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Loading... The Forty Rules of Love: A Novel of Rumi (original 2010; edition 2011)by Elif Shafak (Author)
Work InformationThe Forty Rules of Love by Elif Shafak (2010)
   No current Talk conversations about this book.  Alexandra_book_life | Dec 15, 2023 |   Ella's story is from the present where she is living a typical housewife with 3 kids kinda life. She was given an assignment to read and report an unknown author's book, Sweet Blasphemy, which has slowly intrigued her and changed her way of life. Sweet Blasphemy brings us to the past with the likes of Shams, Rumi, Kimya, Aladdin and lots more. This may not be a popular opinion as I did find the religious teachings incorporated into the story kinda dragging as such I tend to skip more. However, the overall story is actually quite interesting with each individual sharing their side of the story. This is where I find myself more engrossed especially when they share their thoughts of Shams and his relationship with Rumi. Who would have known, bromance from way back then! The one thing which is hard for me to grasp was Ella's choice after reading Sweet Blasphemy and having communicated with the author, Aziz. It's a little hard to accept that each time we read something enlightening that will lead us to a life-changing decision. A little too farfetched in my opinion. It was her decision to get married in the first place and also her choice not to question her husband's infidelity. So, to suddenly follow Aziz after having read Sweet Blasphemy was more of Ella running away IMO. Other than that, it was an interesting read with much of its religious context differed from the local ones which was eye-opening for me. I thought it should be universal but then again, many preachers have preached it differently, so it has changed through the years. If you are looking for something spiritual, unorthodox historical, this is a choice for you. (  ) Sholee | Nov 15, 2023 |  ) hsmthh04 | Aug 19, 2023 | Tooba.B | May 25, 2023 | ) ChrisGreenDog | Apr 23, 2023 |
The novel is beautifully written and explores a wide range of themes, including love, spirituality, religion, and self-discovery. The characters are well-developed, and the author's descriptions of their thoughts and emotions are vivid and poignant. The way the author interweaves the stories of Ella and Rumi is masterful, creating a deep and meaningful connection between the two characters. Belongs to Publisher Series
In this follow-up to her acclaimed 2007 novel The Bastard of Istanbul, Turkish author Elif Shafak unfolds two tantalizing parallel narratives-one contemporary and the other set in the thirteenth century, when Rumi encountered his spiritual mentor, the whirling dervish known as Shams of Tabriz-that together incarnate the poet's timeless message of love.Ella Rubenstein is forty years old and unhappily married when she takes a job as a reader for a literary agent. Her first assignment is to read and report on Sweet Blasphemy, a novel written by a man named Aziz Zahara. Ella is mesmerized by his tale of Shams' search for Rumi and the dervish's role in transforming the successful but unhappy cleric into a committed mystic, passionate poet, and advocate of love. She is also taken with Shams's lessons, or rules, which offer insight into an ancient philosophy based on the unity of all people and religions, and the presence of love in each and every one of us. As she reads on, she realizes that Rumi's story mirrors her own and that Zahara-like Shams-has come to set her free. No library descriptions found. |
LibraryThing Early Reviewers AlumElif Shafak's book The Forty Rules of Love was available from LibraryThing Early Reviewers.  Current DiscussionsNonePopular covers
 Google Books — Loading...GenresMelvil Decimal System (DDC)813.6Literature English (North America) American fiction 21st CenturyLC ClassificationRatingAverage: (3.73)
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Wikipedia in English (1)
7
- Weak writing killed this book. Where were the editors?
- The storyline set in modern times is basically a soap opera. It is not believable and for this reason, very annoying.
- I googled the story of Rumi and Shams of Tabriz. I enjoyed reading various sources a lot more than reading about these two in The Forty Rules of Love.
- Platitudes, platitudes, platitudes.
- Flat, boring characters.
Basically, this is a novel where nothing works. The only reason it gets two stars and not one is that it gave me a reason to google Rumi's poems and re-read them. (