"Big Magic" book review

 

Three things I thought about while reading Elizabeth Gilbert’s self-help book, Big Magic:

• Gilbert loves to namedrop.  It’s nice to hear anecdotes, and I don’t think Gilbert namedrops to inflate her own ego, but when she starts every section with “I have a friend who…”—and she doesn’t adequately put a good reason for their insertion in the book—it slows her train of thought and doesn’t lead us to remember the anecdotes with the weight Gilbert intended.

• I don’t think this nonfiction book was marketed well.  Despite the bold name and the colorful book cover, I don’t think Big Magic sets out to be a how-to guide on being creative in spite of fear.  More accurately, it’s a collection of autobiographical essays by the author of one of the bestselling memoirs in the past 25 years, Eat Pray Love.  There’s nothing wrong with the concept of this book, but when you proclaim to be a book about creative living beyond fear, you open yourself up to more criticisms—especially when...

• Gilbert doesn't have anything vital to tell us.  Did you know that you could make anything, as long as you believe it?  Did you know that you don’t need an advanced degree in creative writing to write a book, nor do you need an MFA in art to paint?  It’s fun to get an author’s perspective on how they became successful and what their creative process is like (Stephen King’s memoir, On Writing, is endlessly entertaining and I’ve read it a half dozen times from cover to cover), but when you spend your time giving greeting card inspiration, with added anecdotes featuring famous people, you aren’t just preaching to the choir—you’re boring everyone.

Rating: C-