The Forty Rules of Love: A Novel of Rumi

The forty rules introduced are timeless and universal in their application. I learned about spirituality, human relations development, and Sufism. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in spirituality, religion, and the topic of 'love'.

This is probably not the single greatest book you will ever read. The writing can be a bit florid and sometimes the plot, especially when it concerns the modern day portion of the story, can be somewhat contrived. Okay. Leave that aside for a minute. If you allow yourself to actually get into the flow and rhythm of the book and to read and actually process the rules of love that the characters put forth, The Forty Rules of Love will amaze you. I'm a big fan of Turkish writer Elif Shafak's work, so I came to this with high hopes and a positive frame of mind. I wasn't disappointed. NOT AT ALL. In reading about the incredible story of 13th C Sufi poet, Rumi, and his relationship with the enigmatic and brilliant Shams of Tabriz (a true story), I fell into the lush, fascinating spell cast by Shafak. I savored the last forty or so pages and was genuinely sorry to see this book end. This is a book that will make you think and make you consider love and wisdom in new and interesting ways. Now I'm reading Rumi! Highly recommended read. Great book club selection.

Love the parallel stories, the way you are led to remind yourself that all emotions are universal and for all time.
Also a great book to dispel the bad publicity Islam has gained.
I bought the book because I am in awe of Rumi's poetry and philosophy of love.
It also kindles the interest to go more deeply into other cultural and historical worlds.

The question is not "Is this a good book?"
The question is "Are you good enough to read it?"

I did not so much read The Forty Rules of Love as I marveled at the artistry of its construction and, I admit, as I turned the pages I congratulated myself on my ability to recognize that artistry. To hold this book between your hands and read it is to be in the presence of a master storyteller who has an important, possibly the most important, story to tell: the story of Love and how it manifests in this world.

Elif Shafak, a writer famous for her novels in Turkish, wrote this book in English - flawlessly, beautifully, lucidly. Her use of the English language in its American variant reflects a masterful cultural sensibility. The book gains credibility by the use of cultural references that could only be known to and have meaning for cultural insiders. For example, a convert to Islam is said to have done so "after Kareem Abdul Jabbar and before Cat Stevens." The use of phrases such as "right as rain" and "talk the talk" indicates that Shafak does not use English as she was taught in school; she writes English as it is absorbed from years of deep conversation, wide reading and intense observation.

As a true daughter of Turkey and lover of Istanbul, Elif Shafak is a bridge between East and West. Europe and Asia, Orient and Occident, reason and emotion, head and heart, scholar and mystic, left and right half of the human brain: to the materialist these are distinct entities and are doomed to endless conflict. Elif Shafak patiently assures us that, in the end, there is no difference. Running through her book like a leitmotif is the soothing and confident confirmation that dualism is an illusion and oneness is reality. All stories, characters, and plots tell of the struggle to realize truth and return once again to the state before knowledge of good and evil caused eviction from paradise.

At one point in the novel the 13th century poet Rumi visits a tavern in Konya to teach and learn from its inhabitants. He says, "At the end of the day whoever wants to drink will drink and whoever wants to stay away from wine will stay away. We have no right to impose our way on others. There is no compulsion in religion." I love the way Elif Shafak slipped my favorite quote from the Qur'an (La iqraha fi din: There is no compulsion in religion, Sura 2, Line 256) into the story without reference. Muslims will know the quote and realize that it adds authority to Rumi's point. But those who are unaware that this is a Qur'anic quotation will receive the teaching fresh and pure, as if this is a new and fanciful notion of a novelist who merely wishes to bring harmony from conflict. That is what great art does: it brings harmony from conflict.

Ultimately, there is only one book with one message. Each author writes that one book to explain that one message for a different audience so that all may learn and know about the primacy of love and the unity of humanity. Some books distinguish themselves and rise above the mass of others by the sheer quantity of light, truth, and goodness they convey. Mikhail Naimy's The Book of Mirdad is one example. The Forty Rules of Love is another.

One sure way to tell whether a work of art is great, any work of art - a book, a film, music, painting, is whether it moves you to tears. I burst into tears on page 172, but that does not mean you will do the same. Each person will be moved by something different. It is the ability to touch the heart and stir the deepest emotions that makes a work of art powerful and beautiful and valuable. This book has that ability. There is nothing more to say.

It is hard to believe this book has had so many rave reviews. It came highly recommended to me, and I was looking forward to reading it, even thinking I liked the first few chapters. Then things went south. The modern day email romance between Aziz and Ella is simply terrible, but I continued reading as I was hoping the 13th Century part would be fulfilling. Well, not enough. When I got to the part about how Aziz invented himself, I had to throw it out to keep my self-respect. I can't tell you how gypped I feel having bought this pulp fiction.

I have yet to meet someone who hasn't enjoyed this book. I read this book very slowly, trying to relish every story and gave myself time to contemplate every rule. Very few books manage to engage the reader so completely. Highly recommend it

After a few pages into the book I thought of a friend who would really love this, another 20 pages and another friend came to mind, another 50 pages later and my world, my friends came all to mind.
This is one of the books I will be presenting to many friends and I know each person will see something else they need to see. Wonderful.
Many years ago when an atheist friend of mine said she had become a Sufi, I thought she was on drugs or going soft in the head. Now I understand that she was far ahead of where I am even after 45 years have passed.
Thank you Elif for opening up a door...

Was recommended this by a friend who rave about it. The story set many centuries ago was nice but the other story was very painful for many chapters. The rules of love were forced into the story and at times you couldn't see the relevance to the preceding or following text. Was painful (yes used painful twice, now 3 times in this review to get my point across) havin to hear her say the next rule was so and so or that reminded him of another rule. We would have got the point without those sentences had the rules remained in italics. Forced myself to complete the book.

Love this book. It is a tale between two times and two places but one tie, that is love. The first, is our modern time in the United States and the second is the ancient Turkey and the time of the famous divine love poet Rumi. It is as magical and soul touching as thought provoking. I enjoyed it thoroughly.

Beautiful prose, full of wistful longing and wisdom. There are so many great quotes and reminders that I ended up marking the pages and writing down the quotes, as did a friend who was reading it also. I think I've purchased this book 5 times now - one for my library, and for two friends who turned 40, my mother, and my fiance's mother.

This was a book club selection, and not anything I would have chosen for myself. The characters are too cliche.
Ella, a under appreciated mom and housewife, living in the burbs, in a loveless marriage. Too much like a Lifetime Movie plot, she falls in love with an author of a book about Love. Through her bored suburban eyes, a new world is opened up for her through emails with the author...yadda yadda yadda

Never before has a book spoken to my very soul! I am not a Muslim, Christian or of any faith... I am a spiritual man and seeker. This book held me captive as it spoke along my life experience and travels. Truly there is no equal power to that of divine true love. Thank you to the author, you have renewed me.

I found the modern day story and characters terribly cliched, predictable and vaguely insulting. The 13th century story was more interesting, but was overshadowed by the tedious 50's characterisation of the 20th Century American 40 year old woman.

