love. That was also educational in many ways but it was intertwined around a much broader storyline. This book, even though a continuation of that same story, lacked a lot of the story telling elements which I had hoped would continue on. Still, a brilliant read and really spoke to me since I am a girlfriend to a man I would jump at the chance to marry. It really gives you a very multi-facetted insight at marriage and how it is viewed across different cultures and through different people’s eyes. Stirring. A great author with a gift for interpreting difficult things in a simple and sane manner without the over-use of long, difficult words.