Forty Rules of Love

I can hardly finish a book! If a novel doesn’t capture my heart and mind, there is no chance that it will capture my time. During my travel to Jordan, I randomly checked street bookstores. Unlike the typical bookstores— those are tiny booths with books everywhere: hanging from the windows, organized in the stand and some carefully places on the ground.

Forty Rules of Love

What could go wrong if I read this book? But I was hesitant.

“This will transform your life,” said the friendly older shopkeeper.

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I’m not sure if the novel transformed by life. But it sure captured my heart and mind. The Turkish novelist, Elif Shafak mastered the art of storytelling in her Forty Rules of Love. I read the book in English and Arabic, and each time, the story reveals secrets from the realms of mysticism.

The book, in the form of a novel, is about Rumi and his companion Shams Tabrizi. It’s a novel within a novel— with fictional characters from the present and Rumi and Shams from the past. Main characters find love that’s not far from the love Rumi found.

Elif managed to make Rumi’s journey of spiritual transformation through his encounter with Shams relatable to someone like me— centuries separate us from Rumi (born in 1207).

In a conversation with Penguin Random House, Elif tells her readers why she wrote the Forty Rules of Love: “I wanted to write a novel on love but from a spiritual angle. Once you make that your wish the path takes you to Rumi, the voice of love. His poetry and philosophy have always inspired me. His words speak to us across centuries, cultures.”

Rumi’s words speak to us across centuries and cultures. When put in a story, those words will indeed find their way across cultures and languages.

I’m going to go beyond my personal opinion and will let some of Pixar principles judge how great Forty Rules of Love is!

Great stories are universal

Yes! Spiritual experience transformed to something that everyone can experience— love. Rumi becomes a relatable figure, not only a poet. He becomes a friend who, just like anyone of us, experienced challenges of life. But he becomes a guide too, more than a friend to the reader, without enforcing his mysticism values or teachings.

Great stories have a clear structure and purpose

Once upon a time….  

The clear structure and the interwoven stories and purpose make Forty Rules of Love a easy read, despite its length.

Great stories have a character to root for

Rumi? Shams? Find out!

Great stories appeal to our deepest emotions

I’m biased here. I will this to you. Let me know if Forty Rules of Love will appeal to your deepest emotions. It sure will!

Great stories are surprising and unexpected

Trust me! You will be surprised and will spend your night turning pages to find what’s next.

Great stories are simple and focused

Very simple and focused, despite all of the texts inspired by poetry and 13^th century Persian, Arabic and Turkish literature. The simplicity of the novel made it possible to be translated to several languages without compromising its essence