I picked up a copy of this book upon the recommendation of two Turkish female university professors not knowing what to expect. What I discovered was two well-crafted tales that drew me into the poems and philosophy and life of Rumi the poet. What a treat! And I was able to read it on the plane ride between Austin Texas and Izmir Turkey.

i liked the fact that there are two stories, interwoven. more than a story, this is a book to live by. at first, i took the book out of the library, bit i loved it so much, i bought it, and now have given it out to friends and relatives. a must read!!!!

I don't like this type of writing which seems shapeless and ungrounded to me. A bit like the kind of writing background
that is in The Dovekeepers by Alice Hoffman which also got rave reviews in important newspapers.I'm sure the writing is good but I prefer a story where the ground rules are more accessible. A bit too magical for me. Although I enjoy the (different)genre of magic realism this seems more magical unrealism. If you like this style I'm sure you will enjoy it. In case you are wondering I bought it as part of a book club programme.

I ordered the Kindle version and it was excellent. However, I am very disappointed that I could not 'share' this Kindle version. Next time, I will be more cognizant of that very important Kindle feature. Not sure who makes the decision, but I suggest reconsidering...

The laws come to us in story form and are clear. If we follow them, even some of them, we will live in peace with ourselves and others. We need to revisit the laws, put them on your desktop and review our behaviour against the background of these laws.

I have been wanting to learn more about Rumi and this book tells his story in a very different way - interwoven with other people's stories that had a direct bearing on Rumi becoming the poet and wiseman he is known for today.

I enjoyed this book immensely,a three tiered story of love and its power to heal and renew. Contains the wisdom and teachings of 13th century mysticism which still applies in the 21st century, a timeless book and beautifully written, I was entranced by Shams of Tabriz as was Ella.

Beautiful. I enjoyed the simple narration of this book with insights that are so powerful.
I dont know if this is the true story about Rumi and how Shams ignited his being . I enjoyed it immensely and plan to read another book by the same author.

A voyage into the heart of what makes us tick? What should your life priorities be and how do you manage all the distraction and confusion in today's world. What is true happiness? Answer: "The Forty Rules of Love".

An amazing book. This is first book I've read in a while that made me rearrange my schedule in order to read longer. Don't believe some of the bad reviews of Ella. All of the characters weave together beautifully.

I can say The Forty Rules of Love is a great book, well written and very inspirational. I do recommend this book for every kind of people either those who are interested in religious things or those who are not.

I READ TURKISH ONE. I LOVE IT. WE DON'T HAVE ANY DIFFERENT FROM ANOTHERS. TURKISH, AMERICAN, MUSLUMAN, CHRISTIAN, JEWISH. ONLY ONE THINK. LOVE TO EVERYTHINK. TO GOD, TO HIM/HER..... I KNOW YOU WILL LOVE IT.

I read the Fory Rules of Love while attending the World Sufi Festival at Fort Nagaur Jodhpur. Not knowing that much about Rumi and Shams if Tabriz, it was a wonderful way to understand the spirituality of Sufism. Thank you Elif for this enlightening book!

So much has already been said about the book. It can be a life changer or not. Depends on how you look at it. I think we need such books today. And then you get to know about Rumi and shams i tabrisi.

It was a beautifully written book about Sufism, Islam & the spirituality of any religion. It is a book that speaks to our humanity & shows Islam in its true form, not the bad propaganda that the media has portrayed.

If you want to learn about mysticism and Rumi, this is a perfect book for you. In the essence, all religions and spiritual teachings are based on love. Only people changed them to use religion for their interests. This book successfully emphasizes LOVE..Unconditional love..Loving GOD, loving your friend,loving your lover, loving flowers, loving cats etc..There is no limit to LOVE..without criticism..do not offend people and never get offended in any case..These are few of Rumi's teachings that can make a person happy and peaceful.One of the readers talked about how he disliked the book because of the love story that is told throughout the book. But this is Rumi..Nothing is less important and no one kind of love is superior to another kind of love. But i will not criticize him as criticizing and judging is totally contrary to the Rumi's teachings.I respect him and i am sure he has some kind point that matters to himself.

I loved this book! It was not like other books I have read. This was the first time I heard about Rumi, even though I had heard about Sufism before. I would recommend it to anyone who is interested in spirituality and Rumi. This is one of those books where you can read over and over again without getting tired of it.

This book was highly recommended and I wanted to read a Turkish author who is current. However, this book felt a little flat and unrealistic to me. I found the story about Rumi interesting enough to not include the unhappy American housewife.

I absolutely love this book. Elif Safak is a great author. She did a great job bringing all kinds of different people from different cultures/religions and tell their stories. The book might get a little boring/slow in the middle, but I was so impressed by the ending. And I am more interested in Sufism than ever. I read this book in Turkish, and I was so impressed that I preordered the English version for my boyfriend. Hope he'll like it too.

First of all, I must question Publisher Weekly's characterization of this book as "hen lit." I never heard this term before. Is this the same as what Tina Brown once called "clit lit"? Then I must say that the plot of this novel is a bit contrived. And the ending is pure schmaltz. That said, I will admit that the book is a real page turner, or, since I read the Kindle Version, a real button pusher. I read the entire book start to finish in one sitting. Some might say the whole Rumi thing has been done to death--I myself have read a half dozen or more biographical and fictional accounts of his life--and I already knew the outline of his life and relationship with Shams before reading this, but nevertheless I found the account given here quite entertaining. The author is a real story teller: even as you guffaw at some of the plot developments you keeping pushing the button to see what happens next. Instead of Clit Lit to describe this book perhaps we should use the term Button Pusher.

A riveting story filled with the goal of nothingness. I thoroughly enjoyed it in spite of the emptiness it leaves. Sufism is so close to goodness any yet is an infinity away from Love. Love is both the goal and the means to the goal but the person of God is the fullness of Love. His love is manifest in his Son who gives us his Spirit. All so close and yet so far away.

The best book I've read in a long time. The Author is brillant. I could not put the book down. Religon. Love has no boundries in culture or time Religon is of the heart and God is always within us. Excellent reading

Read it. Enjoy it. More importantly, take it personally. It shall help you "Wake up!" to Life, if you are ready, that is. It will help you Rediscover the Life.

Some personal stuff, if needed: I have read the translation into Turkish about oh maybe three times. Quoted from it. Talked about it... I got it on my kindle yesterday and can't wait to read it in English now :-)

The chapters following rumi/shams were OKAY. The rest I found awful and insulting. It all sounded like an awful argument of a new aged pseudo-feminist all grown up trying to justify her extremely selfish decisions with light spirituality in the greater name of 'love.'

The author tried to juxtapose the spiritual and transcendent love of Rumi's poem onto Ella's boring suburban midlife crisis, and she does so horribly. I felt as if the whole book had been contrived as some weird sort of way for the author to convince us (or herself) that Ella isn't an awful person. Her relationship and abandonment of the twins is extremely disturbing. There are ways to leave a marriage without emotionally corrupting the members in it (leaving a dinner on the table and never coming back?)

Like I said, a selfish and wildly naive story guided in new age half truths and hiding it's argument under the guise of feminism. This book is less spiritual and more damaging to feminist rhetoric than it is anything else.

And while the chapters with Rumi/Shams were enjoyable, the whole thing felt like cheap entertainment and left me absolutely no insights into mysticism besides the same preachy new age spiritual bs that we can find in most 12 step programs.

