Comments on: “Wild” by Cheryl Strayed

By: girldetective

girldetective — Thu, 25 Oct 2012 00:32:53 +0000

I loved this theory, but I think it may be dying. Anyhoo, my horrific breakup had me chafing to get out of the bad relationship, yet crying and heartbroken once I did. I related to Gilbert’s need to get out of her marriage, while I know many people were annoyed by that.

By: thalia

thalia — Wed, 24 Oct 2012 20:31:37 +0000

What constitutes horrific breakup? Because I’d have thought finding out your boyfriend is actually gay would count…HATED EPL

By: ginny

ginny — Mon, 22 Oct 2012 21:51:05 +0000

It’s been awhile since I read EPL, and I mostly skimmed through the P section, but I recall enjoying the book despite no gruesome breakups in my history. Wild was also inspirational purely in a physical sense.

By: Amy

Amy — Mon, 22 Oct 2012 21:11:42 +0000

I have always believed in my exceptionality.

By: girldetective

girldetective — Mon, 22 Oct 2012 20:05:05 +0000

Amy, let’s pretend you’re the exception to the rule. Unless others chime in.

By: Amy

Amy — Mon, 22 Oct 2012 19:57:04 +0000

Mmm, sorry, no, I’ve been through gruesome breakups, and I couldn’t finish EPL, even though I tried it 3-4 times.

By: Jennifer Reese

Jennifer Reese — Mon, 22 Oct 2012 19:06:14 +0000

I love your EPL theory. I remember sitting there as my incredibly self-confident hairdresser questioned why anyone would read such a stupid book about such a wimpy woman. I meekly let her talk and snip away while reflecting on my own fondness for EPL. I didn’t think about the breakup angle, but I did think, wow, clearly Elle has never been seriously down on herself! Reading EPL brought back for me all the misery and loneliness and staggering self-doubt of my 20s, much of it to do (as you point out) with gruesome breakups. There are valid criticisms you can make of the book, but I think if you’ve never been down, you’re never going to even begin to get it.