The Forty Rules of Love: A Journey of Love, Faith, and Transformation – Elif Shafak’s International Bestseller Inspired by Rumi’s Teachings on Life and Love

"The Forty Rules of Love", a book gifted with affection and purchased from Amazon India, has become a cherished possession for my girlfriend. This book, penned by the talented Elif Shafak, is a mesmerizing tale of love that transcends the boundaries of time and space. The narrative beautifully intertwines the lives of a modern American housewife and a thirteenth-century poet, Rumi. It is a testament to the transformative power of love, and it has deeply touched my girlfriend. She was moved by Shafak's eloquent prose and the profound wisdom embedded in the forty rules of love. The book has not only entertained her but also enlightened her, making her reflect on the nature of love and life. Her emotions were stirred as she turned each page, living through the characters and their experiences. The book has rekindled her love for reading, making her appreciate the power of words and the emotions they can evoke. She has been lost in its pages, lived through the characters, and emerged with a deeper understanding of love and life. In conclusion, "The Forty Rules of Love" is more than just a book. It is an experience, a journey of love and self-discovery that has left a lasting impression on her. It has been a source of joy, reflection, and inspiration, making it a perfect gift for any book lover.

The book was a slow read, one that I did not think I’d like as much as I did. There were many beautiful lines to live and many emotions that I could relate to. I love how the past and the present moved as parallel stories. The ending although known, still made me sad ( both for Shams of Tabriz and Aziz) . It’s a thought provoking book that may not be everybody’s cup of tea. It tells the story of how Rumi turned a poet, about Sufism, the relation between Shams of Tabriz and Rumi, about Rumi’s family. Reading it will make you realise that pain and sorrow are a part of life. There cannot be joy without sorrow. The author narrates the past in the form of a book that is received by Ella, the editorial assistant, for review. The reader gets an idea of Ella’s life and her blossoming friendship with the author of the book, Aziz, as the story she is reviewing progresses.

I read a long story-line novel after a long time and thought of starting with this one. Definitely worth readine and giving your time! You may have heard or might have read all the forty rules somewhere in your life but reading them again here truly transforms your imagination. I would say this book is so surreal, spiritual bent, not an average love story, but truly hooking you up by the last page. Multiple protagnists, multiple experiences, brilliantly written!

A deeply moving and intense read that gently reminds us that true love is not possession, but transformation.

What an amazing read!! Something awes and grounds you at the same time. A must read.

3.5 stars This was… an experience. A wild ride. Nothing like what I usually read - and yet, somehow, I still enjoyed it. Going into this book blind is honestly the best way to read it. As the title suggests, it talks about forty rules of love, but not in a preachy or straightforward way. These rules unfold through the lives of Shams of Tabriz and Rumi, and that’s what makes it so unique. The story moves along two parallel timelines. One is set in the present, following Ella, whose life begins to unravel and shift after she reads a manuscript about Rumi and Shams. The other takes us to the past, exploring the spiritual bond between Rumi and Shams of Tabriz, and the wisdom they share through their journey. This is a hard book to review because my feelings about it are complicated. There were choices I didn’t agree with and moments that made me uncomfortable. But at the same time, this book is overflowing with quiet wisdom. It’s not something you can rush through. You need to slow down, pause, and let the words sit with you to really absorb what it’s trying to say. Elif Shafak’s writing is hypnotic - almost meditative. Whether you end up loving the story or not, her prose pulls you in and refuses to let go. She’s just that powerful a writer. All I’ll say is this - if you enjoy philosophy, lyrical prose, spiritualism, or thought-provoking reads, this one is worth picking up.