This book was recommended to me by someone who had read it four times. Having now read it myself, I can see why reading it many times would be appealing .
Set in a contemporary US city as well as a 13th Century Turkish town, the book follows the evolving relationships between characters in each place. The thread that runs beautifully throughout the two stories is that of Sufism, a branch of Islam, that focuses on the goal to live in the present and seek Heaven within.
The messages that are presented via the 40 rules, are not about romantic love, rather they look at love as a desirable goal that one must work toward as part of humanity.

Turkey's most famous female writer of the moment has delivered a book here that hardly transcends the romantic pulp fiction-level. Especially the story about the American woman who discovers that her life is stalled and finds a new, exotic love, is woefully weak. The other story, about 13th century soeffi-scholars in Anatolia (Western Turkey) is a bit more interesting, but that also does not really convince; even youth novels today are better written. I hope the other work of Shafak attains a higher level.

As one long familiar and passionate about Sufism and familiar with Rumi, I was delighted at the prospect of a Rumi inspired novel and happily pre-ordered the book. I should have been more patient and waited to see the above PW review. It's spot on. This is a light work of ladies romance based very thinly on the persons of Rumi and Shams. As per the PW review, it is also the story of the most remarkably uninteresting housewife I have ever encountered in the pages of a book. But then, I don't generally read books about housewives and their lives. The title is misleading, as half the book, every other chapter, is the tepid narrative of her failing contemporary marriage to a dentist. That says it all. But the language used for 14th century Turkish characters is straight out of a high school in 2010. I can't remember the last time I have been so shocked. Romance readers who like a little Orientalism lite peppered into their stories of sad housewives might enjoy this. If you have a preexisting interest in Sufism, scholarly or mystical, Islam, Rumi, or anything else falsely advertised in the title of this book, just read the PW review and know that it's highly accurate.

There are two plot devices used in this book, one is that there is a book within the book, and two is that while there is one story throughout the book, the happenings of the story are told from the unique viewpoint of the participants of the story. The latter device forces you to pay attention to the character who is narrating each chapter, and the former device is constructed such that the primary story and secondary stories are separated by about 750 years. Assuming you keep track of all of that, the story is linear and proceeds at a slow pace. We are first introduced to Ella, our protagonist in the primary story that takes place in the present. She is an editor tasked with reviewing a book written by a Scotsman who has gravitated towards Sufi dervish ways following acute tragedies in his life. The book is about Shams of Tabreez, a Sufi saint, and Shams is our second major protagonist in a story that is set in what we now call the Middle East about 750 years from the present. The title in the book refers to the forty rules of love that Shams dispenses as the inner story progresses to its violent conclusion. In the inner story there are assorted interesting and multi-hued characters, each kindly touched by Shams. There is Shams' benefactor who took him in despite the ire of his family, the drunkard with more common sense than men who profess not to touch alcohol, the prostitute who yearned to find true love, etc. In a sense, each of their lives seems to consist of more gravity than the life of Ella, the protagonist in the main book. Ella is a character burdened with first-world problems that somehow do not seem as acute as those of people who lived 750 years ago. Is Ella's decision on how she dealt with her problems justifiable? To me it is not, but you may reach a different conclusion. (February 2016).

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, both as a reader and as a writer. The author pulls off different points of view by relaying the stories to us via many characters, each one with their own chapter (or chapters), which is difficult to do. The weaving of two stories was well handled, and the writing is, while not particularly powerful, solid and satisfying.

The story's flaws did not tarnish my enjoyment, as I read simultaneously for pleasure and to improve my craft. This is how I can say it was thoroughly enjoyable; I didn't need it to be perfect.

The flaws:

* a handful of undeveloped, flat characters. Some did not have distinct enough voices and could have been either left out or more developed. The harlot alone could have had her own story, and I was disappointed not to learn more about her

* A mother who not only left her husband for true love, but also her three children--I understand her leaving the husband; their marriage was loveless and both needed more than they could receive from each other, but I cannot wrap my head around her decision to leave her children behind. I am not being pious here--I have my own flawed stories of loving and leaving--but simply walking away from her children, without remorse, pain, or regret (at least we are not privy to any of these emotions) is not believable. Furthermore, in the end, when Aziz has died, she has no interest in attempting to repair her relationship with the twins (Doesn't she feel devastated that they do not even speak to her?) and seemingly little or no interest in her older daughter's life (she was revealed to be bulimic, which I was myself, and is nothing to treat trivially). Their last conversation is not believable; the daughter's support is plausible, but her lack of emotion in terms of her siblings' inevitable pain is not. The fact that Ella has no plans to return home, even after her time with Aziz has ended, is more than far-fetched.

* Shams' treatment of the wife he could not make love to was completely out of character. How was he able to be cruel to the woman who adored him when he was supposed to be such a wise man? How did he come to agree to marry her in the first place? We were not told. He showed more compassion to the harlot, the drunk and the leper than he did to her. Though Shams was clearly a self-admitted flawed human being, this section of the book did not ring true. I tried to wrap my head around his behavior towards Kimya but could not.

* Rumi's lack of interest in the fact that Kimya could see and communicate with his ex-wife, whom he deeply loved, was surprising, as was his treatment of his current wife and sons. His relationship with Shams was all-consuming, and each of the men touted the preeminence of love, yet were indifferent to the pain of Rumi's family members; as if merely witnessing such a great love should be enough to satisfy their loneliness.

Another reviewer has suggested that this book could have benefitted from being longer. I agree with this assertion. There simply wasn't enough time and space to adequately develop each important storyline and character. That said, I would recommend the book for its solid writing, unique blended stories and treatment of multiple points of view, as well as for the thought-provoking nature of the forty rules themselves.

This book came into my life ironically at a time where I feel lost and seeking solitude to understand myself more. So within a few pages, I was excited and hooked. Then I got to the end and it left such a bad after-taste. The characters that started interesting became by the end almost all incredibly flat and frustrating. It felt like the author was trying to force the plot on one dimensional characters that could've been much more.

The forty rules themselves and how they were weaved into the story are thought-provoking statements that I plan to go over again. The heart of the story is how Shams removes Rumi from his protected privileged life. I loved how he slowly extracted him from all the things that made him "good" in the eyes of others and directed him to all the things that made him "good" in his own heart. Instead of finding fulfillment in being the center of love of others, love God instead which I understand to be humanity (disclaimer, I'm an atheist) by following your heart.

But then all of the following happens (SPOILTER ALERT) and it made the entire premise of the story weak and sort of forced:

>>>>>>>>>>>>>> SPOLIER ALERT <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
The mother "Ella" that understandably leaves an unhappy marriage but also a bulimic daughter. Really? The ages of the children are not given but the twins seem to be younger teenagers, around 13-14 (seeing Ella is almost forty, her eldest daughter is in college and she waited a few years before having the twins). I can't wrap my head around someone supposedly seeking love that would walk out on their own children at an age where they definitely still need the presence of their mother. Particularly so when one of them is diagnosed with a serious eating disorder.

