I finally gave it and read this, after so many glowing reviews and best seller lists and what have you. So let's break it down into its sections: 
 1) Italy: I loved it. This is kind of expected, seeing I'm Italian and all. It revived my desire to learn the language, something I've always wanted to do. And her means of traveling are exactly like mine--all I want to do is get dumped in a foreign country, wander around, and eat. I can imagine no better thing in the world than gorging on pasta and gelato whilst in their native country. 
 2) India: Despite popular opinion, I loved this, too. While I personally wouldn't venture to India to follow the advice of a Guru, I admire her dedication and desire to become closer to God. I can't imagine how difficult it was for her with all that emotional baggage. I'm generally hesitant about "religious revelations," so to speak, because they tend to be steeped in weird rituals and what have you. But I had no issues with her methods. 
 3) Indonesia: I had trouble here. At this point, Gilbert has had extreme experiences in both pleasure and spirituality, and here is where she's supposed to find the happy medium. But did she? One night she gets drunk at a party, but meditates the next day. I don't think that's how it works. It reminded me too much of the viewpoint, "I can sin because God will forgive me anyway if I ask." I don't have a problem with being a part of the world, if you can control yourself. But throughout her Indonesian journey, I couldn't figure out if she had achieved that balance. 
 I am intrigued by her travels, and I can understand why this book has become so wildly popular. But I'm wary about its conclusion--what is the balance? Is there one? And what makes you think you can live in this world and still be connected to God? You can't have both, not to these extremes. 
 Note: My three stars is really 2.5, because I'm halfway between liking it and not. The story itself kept me interested (it must have, if I read it in three days), but I don't really like how it ended up.