I would love to give it a 4.5 - it went beyond really liking it and yet, I wouldn't say it was absolutely amazing... but I loved it. The first half of the book did nothing for me... I found it just like every other book and philosophy on heart-centered philosophy that I had read and studied. I even wondered what all the hoohaa about the book was. Then all of a sudden, I was past mid-way into the story and I realised I had spent close to a month with the book, which in itself was a first. And just like that, the story became a reflection and an introspection - a pause to consider what these different rules of love meant to me. The story line in itself was lovely and complete in the various facets of observation - looking through the lens and inside the thoughts of the various characters was very liberating - and insightful. What really drew me in was not the forty rules of love, but the sudden realisation that like Ella, I too had embarked on this year with an intention and instinct that this, my fortieth, was holding the promise and potential of major change. I could relate to Ella and her emotions at many times - and it was quite the coincidence and my son is also named Avi. It was freeing to notice the patriarchy of spiritual pursuits in an ancient age and how the author has allowed both Rumi and Shams to dip into the idea of equal opportunity as well as explore the potential of social limitations of their time. I found myself empathising with Ella's notion of love and marriage, holding my own relationships as a benchmark, and at the same time wondering if I were as hardened as her - knowing that I was not, yet allowing enough space to question, "Are you holding something back? What is stopping you?" In particular, her heart spoken, "deep inside she longed for love." really pulled at my heart strings. The rules explored in this book and the narratives leading to it (along with the parables interspersed) are a good guide for those who find mystic sufism of interest - more so, if you have a philosophical tangent to spirituality and don't yet realise that it is a sufi trait. Yet, with love woven into every nook and corner, I found myself really <i>not getting</i> the Shams-Rumi love in totality. I could sense it and then it fell away as I couldn't always accept them putting their love above and beyond those around them. Or perhaps it is because I still am on the 'spiritual' vibration of a lesser kind of love :) Something that is still working on the relational level and hoping to edge towards the madness of divine spiritual love and oneness. Deep - too deep even for me today. Kimya ... my heart bled for her. I couldn't understand it. It brought up all those ideals of pain where the woman is left yearning in the throes of unrequited love and I was angry at Shams for even accepting it. What good is his realisation of his mistake in marrying her, if he was going to let her die. He was so intuitive about everyone including the man who was hiding there waiting to kill him, but he couldn't sense the needs of his wife. No, I hated him then - and his chauvinist (for lack of a better word) focus on his 'oneness' bit. harumph! But yet, I smiled at his explanation to Kimya of the Al-Nisa verse and his sharing of the alternative perspective of male superiority. It was impressive - the context of manhood and womanhood versus men and women - or even masculine and feminine, for that matter. Perhaps it just sheds a little more light on what we consider these gender stereotypes today. Or is it because the author is a woman and she brings a contemporary feminine yearning to the table? I loved the book - I loved how it made me feel. I loved how I chose to read it in preparation for my fortieth this month. I love how I ended it in my birthday month with a feeling of grounding that this just might be that turning point of age and mystic symbolism, the number 40, that the author has amplified throughout the book. Looking forward to the year ahead. This one was a good spring-board.

Dear readers, To be honest I am not going to edit this review even once, this one is just going to be everything that comes to my mind at this very point while I sit with my keyboard and my heart filled with emotions I cannot explain. This is a story of Ella, of Aziz, of Shams of Tabriz and of Rumi but beyond this, this book is a song of Love. Ella meets Aziz and falls in love with him without actually even meeting him, her only way of conversing with him is through e-mails. Ella who lived with her family in Massachusetts dares to love Aziz and find herself after 40 years of living a life without love. She comes across his name when she is given a script to be edited and make her notes on, on a book, a story which Aziz had penned, a story about Shams of Tabriz and Rumi and their immense love for each other. Shams of Tabriz had known 40 Rules of love and life and his only purpose in life was for every person he crossed in his life to know these rules, no matter who the person was, whether it was a Preacher or a Leper, or even a harlot working in the brothel, everyone deserved love and kindness according to Shams. Shams had waited long to meet Rumi who he knew was going to be his companion even if Rumi was not aware of it till they met. However when Shams and Rumi’s companionship was envied and gossiped about, the story had to end. But would Ella and Aziz’s story end too? The book has given me more than I could have asked for, the writing is deep yet precise and the simple words might just have an effect on you which you never thought possible. It is filled with quotes and the chapters are small which will keep you wanting to know more. It has the insights of the Sufi world and a connection to love and life we might not otherwise feel in our busy lives. It might break your heart too but what is love without heartbreak? I am aware of people not liking the book because of various reasons, but for me this one is always going to be close to my heart and maybe even if it has anything to not agree about I would happily stay in denial of it. I would only ask one thing from all you people, please keep an open heart while reading it & not just an open mind❤️