Ella is presented as a woman seeking emotional connection and love. She came across as someone who is seeking someone to mother her and provide her with excitement and adventure. She comes off as weak and self-absorbed. Her character did not go through any major transformation by pursuing love. She was a control-freak house wife who wanted her family to be exactly the way she felt it should be and ignored anything that tainted that picture (her husband's affairs). Then she decided she was done with the housewife act and wanted to be the lover and adventurer, again ignoring the things that tainted that picture (her young teenagers and the fact that one of them has an ED).

This same selfishness is again portrayed in the other two protagonists Shams and Rumi. I disliked them so much at the end of the book. They both proclaimed that they are in pursuit of love. To love God with every fiber of their being. They loved god by loving and not judging the beggar leper, the prostitute, the drunk. Yet they were cruel and indifferent to most of Rumi's family.

Shams marries Rumi's adopted daughter Kimya willingly and then refuses to share her bed (why did he agree? No reason is given.). Two wise, apparently enlightened men, didn't foresee the misery in a marriage to a 15 year old girl that will not be consummated. Then Shams goes on to humiliate her when she tries to seduce him. We are shown no emotional reaction on his side to her illness or death. Perhaps she was not downtrodden enough to deserve love.

Rumi is so absorbed by his love to Shams that he is so indifferent to his son Aladdin's suffering. It's hard to swallow the idea that a wise, love-seeking enlightened father, cannot comprehend why his 17-year-old boy is having difficulties dealing with his relationship to Shams. Aladdin is not only brushed aside, ignored then reprimanded, but then we find out the boy is in love with Kimya. His wise father thinks it a great idea to marry her off to Shams, a man he knew his son hated. Not one brain cell fired in that enlightened head of his and thought "hey, maybe I should approach my son and you know, talk to him? Love him?". Nope. Aladdin resorts to murder. Who saw that coming?

The two love stories followed the same line: two people in love with each other, they see their love so great, so pure and beyond the reach of everyone else. For Shams and Rumi, the lepper, the prostitute and the drunk prove how pure their love is by showing them capable of love the unlovable. It felt more like using the downtrodden to prove a point. Brushing aside the others who stood in their way.

For Ella and Aziz, Aziz's illness proves how true their love is. You see, it must've been true love if she left everything for him knowing he is dying. What could be more pure than that? Playing martyr to love is sometimes the easy choice.

This book could've been so much more. It felt like someone was forcing philosophical thought on an undeveloped story line.

This book was one of the best I have ever read. And that is for several reasons:

The Story: Rumi and Shams are two well known mystics and are a great source of influence and inspiration since the day of their meeting. Documenting their story in such a beautiful and well structured narrative is a challenge in itself, but drawing a modern-day parallel story underneath it to fuel its meanings is phenomenal, and that is exactly what the author did.

The narrative is informative, inspiring, and cohesive. The characters are intriguing, and the author managed to grant each his/her size without overdoing them. She conjured their stories and weaved them together meticulously. Each came in and out of the picture and the protagonists received a proper background and enough fuel for their events to fit within the narrative and provide full impact.

The Author: a great and quite provocative story-teller. The way she unfolds the events gradually, mixes them up, creates reading anxieties and excitement, and trickles the events in a gradual manner for me is highly intriguing. You get easily pulled into her world and she manages to immerse you in her newly created universe.

The Wisdom: simply put: The 40 Rules themselves are a marvelous piece of wisdom and inspiration. The short stories/aphorisms narrated by the characters are packed with wisdom as well. Both go hand in hand to reveal the essence of this novel.

In short, a piece of art that is a must in an ever-increasingly turbulent world.

This is a book about personal, interior growth as well as fascinating moment in the history of poetry as well as Islam. But it is perhaps most of all a book about morality. One hears from almost every character, learning what drives him or her and why what they do seems right in their eyes. One can really weigh the consequences and unexpected impacts of actions. And there are interesting contradictions: finding one’s true self is not only challenging but could be damaging to other people. There’s also an intriguing overlap between inner growth and inner death. Very rich interactions between the two main plot lines, with a lovely ending. I could have done with less magic, though.

The encounter and transforming love between Rumi and the wandering dervish Shams i-Tabriz in the 1240s is background, context and explanation of the transformation in 2008 and 2009 of Ella Rubinstein, Jewish American housewife in Northampton MA, through contact with their story. Shams turns the respected and sedate scholar Rumi into a poet and co-founder (along with Shams) of the whirling dervishes; their story turns Ella from a self-repressed, resigned wife in a loveless marriage into a free and adventurous woman. Alternating chapters are told from the points of view of Ella or Shams and the many people who come in contact directly with him in Konya, Damascus or Tabriz. His stern but gentle manner and his preachings of love arouse strong reactions, ranging from murderous hostility on the part of Islamic zealots to almost total identification by Rumi, from respect and devotion by outcastes whom he has consoled and aided to the one kind of love he cannot allow himself, the passionate, carnal kind. Which may be what you thought this book was going to be about, but no, Shams' 40 Rules of Love are Sufi rules, of accepting one's fate but aiding and preventing harm to others and trusting in God's overall just design of all things. The book is a welcome introduction to this moment in Sufism and the origins of the Mahlevi whirling dervishes ("Mahlev" or master was what Rumi was called), and the twin stories -- of the 13th and of the 21st centuries -- come to a satisfying conclusion.

However, Shafak's narrative structure and voice here are so limited that one longs for a little break now and then. Each chapter tells us the thoughts and observations of just one character at a time, often telling us things that they would be unlikely to say even to themselves, and everybody sounds alike, whether a drunk or a prostitute or enlightened one in Konya in 1246 or Ella Rubinstein in 2008. The drunk tells us he is drunk but he doesn't sound drunk, the angry zealot tells us he is an angry zealot but doesn't sound very excited about it, and so on. ""Beauty is in the eye of the beholder," Shams kept saying." (p. 268) He sounds just like Ella. These limitations are quite unlike Elif Shafak's approach in her earlier novel, The Bastard of Istanbul (see my review), where there are different voices and narrative points of view, including a genie and an Internet forum. But "40 Rules" comes to a good, perfectly Sufi ending, which goes far to compensate for other weaknesses, and in the course of reading it we learn much about why Sufism is so appealing to so many.

I like books that are about something that matters, books that are not just entertaining but enlightening, books that make me think about what matters to me, what matters in life for anyone, what sets people I admire and wish to emulate apart from others and from myself. I agree with some other reviewers that Ella and Aziz and their love story did not captivate me, but as part of the structure for the novel, I thought it worked. The book is about love, a subject we think we know and have experienced, but may not. Elif made me reconsider what I knew of love. The added value in today's world of this book is that it touches on Islam, religion, and religiosity broadly, and on Sufism in detail. I knew something of Sufism but found it rewarding to be drawn more deeply in. The book is about belief: belief that enriches our life and those we touch in our lives, rather than belief that is judgmental, rigid, and self-righteous. I have recommended the book to many. It provokes thought. We need that.

