Undress Me in the Temple of Heaven

Undress Me in the Temple of Heaven

Description:

While this latest memoir from Susan Jane Gilman (former Hypocrite in a Pouffy White Dress) appears to be a saucy account of international sexcapades, it quickly reveals its whip-smarts, sucking you into a story that brilliantly captures the "ecstatic terror" of gleefully leaping from your comfort zone--and finding yourself in freefall. It's 1986, and newly minted ivy league grads Susy and her friend Claire have never left the U.S. when (inspired by a "Pancakes of Many Nations" promotion during a drunken night at IHOP) they hatch a plan to circle the world, starting in China, which has just opened to tourists. From the moment of arrival, they're out of their depth, perpetually hungry, foolish, and paranoid from relentless observation. Claire, who carries the complete works of Nietzsche "like a Gideon Bible," seems more capable than Susy until encounters with military police, hallucinatory fevers, and a frantic escape from a squalid hospital expose cracks in her psyche that utterly derail their plans. Rich with insight, dead-on dialogue, and canny characterization, Gilman's personal tale nails that cataclysmic collision of idealism and reality that so often characterizes young adulthood. Be prepared to wolf down the final hundred pages in one sitting. --Mari Malcolm

Customer Reviews:

I first picked this book up on a whim. i love books about history & like books about travel, but judging by the title & cover, I was not expecting too much from this book when I first picked it up. Instead of a wild & witty travel story, you get an up close & personal face to face with hospitals, hotels, & villages of 1980's China & what their ordinary citizens endured on a daily basis & you get the chance to meet a number of these citizens & hear their feedback about everything from Western Civilization to common table manners. You get a chance to experience everything from the minor inconveniences that can effect a traveller to the terror of falling ill in an out of the way type of place. This whole tale will change your whole perception about people, travel, friendship & everything that comes in between. When you put this book down, prepare to look at the world in a different way. Highly recommended from someone that begun the book with such a skeptical attitude.

I found this book a great read from the beginning; by the time I was a third of the way through, I couldn't put it down. It's an exciting, oh-my-god-what's-going-to-happen-next experience of a book. Instead of the usual let down after you finish, this book leaves you thinking. Gilman shows us our humanity. they has a message that's not in your face & they delivers it with her characteristic tough New Yorker wit. I laughed & I cried reading this book. Gilman's message is that they can survive even awful circumstances. As Gilman pointed out in Seattle on her book tour, in these times, even sitting in our own living rooms is being on unfamiliar ground. Faced with the stunning differentness of the world financial collapse & the challenge of potential climate disaster, they can take from Susan Jane Gilman's book a useful lesson: they are resourceful. they will survive.
I can't wait for the movie!

Having travelled a lot myself, I was drawn to this book & was not disappointed. The author was courageous given the circumstances they found herself & her friend very fortunate to have been in her company. The encounters in China some 25 yrs ago were scary to say the least. It was surprising to read the afterword as to the author's friend. I would definitely recommend this book.

I enjoyed this book. Susan Gilman's style of writing engages you in the story. I loved learning the details of travelling in China in the 1980's. I travelled in Europe & Australia in the 90's & a number of the experiences - the initial homesickness, the backpackers camaraderie, & (forgive the cliche), the kindness of strangers, made me remember my own travels. I wish they had an update on Claire. At the end I was upset that they don't know what happens to her. I wish Oprah would feature this book - I'm sure they could track her down. I would also recommend Hurry Down Sunshine by Michael Greenberg.

three of the better memoirs I have read in a while, & I have read most of them! Susan Jane Gilman is truly a wonderful writer & i'm eager to read what comes next. I was sorry to have this book end -- Gilman has the ability to completely draw you in to the story. This story is harrowing -- & I completely disagree with the reviewers who found the book to be a representative of the "Ugly American" genre of storytelling about an alien culture. This is the work of a woman who can write powerfully about both her own experience & about the people around her. Great reading -- great writing. Bravo!

