Maybe interesting to share some of my favorite books/movies once in a while. All at once is impossible as I have many.
How to start, I start with the ones just coming to my mind when thinking about books.
The first is Elizabeth Gilbert’s "Eat Pray Love"
That’s on the top of my list and a companion already!
I read it several times already and I also watched the movie afterwards now more than once.
Not sure if it was hitting me because I was in a same situation when I started to read it first and that’s completely the reason why I like it so much or if it’s really that good. What made me wondering is that I like both, book and movie, as mostly the movie never can reach the book.
It’s in this case also not matching up completely as you cannot exactly translate all sense of writing into pictures but both of them has a unique kind of showing people what it is about. When reading it for the first time I was flashed of all the hidden messages in it but when reading it for second and the third time I was taking even more out of it. There are always passages which I didn’t focus deep enough on during the first reading which got me the second or third time. I would say it’s more detailed in description about how she feels and thinks and how hard she is trying to find her path in life but also the movie has many of this hidden sense in it too. Here again I realize each time I watch it again something "new" and this is awesome. I was never a big fan of any actress or actor but for this movie I have to say Chapeau to Julia Roberts. She fits perfectly as she’s able to act like it was meant in the book and still it seems to be easy. It’s kind of art to act like this and it’s really appreciated, she’s not changing the story to adapt it to her, she’s adapting herself to fit into the story. And what’s most important is that my impression of the book didn’t suffer after I watched the movie, no, it was supporting it and giving a bit additional sense.
I read some recencions a few weeks ago and I have to say, call me vainly if you like, but people thinking that both, book and movie, are boring, lame, long-winded, atrabilious, they just didn’t got the deeper sense behind it.
That’s not a comedy story or a movie full of special effects and action, it’s about the search in life we are all facing once in a while, sometimes more and sometimes less, some focusing on it more as some others and this story is for me like a guide. A guide in many senses, it’s not that I start now to travel for one year to find myself, but to be aware, even if we all knew it, that I’m not the only one asking myself all those questions what life is about and how to cope with it, this is giving a little hold. How my way onwards is looking like will be totally different from the book but the main questions it raised are almost generally fitting to many of us. So, and you can call me again vainly, if not even one part of the story is hitting you, you are ignoring yourself in this game called life and others are ruling you. Which seems to be easy and common for many people on this earth, but I think that just taking the easy way is kind of running away from yourself. To focus on your own life with all needs, scars, emotions, dreams, wounds and love is the hardest way, I know what I’m talking about, but we all are talking so much about being free, taking over responsibilities for our own life, being self-determined, so why not start with yourself? If you are not starting with your own life, even if it is painful at times, you will never reach the stage where you are free. It’s like the old saying "only if you are able to love yourself you will reach the ability to love others" – that’s more than true, maybe even the key in life.
Start trusting in yourself and building up the faith you need to face all situations is life. It’s a long way and I don’t know anyone who reached the goal already or if there is a goal at all but it’s sure that this is enriching!
Good luck!