The book starts with Ella Rubinstein, who has it all, three children, 2 houses a pleasant home and a husband. However, there is a void within her namely a lack of love. She takes a job with a literary agency and has to write a report about a book titled sweet blasphemy. Through this book she learns about Sufism, the relationship between Rumi and SHAMS OF TABRIZ and establishes a dialog with Aziz Zahara, the author of the book. He introduces her to Sufi philosophy and thus begins her journey of self-discovery.</p>

This is a brilliant work. It combines a sense of history, switches of times and point of view (POV) and manages to convey profound truths in an easy-to-read way. Yes, there is plenty of philosophy but it is interwoven in the story so that there is always context to it.</p>

The first thing that struck me was the almost one word chapter titles. They do not give anything away. They are very important because they act as switches of scene. These are crucial because they allow the reader to switch seamlessly between times, people and places.</p>

Some people may classify this book as a romance novel. This would be doing the book an injustice. Yes, there is plenty of love and even some romance in the book but the love that the various characters experience is far deeper. Take the love between SHAMS OF TABRIZ and Rumi or between desert rose and SHAMS OF TABRIZ.</p>

The book is large but the pacing is such that the reader is hooked from the beginning. There are no long interludes; each sentence advances the story. There is plenty of telling because the characters describe what they are feeling but that acts to the advantage of the book because the third person narration can be matched with what is happening which leaves plenty of room for the reader to exercise his imagination.</p>

There are no heroes or villains. Life is full of shades of grey and that is what this book shows. The only jarring note is the marriage of SHAMS OF TABRIZ to Kimya. It is unlikely that this reviewer is the first one to ask, why?</p>

Do not skim through this book. Read each word, every sentence. The devil is in the detail and several of the book's finest elements are to be found in the attention to detail. Take Ella's not lighting the candles towards the end.</p>

A great read and a rare book that is not a thriller but is a page turner all the same.</p>

This is an extraordinary book. The author is Turkish and she writes in English. She has done a lot of research on Sufism. It is basically the story of a dervish , Shams of Tabriz and Rumi a poet. There is a second story of American Ella who is in a loveless marriage. As part of her job she reads the manuscript of novel by Aziz. Aziz is really a Scot who has converted to Sufism after many ups an downs in his life. He has knowledge of and empathy with Shams. The Ella/ Aziz story serves as abridge t modern times, but the main story is told by many narrators - Shams, Rumi, Rumi's sons, wife, students, the harlot, assassin, the drunkard. The Foty Rules of Love are fascinating. The ending is one we know but it says a lot for the author's skill and ability to enthrall us that we keep reading .

So used are we to stories with a twist that this spiritual narrative is a welcome change.
If you had told me in advance what this book was about, I would have dismissed as 'not my thing' . I loved it and will be reading more of this author.

Having studied Sufism and Love, this book was a welcome find in a San Francisco Bookstore-City Lights. True, it is not great literature and yet I do recommend it to people and bookstores as a way to receive deeper love teachings and perspective on Shams and Rumi and their times and so much more. The love story in modern times was a bit flat and also believable as some men and women are in this stage of self-awareness and growth and working with people as a spiritual guide these types of things do occur. Having both stories intertwined breaks it up and gives the reader a chance to absorb and reflect and bring the teachings to themselves. I went back and underlined the 40 rules to pull out and use. I appreciated a way to make Shams and Rumi real, and not just some profound ancient writing with vague stories. Some books have a lot to offer despite the writing style and maturity. This is one. Instead of looking just at literature, looking at the message, deeper information and how it is delivered to be received, and learned from, is a better way to establish value for me.

After multiple tries to download a sample of this book, I finally called the store support. Thirty-plus minutes later, after going through the same steps I tried multiple times before calling the store, I'm told that this book will not download a sample to my 'first generation Kindle Fire'. Even *more* crazy, I was told that if I purchased this book, IT WOULD NOT DOWNLOAD TO MY KINDLE FIRE ! ! Are you kidding me?!?!? What the heck is the store thinking?!?!? What kind of business model will allow someone to pay for a book but not be able to receive it? I was told by the the store support person that the store allows authors to place restrictions on their E-books. So, I'm asking, *WHY* would any author trying to sell a book restrict a sale? This seems like bad business to me. And this is one more reason I'm beginning to consider going back to purchasing hard-copy books. No restrictions on lending or purchasing. I buy the hard-copy book and can do anything I want with it - loan it, donate it, etc. I can't believe any author or any business would place restrictions on purchasing their items. That's crazy ! !

The reasons I gave four star to "40 Rules of Love' instead of three are that I recognize the difficulty of writing a historical and philosophical novel taking place in the 13th century, that it successfully introduces a mystical branch of Islam ("Sufism") to the readers uninformed about sufism or Islam in general (myself included), and that I found the book as an enjoyable, pleasant read overall.
Furthermore, some of the aspects I took as shortcomings of the writing initially became a unifying voice for the book at the end. Each chapter is told from the view point of different characters. Some are main characters in the story, some aren't. Some of them come back to tell us another chapter or two while others make an appearance only once. It is a powerful and an efficient way of creating the atmosphere of the place and time period from different angles of the society. However, most of these characters, although different jobs and attributes define them, sound exactly the same. The beggar, the harlot, the drunk are indistinguishable in tone and spirit. Same goes for the warrior, the zealot and Alaaddin, or Kimya and Kerra. This similarity is annoying while reading the book; yet there is a rhythm in her prose that manages to hold the entire story together. That rhythm is the same background melody we hear in the voice of those characters and becomes the agent for the sense of life the author attempting to convey.
Yet, there are more apparent shortcomings why I considered giving it only three stars. The modern time story of Ella and Aziz feels flat and unexplored. Same thing can be said about Shams and his omitted reaction to the death of one of the characters. Given what the author is trying to accomplish, I think this book needed to be longer. Instead, she chose the scratch the surface of the focal relationships and events in her book. Even with Rumi and Shams, we cannot help feeling rebelled against their lack of compassion for the people they supposed to love and care about. Yes, they were supreme beings, well above the others in terms of spiritual and intellectual maturity and they were obsessed with their newly found bondage for each other in the search of, well, love. No doubt selfishness is a virtue to be learned and we cannot blame Rumi and Shams for pursuing it. Yet, "If you have the capacity to learn and grow and understand us, fine. If not, good luck to you" type of attitude appear to be in contrast with LOVE theme of the book.
Conflicts can also be observed in the 40 rules of love that were scattered throughout the book. Some rules appeared to be in contrast with one another. This is perhaps due to the difficulty, yet also the danger, of embedding bits of a philosophy into a work of fiction. Therefore, I will not pass judgement on Sufism solely based on what I read in this book although I must admit the supernatural stuff, which was not essential to the story line, took me by surprise and I do not know what to make out of it.
This review ended up emphasizing the negatives more than the positives which are bountiful. She is a good story teller with beautiful prose. If you are a lover of philosophical and/or historical novels, this book is full with insight and though provoking, succulent ideas to devour over. So, give it a chance.

Forty Kinds of Love is a moderately imaginative telling of the Shams / Rumi story, which is interrupted regularly by a romance novelette that is horribly horribly written girly fiction. If the woman narrator of the romance segments were not so incompetent as a writer and unbelievable as a character that part of the book would have been merely pale in comparison to the sublime main story. But because it is so badly done, it renders the whole book nearly unreadable. In addition, the lack of effort even to run a spell checker makes the kindle version of the book a mess with run together words and half lines of broken text. For serious readers, if you want to have a lovely experience reading this book , just skip all the chapters that are titled Ella. Including those chapters makes it a one star book. By skipping those chapters, you can read a four star book. Even if you love romance novels, skip those chapters and read them all at the end. There is absolutely no relationship between the two stories. It seems that the author was short in words and had a deadline to meet. So she dusted off a romance novel she wrote when she was twelve, added some oriental traits to the male; and shuffled them together. There is language to suggest this may have happened. For example, "Apparently Shams thinks scholars talk the talk and Sufis walk the walk." Ugh.

