✨️Book: The Forty Rules of Love

️✨️Author: Elif Shafak
✨️Genre: Historical Fiction, Sufi Philosophy, Spiritual Fiction, Mysticism
✨️Pages: 350
✨️Publication: 2010, Penguin Books
✨️Book cost: ₹ 499

Blogpost by Dhanu

5🌟/5

The fragrance of mysticism wafts through each page as you read. You will feel the serene love and the gentle spark in the words of the Sufi, Shams-of-Tabriz in the 13th Century and a wandering writer, A.Z. Zahara in the present, 2008. I had read the book a year ago and its mystical narration still lingers within my head.

The novel is set in Northampton, Massachusetts. The story begins with the narration of Ella Rubinstein, a 40-year-old middle-aged woman who starts her career as a book critic of manuscripts. Her first manuscript, “Sweet Blasphemy”, written by the writer Aziz (A.Z. Zahara), becomes the page-turner of her fruitless life. Her family dysfunctions have led her to be dreadful for the past 20 years. She wants to uncuff herself from the shackles of her disloyal husband, David. Her kids, Jeanette and the twins, Orly and Avi do not take her seriously.

At that time, the manuscript of “Sweet Blasphemy” reaches her hands and starts to heal her unhealed traumas. She finds comfort through the storyline, which is about the friendship between the wandering dervish, Shams-of-Tabriz and Rumi in 13th C. The irony is that the story resonates with the life and friendship of the author, Aziz and Ella. There grows the coherent change in the life of Ella as she moves into the further chapters of the story.

The fiction falls under the genres of Historical fiction, Sufi Philosophy, Mysticism and Spiritual fiction. The major characters like Ella, Aziz, David, Shams-of-Tabriz and Rumi, predominantly hook up the storyline for the engaging and thoughtful narration. Even in the two-decade-long togetherness as a married couple, the disputes between the couple Ella and David bring out the vague and disoriented affections towards the family wellness. Ella solely stood strong for a longer period even at the period when David disowns his familial duty as a husband. The presence of Aziz, on the other hand, makes Ella become a soulful person and heals the traumatic and messed up soul of Ella.

The soulful friendship of Rumi and Shams-of-Tabriz, it created a shake in the life of Rumi, a knowledgeable scholar in Anatolia who later transformed into the spiritual poet of all time. Elif Shafak has narrated both stories to be aligned in the parallel track for the introspection of both century characters, which has quite a long gap while happening.

The setting of the novel has chosen two places. Massachusetts for the present 21st-century story and Anatolia for the early 13th-century narration. The writing style feels like a melody that flows smoothly to create a perfect symphony. The language gives an easy flow to the storyline. The required characterization makeovers the plotline for the proper narration with the unchaotic perspectives.

I thoroughly feel the essence of satisfied reading. As a reader, you can experience calmness throughout the reading. At the end of the reading, you’ll understand the importance of expressing love for each human in unpolluted forms towards others. As the title suggests, the story presents the forty rules of love for the unhealed heart of living embodiments.

I suggest this book for everyone to build a soulful connection with their loved ones.

The quest for love changes us. There is no seeker among those who search for Love who has not matured on the way. The moment you start looking for Love, you start to change within and without.

Shams-of-Tabriz, p.87, The Forty Rules of Love

x Dhanu