I don't agree at all with the opinion of the reader who said that the book "Committed" shows good reasons against marriage. At the end I felt more like it was a serenade praising marriage. Elisabeth Gilbert has considered the marriage as a very complex matter, which it is. And she has shown various marriages which she witnessed or participated in. Some were very happy, including children, some had their failures, most resulted in losing something and winning a lot. And she shown different perspectives you can look at it. Her research about marriage in history and psychology of it helped her to understand that marriage as a creature of its own, and it is born through contribution of two partners and the way it develops depends only on these two partners. Only these two can save it from rough influence of various environments and only these two have the ultimate power on its success or its failure. And she has also shown that this partnership is more powerful than any society and that it survived all the rough attacs from society, church, governments, etc. etc. etc.
This book is very different from "Eat, Pray, Love" but it is as profound as comforting as helpful.
Of all books from Elisabeth Gilbert, I read only these two books so far: "Eat, Pray, Love" and "Committed" and these two belong to the four books that impressed me most. I liked many books among hundreds I read so far, but these four including the two from Elisabeth Gilbert are those which touched me deeply within and will always remain in my memory.
Elisabeth sounds as a good friend or a sister in her last two books. She doesn't try to give a recipy, she just tells you her story and somehow in many places you recognize yourself.
I will definitely read her other books. I am curious how she wrote before these two.