I'm not sure why I am writing this. Before reading this book, I had never heard of Rumi or a Sufi. I read the book because I had heard an interview with the author and she read a passage in the book that is on page 97 "Right across from me sat a dervish, tall, thin, and erect with a veil on his face. He was holding a candelabrum with five glowing candles providing me with light so that I could read. After a while I lifted my head to show the dervish the verse I was reading, and only then I realize, to my awe, that what I thought was a candelabrum was in fact the man's right hand. He had been holding out his hand to me, with each one of his fingers aflame..." If that is how that author wrote, then I had to read her book! Alas, there were no other similarly powerful passages in the book.
However, it was an interesting book to read. As others have written, the chapters represent the different characters in the book telling the story from their perspective. What's nice is that the chapters are not very long - sometimes only two or three pages - so that you are constantly moving from character to character. I might get ridiculed for this, but I thought the story of Ella was very interesting, not chick lit at all.
The "rules of love" that are interspersed throughout the book are thought provoking and make you think how much better a person you would be if you followed them; however, there were times when I thought to myself "enough with the rules already!".
I was torn between giving the book 4 stars or 5 stars. I am glad I read it but would not recommend it to someone as a "must" read. Because of the structure of the book - moving from the present to the past - I couldn't help but compare it to "People of the book" by Geraldine Brooks which is a book I have recommended because of the story line and because it is more historical fiction then this book is. However, I gave it a 5 because I am sure that at least one of those forty rules that I read would guide me to be generous to people!

I love Elif Shafak - her own story and character inspires me to follow her. With this book though, I felt like the part about Ella and Aziz was unnecessary. I almost lost touch with the deep spiritual character of Shams every time she interjected what was going on in 2008 to an utterly boring woman who was reading his story. Even her supposedly candid letters to Aziz had not much color to them. But aside this, I loved all the characters of the 13th century Konya. Being from the region myself and a muslim-turned a non-believer (but still in for spirituality), I could deeply relate to the social stigmas, taboos, fears, judgements capturing the minds and present in the environment of each of the characters. I admired how Shams was inspiring everyone he encountered to free themselves of these and feel deep within, live in the moment, be One with God which is ultimately within them. The book would have been a solid 5 stars if not for the 'modern' angle. Perhaps it could have been developed into a more vivid story as well, but having two deep stories competing each other would still be too much in my opinion.

This book seems almost fraudulent to me. Most of its poetic, mystical, clever content seems forced, attempted. The result is a frustrating first draft that has not really been written, but formulated. In fact, it really lacks the aforementioned qualities, and so is a huge disappointment.

A book to AVOID AT ALL COSTS: "The 40 Rules of Love." Purported to be "based on the life of the poet Rumi" but was a syrupy and unbelievable meditation on sufism, religion and religious ecstasy, with a disaffected modern Jewish housewife (and her cheating dentist hubby) thrown in for entertainment. Not my cuppa tea at all. The denouement was a truly nasty bit of deus ex machina — convenient but unbelievable and nausea inducing. If you are interested in Rumi, read his beautiful poetry instead.

I first came upon this book as I entered my local Barnes & Noble store and noticed two copies sitting on the front table of New Arrivals. The first thing that caught my eye was the brilliant and intricately detailed, beautiful cover. Then the title... The Forty Rules of Love - A Novel of Rumi. I must tell you that I believe in synchronicities and I had just been reading one of my many books of Rumi's poems through the preceding week... I love his emotion, his beauty and his words. His philosophy and spiritual love that transcends through his poetry is exhilarating and captivating. Then I proceeded to read the intro about Shams within the book and immediately knew that I had to purchase this book. Within 3 days of crying, emotion, overwhelming feelings of love and surrender, I had read the book in its entirety, finding it very hard to put down. The author, Elif Shafak has captured the very essence of what Shams and Rumi had between each other and told their story with honor and humbleness. Such love does exist and at this moment in my life when I have felt that maybe it didn't, she has moved me to tears and rocked the core of my soul with her work and words... renewing my belief in true love and the honor & commitment between two souls that are meant to be together... no matter the odds & barriers. Thank you Elif! I loved how she intertwined the present day relationship between Ella Rubenstein & Aziz Zahara with Shams and Rumi's relationship of long ago and yet still felt to this present day through the poetry of Rumi translated by many. After finishing the novel, I could hardly catch my breath... I cried, I laughed...then I immediately went out and bought a book for a dear friend of mine as she too loves Rumi and I knew this book was something she would treasure forever as I do. When an author can captivate the reader's senses to a measurement of moving them to complete emotion and ecstasy... she or he is more than just an author... they transcend space and time and bring to us the joy and love that we are all looking for within ourselves and outside of ourselves. Tashi Daley Elif... (I honor the greatness in you.) - Maggie153

I loved the story, having already known the story of Shems and Rumi, and I liked the way it was told by each character from his or hers point of view. However, I found it a little contrived, with the modern day love story created to fit into the 40 rules of love.
It was enjoyable, and I would recommend it, particularly to someone who loves Rumi.

What a beautiful read. I am the least mystic person you will ever meet but this book almost converted me. Characters are simply etched and the language understandable and without unnecessary flowery prose ( a trade mark of books usually written in this genre). It is the story that captivates and holds. Shams Tabriz and Rumi, Ella and Aziz carry the story that has been ever present and will always be.

Forty-year-old Ella, a suburban housewife and mother of three, is unhappily married and more or less adrift, until she gets a job as a reader for a literary agency. Her first assignment is to read and comment on a novel called "Sweet Blasphemy," written by a man named Aziz Zahara. The book tells the story of Rumi, a 13th century mystic and poet, and his dear friend, the dervish Shams. Rumi was successful and highly respected in his community until he met Shams, who completely transformed his life. Told in many different voices the book explores the bigotry and prejudices of that day, similar in many ways to our own times, and shows how Rumi, with Shams's help, strives for universal love and the mastery of one's own ego. Reading the book also awakens in Ella a quest for new and dangerous things, such as true passion, and as she reaches out to Aziz, the book's author, it sets her free.

Elif Shafak tackled several huge topics in writing about Sufi theology and belief, the story of Rumi and Shams of Tabriz, and weaving through them the modern story of Ella, a discontented suburban woman, and Aziz, a world-wandering Sufi. There are a few slight missteps, as in the instance when a Buddhist tale gets mixed into the Sufi lore, but that does not detract in the least from a powerful book on the power of love.

Ms. Shafak writes eloquently, and she is able to seamlessly incorporate two stories separated by nearly eight centuries in a way that demonstrates that the challenges of faith and living a life true to one's soul is as thrilling and fulfilling in the 2ist century as it was in the 13th. It seems that it might be no less bloody, too, though the blood spilled in the 21st century is a bit less literal.

