Praise for Big Magic
The instant #1 New York Times Bestseller
“
Big Magic is a celebration of a creative life…Gilbert’s love of creativity is infectious, and there’s a lot of great advice in this sunny book…Gilbert doesn’t just call for aspiring artists to speak their truth, however daffy that may appear to others; she is showing them how.”
—Washington Post
"In [Gilbert’s] first foray into full-on self-help [she] shares intimate glimpses into the life of a world-famous creative, complete with bouts of paralyzing fear and frustration, in an attempt to coax the rest of us into walking through the world just a little bit braver.”
—Elle
“Elizabeth Gilbert is my new spirit animal… I have profoundly changed my approach to creating since I read this book."
—Huffington Post
“Gilbert leads readers through breaking out of their own creative ruts, finding fulfillment, and facing fear while finding balance between our spiritual and pragmatic beings in her forth coming book. Yes, please.”
—Bustle
“Will resonate with writers and artists who find the process of producing work to be particularly painful…Through anecdotes about her creative failures and resourcefulness, as well as those other artists, Gilbert encourages readers to pursue a creative life ‘that is driven more strongly by curiosity than by fear.'"
—Daily Beast
"Gilbert demystifies the creative process, examining the practices of great artists to shed light on finding inspiration in the every day.”
—Harper’s Bazaar
“Tackles the challenges of living the creative life…Reading it is a little like having a coach by your side, cheering on your efforts – whatever they are – candidly and selflessly.”
–Christian Science Monitor
“Gilbert [writes] with sincerity and humility about the joy that creativity has given her... you’ll love
Big Magic.”
–Minneapolis Star-Tribune
“
Big Magic wants to help its readers live creatively…[Gilbert believes] creativity is inside all of us, it should be expressed, and it is not selfish or crazy or foolish to do so – it is in fact the best way to live a satisfying life...[
Big Magic] constitutes good advice…[in a voice that’s] charming, personable, self-aware, jokey, conversational….[and] that Gilbert does so well.”
—New York Times Book Review
“A lucid and luminous inquiry into the relationship between human beings and the mysteries of the creative experience… What makes her book so immensely helpful is precisely its lived and living nature…wholly electrifying.”
—Brainpickings
"Gilbert tackles heavy, sensitive subject matter but keeps it light, making what's essentially a self-help book feel like a good talk with a friend rather than a sermon."
—Associated Press
“Transformative.”
—Flavorwire
“Gilbert’s trademark warmth and enthusiasm abounds...wise...[and] pointed."
—Boston Globe
“Part pat-on-the-back, part slap-in-the-face, [
Big Magic is] a permission slip for readers to stop making excuses and get to work… a fresh and modern surprise that fans of her work will relish."
—Wichita Eagle
“Funny. Insightful. Honest. Irreverent...But, of course, most of us have read Gilbert before and these qualities find their way into all of her works. The particular form of magic in
Big Magic comes in a very unusual wrapping: hope and love...
Big Magic read[s] like a devotional. Like a love letter to the earnest artist inside most of our hearts.”
—Books and Whatnot
“Distinctly refreshing."
—TED Ideas Blog
“
Big Magic will leave you feeling inspired to be curious, brave, free, and, most of all, creative.”
-Lauren Conrad
"Full of chatty advice, pep talks, amusing and inspiring stories...Gilbert’s idea of living creatively may incorporate touches of magic, but she’s practical in the extreme.”
—Miami Herald
“In her signature conversational style, both sassy and serious, Gilbert invokes high- and low-brow cultural references and recommends we channel our inner trickster… [Her] manifesto is a book to read through quickly, and then start again to discover any big magic you may have missed.”
– KMUW
“Gilbert will completely change the way you think about the creative process.”—
Indienext
“The writing here is so friendly and funny that Gilbert’s perspective on creative living goes down like lemonade in summer."
—BookPage
“Whatever your artistic pursuit, you’ll nod in agreement as Elizabeth Gilbert reflects on the elusive, frustrating and sometimes comically strange process of creativity. Thoughtful and funny, Gilbert makes an excellent case for doing whatever it takes to unlock your inner artist and find more joy in life.” —
Woman's Day
“What Gilbert’s offering her fans…[is] permission to be creative…[She] is interested in the importance of creativity for the individual’s soul…When you hear the people who want to create, and the gratitude they feel toward [her], you can’t help feeling that she’s healed them—that she has, in fact, become the kind of guru she once sought.”
—The New Yorker
"A must read for anyone hoping to live a creative life... I dare you not to be inspired to be brave, to be free, and to be curious.”
—PopSugar
“Gilbert offers helpful suggestions for outwitting writer’s block and perfectionism...and lets a tart sense of humor emerge."
-Columbus Dispatch
"Some might call Elizabeth Gilbert by the name Queen Midas … Everything she touches seems to turn to gold. A rare gift, this book acknowledges difficulty, but empowers its readers to transcend it in the name of the beautiful mysteries of existence.”
—WNC Woman Magazine
"Irresistible…If creativity is something you value highly—both in others and as fundamental to your own existence—you should find much to love in
Big Magic, whether or not you typically gravitate toward creativity guides.”
—Chapter 16
"A non-fiction tour-de force...pragmatic, rational, and wholly convincing."
—Reader's Digest UK
“An empathetic and inspiring guide to mustering the courage to live a creative life. … Nearly anyone who picks up this self-help manual should finish it feeling inspired, even if only to dream of a life without limits.”
—Publisher's Weekly (starred review)
"Gilbert serves as an enthusiastic coach for readers who want more out of life. Highly recommended."
—Library Journal (starred review)
“Gilbert’s wise and motivating book of encouragement and advice will induce readers not only to follow specific artistic dreams but also to live life more creatively, fully, and contentedly.”
– Booklist
"The sincerity, grace, and flashes of humor that characterize [Gilbert’s] writing and insights should appeal to a wider audience…warmly inspirational.”
—Kirkus