For more information visit :Undress Me in the Temple of Heaven

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Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman's Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia

Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman's Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia

Description:

This beautifully written, heartfelt memoir touched a nerve among both readers and reviewers. Elizabeth Gilbert tells how she made the difficult choice to leave behind all the trappings of modern American success (marriage, house in the country, career) and find, instead, what she truly wanted from life. Setting out for a year to study three different aspects of her nature amid three different cultures, Gilbert explored the art of pleasure in Italy and the art of devotion in India, and then a balance between the two on the Indonesian island of Bali. By turns rapturous and rueful, this wise and funny author (whom Booklist calls ???Anne Lamott???s hip, yoga- practicing, footloose younger sister???) is poised to garner yet more adoring fans.

Customer Reviews:

This is a wonderful book that I recommend to have fun (it is a light read!) and also one to find wisdom. After Liz Gilbert's divorce she takes you on an extraordinary journey through Italy, India and Indonesia, and to the depths of her soul. This is one brilliant and inspiring story, not only could I not put the book down, but I also felt empowered as a woman because of her honest and sincere accounts.
Through her quest for enlightenment and peace, Liz reminded me of another book Being Here: Modern Day Tales of Enlightenment by Ariel & Shya Kane. The Kanes'inspirational and casual stories have touched my heart deeply and also made me smile in awe. Thru their pages I remember how rich and sweet life can be. Bravo! to both Gilbert and the Kanes for bringing us enlightenment for this day and age.

This book changed my life. The act of reading Gilbert's text is a meditation. As you follow her on her journey, you begin to explore your own life, your fears, your biggest hopes. Maybe we can't all travel the world to heal our wounds, but this book is healing power. It asks us to dig down deep, to go places we're not sure we want to go, and then it asks us to move on, changed. This book is not a "self help" book by any means, but it is clear that Elizabeth Gilbert wants her readers to experience pure joy, to live our best lives; she cares that much about each and every one of us. The gift she give us is this: as we finish the book, we realize that we care that much about ourselves.

I loved this book and I'm glad I got it so quick after ordering it. I identified with a lot of her experiences and laughed out loud many times. It was an awesome read! I'm really satisfied with the decision to read this book.


What a shame that so many readers failed to appreciate the beauty of this book. It's possible that to connect with the author's experiences and words, one must be in a place to allow themselves to be drawn to G-d through her journey of self-discovery. She is neither selfish nor self-absorbed; she's a woman on a mission to raise her consciousness and learn to still her constant negative messages so as to hear the voice of G-d. Her writing is colorful and drew me in from the first chapter. She's witty, intelligent and honest. She admits to her short-comings, her guilt and her need to stop being a "cross between a golden retriever and a barnacle." I underlined, dog-eared and flagged this book. I cried several times, touched by her insights. I plan on giving this book to all my friends. Be open to the voice of G-d or whatever you name your higher power when reading this book. Realize that the author never, ever says she is a perfect person. Quite the contrary. And for those who chastize her decision to leave her husband, she realized how she was failing him and she let him go to be who he needed to be and so she could be who she was . . . so both could reach their potential. Thank you, Elizabeth Gilbert. I will re-read this gem often.

This book was very honest, sometimes raw, and very real. While I see some reviewers have called the author petty and shallow, I think it gives a very real look into what makes us all unique human beings -- flaws and all. Could any of us be this honest about what makes us quirky or the flawed individuals we all are? Elizabeth Gilbert becomes a more self-aware and a slightly improved version of her former self, but doesn't change entirely. Would we believe it if a person truly went through a transformation that turned them into someone else completely? The point of this story, in my mind, is for us to be more self-aware, and learn how to be better, without losing or ignoring ourselves in the process. And, I appreciate the author's candid disclosure about herself, her life, and her experiences. She's obviously intelligent and funny, and I enjoyed reading her story. It leaves the reader feeling like he/she isn't alone in being an imperfect, but uniquely wonderful, human being.

For more information visit :Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman's Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia

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