I found myself taking notes from this book - writing down the "rules" for my own future reference. It is a book to own and return to over and over, sure to become a classic of modern literature.

The Forty Rules of Love: A Novel of Rumi is a very different story in which parallel stories, set in different centuries and different countries are told.

Ella Rubenstein is a 40 year old American housewife who is in a marital rut. Married for 20 years, she has a husband who may be unfaithful, three children she runs from place to place, and she longs for something more. Ella accepts a job as a reader for a literary agent, and her first assignment is to read and review an unsolicited manuscript called: Sweet Blasphemy. As she begins her assignment written by a man named Aziz Zahara, she is immediately drawn into the story. It is a story about a world famous poet and Sufi mystic, Rumi, who like Ella struggles with feeling of emptiness and loneliness in his life. In this story Rumi's world is transformed when he meets a whirling dervish known as Shams of Tabritz.

The "forty rules of love" are both timeless and beautifully expressed, so much so, that they begin to deeply effect Ella. Soon she emails the author and they begin a correspondence. She is so taken by what she has read that she begins to wonder if Aziz might be the secret to her happiness, as the Shams of Tabritz was to Rumi in the story.

MY THOUGHTS - This was my first book by this author, but now I am anxious to read her earlier book : The Bastard of Istanbul. I really loved the audio version of this novel. It was read by Laural Merlington who did a terrific job. At first, I was worried that this story might be a sappy romance, but that was not the case at all. The writing was beautiful and lyrical. If I had one small complaint it would be the fact that the author used the word dervish ad nauseam. Seriously, after what seemed like the hundredth time, I started to get a little annoyed. Please don't let this minor complaint discourage you, because it truly is a special book. It's just the type of story that may have the power to transform your life in some small way.
RECOMMENDED - (4.5/5 stars)

Amazing book about life, meaning of life, destiny, religion,....
One must go back and forth to tackle all differrent stories and characters.
The author obviously did a lot of research while writing which makes it even more meaningful.

I enjoyed Forty Rules of Love very much. It is a book written in 2 interweaving parts. The base story is about a woman in her early 40's, a housewife and mother in Northampton Mass. She is reviewing a book by a new author called "The Forty Rules of Love" which is basically the book within the book. I learned a lot about Sufism and dervishes which is quite fascinating. The book within the book was very enjoyable.
The 2 flaws were first that the basic story of the housewife was very boring and I didn't buy the parallel between her and the mystic poet Rumi. He's a real historical character whose poetry has lived for centuries and thrived and she is a boring ordinary person. The other fault, and this one may only reveal my lack of understanding of Sufism, is the problem that those who embrace this mystic religion which preaches love seem to have to abandon their own families in order to find the true love that they seek.
Overall I do recommend the book but give it 4 stars instead of 5 for the reasons I mentioned.

The Forty Rules of Love is mesmerizing. I enjoyed reading it very much. It is so amazing to see the numerous stories within stories of this wonderful novel. This is the first time I read an Elif Shafak novel. I am very highly impressed by her imagination. I had zero knowledge of Sufism and all negative feelings of Islam as a whole when I began to read it. I didn't covert to Sufism or anything, but I enjoyed the great storytelling of Shafak. I am an avid reader. This is the best novel in a long while for me. There are so many passages in the novel that reached deep into my heart. I liked Suleiman, Desert Rose and Kimya.

Elif Shafak you are an amazing writer. Thank you for writing this novel. You opened my heart and eyes. It is so wonderful to think love has so much power.

This is great book and we can't separate characters, we can't break it into pieces for review and criticism. It is oneness by itself. This book is not writing. It is weaving and presenting, it is diving and discovering. It is not just about love but the whole philosophy of life. You can accept it or not, but reader, please do not try to break this book into lines and characters, narration and structure. Soak in it, breath it and you will be transformed along the way or maybe at the end. One of the main characters, Shams of Tabriz mentioned "submission" as a way of finding balance, love and piece. Not submission the way we think or finding its meaning in Wikipedia, but in much deeper sense. Read the book and find for yourself. I wish I would read this book earlier in my life, but hey, the God provides you with what you need when you are ready to accept it. I guess I was ready when I read this book. Thanks Elif for creating this treasure!

This book touched me deeply and offered hours of contemplative musing. The contemporary story drew me in because the main character, Ella, is likable, and has a conflict that many of us can relate to: She yearns for a deeper love than she is finding in her current life. This yearning sets her off on an adventure of inner exploration. The man she meets, the ancient story she uncovers open her like a lotus flower. Meanwhile, I so appreciated understanding more of the life of Rumi that so affects Ella's life. His relationship with Shams of Tabriz reminded me of my own love for my Beloved teacher. Truly, as is shown in the transformative relationship between Rumi and Shams, it is love that elevates us in consciousness. Love dismantles all our false selves and draws us into the land of selflessness. This book is not only a fun page-turner, but also a deep journey into one's true self.

I loved this book mainly because of the parallel narrative of the life of Rumi and Shams of Tabriz. I found it inspirational and beautiful and because of that wanted to learn more about Sufism. Ella's story was less spell-binding. I still enjoyed the book and would highly recommend it to others.

While Publishers Weekly is entitled to its opinion, I think it misses the point of The Forty Rules of Love: A Novel of Rumi. Not once did I find the reading dull or something that ought to be relegated to chick lit; rather it woke me up and gave vision to my own life of illusions. This is an ideal read for someone who wishes to live a life of deep authenticity without being preachy and dogmatic. I HIGHLY recommend this book to those who would like to do some mental and spiritual house-cleaning. Lord knows we need it in these times.

I completly got charmed by sufism, and the story of the diffirent caracters in different time. This book gives hope and the writter is using just the right word. I am not a religious person, and the book you describe really well without influencing you on your path.

Interesting subject, could have made for a captivating story, if not for all the cliches, followed by some more cliches. Characters lack life, I could not relate to any...... Ella's character is predictable from the very beginning of the book.

The book, a novel within a biography, has been written with intense knowledge and love.
It takes the reader to the world of purity, spirituality and beyond.

I started reading Rumi's poems at very young age.
The endless love and sacrifice of oneself to achieve the highest level of humanity.
That is why I love human race regardless of their color, religion and origins.

I am conflicted about this book. On one hand, I enjoyed the story of Rumi and Shams quite a bit and I liked the style of the author in this part. On the other hand, the story of Ella and Aziz is so unbelievable and annoying that I almost stopped reading the book.

Ella is simply not believable in how she relates to Aziz. She is incredibly boring, has by her own admission led an empty life thus far, and yet we are supposed to believe that she can suddenly awaken to life and spirit so wholly that she would be a match for Aziz? I certainly believe that awakening is possible and happens often, but it is a journey that takes time. I have a hard time believing that someone like Aziz, who has put much of his life's effort into his spiritual path and is an insightful character, would be interested in such an in-depth e-mail dialog, let alone more of a relationship, with someone like Ella.

In all honesty, I think that Ella pushes my buttons. I am bothered by how she is supposedly opening her eyes to what is important in life, yet she does not give any thought to her daughter's newly diagnosed eating disorder. I think her process offends my belief that as you grow, you clean up your own back yard rather than become so holier than thou that you think you can just transcend that back yard.

Overall, I like the author's style. I hope that her other books represent more interesting and believable women as much so as she is able to represent the male characters.

Shafak's third novel is an emotional, thoughtful journey. First we meet Ella, a suburban housewife whose "normal" is changed forever by her encounter with a book and a book's author. Then, as we read the book with Ella, we meet the wandering dervish Shams and the scholar Rumi.
The story of Rumi and Shams is told from multiple viewpoints; the chapter title tells you who is speaking. Rumi, Shams, Desert Rose the Harlot, Kerra the wife of Rumi, Suleiman the Drunk, Kimya the girl who falls in love with Shams... and others. The multiple viewpoints give depth and layering to an already complex structure, but Shafak maintains clarity throughout.
Spirituality, more specifically the question "What is true spiritual love?" is the theme throughout the book. Some of the answers are predictable: compassion, oneness. But some are surprising, and for that reason alone the book is worth reading.
It's more than a spiritual quest, though; "The Forty Rules of Love" is just a great story. Get caught up in the characters and it will make you feel, question, wonder, and walk away thoughtfully, with a little more love and compassion of your own.

I was disappointed. First, the book traveled in 2 parallel universes--a 13th century god knows what and modern times where an extremely boring woman nearing 40 hashes out pure nonsense. These two stories alternate by chapter and I was baffled a mediocre writer would tackle a weighty subject as Rumi, and mix it with some ridiculous modern day soap opera.

I soldiered on for a while, ended up skipping the soap opera chapters, but then I had to tackle the shifting narrator--Is he an assassin? Is it the woman? Is it Shams? Is it inn clerk? By the way, the name is Shams Tabrizi and yes it means Shams from Tabriz. But you should just say Shams Tabrizi. If the character was Antonio de Genova or George Londoner that's how you would refer to it. You wouldn't say Antonio of Genova or George of London.

I admire the author's brashness to tackle sufism and Rumi, something that requires extensive scholarly expertise or solid mystic experience. But that's all I admire.

I picked up this book at Elliot Bay Bookstore in Seattle after attending a book reading where the author herself was present and discussed the book based on various questions from audience members. I was familiar with Rumi, but after reading this book, I am in love with Shams. The author writes this book in a unique style - going from the present to the past (centuries away) and from one first person to many - thereby introducing many characters that we get familiar with and quite intimately.

This book is not just about a housewife encountering love, but truly understanding what love is - in all its forms and the most divine kind - spiritual love, which only a few of us can aspire to, and this is why I absolutely loved each page of this book. If only we can make this mandatory reading for all men, perhaps we would have more compassionate society.

Elif - thank you for this wonderful work - it is truly a gift to mankind.

I really did want to like this book. I stayed with it all the way to the bitter end, but...nope, I just can't recommend it.

The Ella character is truly annoying. I just kept wanting her to develop into a woman I could respect and like. She simply doesn't ever really step up to her life. The author writes her into a shallow rendition of a life offered by other people, or some fantasy of what life could be like. Come on, Ella, have two very (justifiably) angry children at home - deal with it.

And Shams and Rumi - the characters portrayed within that story ...a prostitute, a drunk and a leper. Really? Hmmm.

For me to recommend it, the book would need a lot more depth.

This is the first book i read from the author. Very thought provoking. At times, it does feel like one could be reading a motivational book. However, a must read for anyone seriously pondering the reasons of life. The forty rules laid out in the book strike very close to home. Loved it. I gave it a three star only because there are too many characters in the book. However, the story is written lucidly enough that the reader does not loose track.

This story is a lesson in Love; the driving force of the universe. Ella is an unhappy housewife who works for a literary agency. One of her assignments is to write a book review from an unknown author named Aziz Zahara. Ella gets in contact with Aziz via e-mail, she isn't sure where things are going with this strange man, but her life is about to change forever. Ella will have to be prepared to give up everything in order to be born again into love. This book made it to my top ten favorite books.

This book was the most loving gift I have ever received from a friend. It is a novel, love story and bible all rolled up in one. The stories of Rumi and Sham of Tibriz are ones we should each carry with us everyday. The world will be a better place for it. The book is beautifully crafted. The writing is lovely to read and the interwoven plots are entertaining and charming. You will probably devour it, as I and my friend did.

For someone who didn't know anything about Rumi this was OK. I don't know how accurate it was, but it gave me a good perspective on the times. The modern day story was awful though which made the book difficult to get through.

I started to read with an open mind I thought it was an interesting approach to Rumi teachings. I only made it half way through at which point I started to feel I was reading some Bible parables (very cliché characters the drunk, the prostitute, the leper). Ella story is not very interesting either. There are some nice quotes and reaffirmation phrases but overall not an entertaining or enlightening read

A must read for anyone wanting to know Rumi better and what changed him from being an institutional teacher and lecturer to living the Forty Rules of Love. You will learn to love Shams of Tabriz just as Rumi did and perhaps you will become a poet.

Elif Safak's book is a success since it gives a very correct transmission of the teachings of the ' Tasavvuf ' (known as Sufism out of the lands of Turkey) to todays reader. Elif Safak transcends the deep teachings of this school in a nice simple language and a flowing story. The book flows easily and gives a lot while not tiring the reader and making it easy to read. I advise it to everyone who would like to have an introduction to what Tasavvuf/Sufism is in an unbiased reflection and in a contemporary story.

I loved the book it has very deep meaning. Every sentence has left and impact on me. The forty rules are written in a way that they have the link with the story of the book and same time it is very generalized.

The description for the book says "lyrical" but it is far from. I felt like I was reading a young adult or chick lit book. Maybe it is a poor translation? The writing style is all telling and no showing and did not hold my attention. This was a recommendation from a friend....so thank goodness for Kindle samples!

Oh... I should have trusted the Publisher's Weekly Review and their calling it "hen lit." Mostly, I consider "chick lit" and other terminology knee jerk putdowns. But truly, at least 1/2 of this book (the part that takes place in the modern day) is someone's version of "chick lit for the midlife crisis crowd", and it's bad. Formulaic, unbelievable, flat stereotypical characters. When I thought it couldn't get worse, it did. That said, I DID like parts of the sections relating to Rumi and Shams of Tabriz and the world of the 13th century. Like many others, that is why I first chose the book, having an appreciation of Sufism, Rumi's poetry, and a curiosity about his times. Given the poor writing of the modern day section, I'm not sure there's much that I would trust in the historical portion, even acknowledging that this is historical fiction. It felt manipulative, designed to appeal to a target demographic of indiscriminate romantics and "new-agers". I had hoped for more.

I was immediately drawn to this book and had high expectations. I was perplexed at the first blurring of philosophies. When speaking of Oneness in the context of Rumi, it was couched in very modern terms. But then it got worse; I ran into Buddhist quotes. I could not believe the author thought that no one would notice this. Rumi and Sufism are so rich in quotes and stories, why on earth would you choose ones from a different tradition? The worst example was the very Zen story of two monks and a woman at the river. The author should have known that the people who would be drawn to this book would probably have some knowledge of different philosophies. This discordance was a fatal flaw and the banality of the romance part of the book did nothing to redeem it.