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2.25k reviews for:
قواعد العشق الأربعون: The Forty Rules of Love
جلال الدين الرومي, Elif Shafak, خالد الجبيلي
3.87 AVERAGE
2.25k reviews for:
قواعد العشق الأربعون: The Forty Rules of Love
جلال الدين الرومي, Elif Shafak, خالد الجبيلي
3.87 AVERAGE
Such a pretty and beautiful book, it's heaven for people who love annotating, it's one of the best internet recommendations so far.
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
The Forty Rules of Love by Elif Shafak
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5 stars
Publication date: 3 July 2025 (originally published in 2010)
Thank you to Viking Books and Netgalley for providing me with an e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
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’s 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.
Elif Shafak has really established herself as a favourite author of mine, and it was an absolute pleasure to dive into one of her earlier books. I loved the book within a book structure, and I much preferred reading the story of Rumi and Shams of Tabriz through a range of various POVs. The main story, or present timeline, wasn't quite as compelling for me and Ella is a difficult character to get on with or empathise with.
However, this is a minor grumble because Shafak’s prose is ultimately so beautiful, so evocative that I was transported, especially in Rumi and Shams’ story which I was always happy to go back to. This is a very spiritual and philosophical book, almost mystical, and I'm honest enough with myself to admit that I probably didn't grasp all the nuances of Shafak's writing. It is about love in its multitude: romantic, religious, from friends or soulmates, about the importance of living a purposeful life seeking, understanding and accepting these different kinds of love. I just lost myself in the beautiful writing and the beautiful quotes, and I absolutely want to read everything Shafak has ever written and is going to write in the future.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5 stars
Publication date: 3 July 2025 (originally published in 2010)
Thank you to Viking Books and Netgalley for providing me with an e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
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’s 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.
Elif Shafak has really established herself as a favourite author of mine, and it was an absolute pleasure to dive into one of her earlier books. I loved the book within a book structure, and I much preferred reading the story of Rumi and Shams of Tabriz through a range of various POVs. The main story, or present timeline, wasn't quite as compelling for me and Ella is a difficult character to get on with or empathise with.
However, this is a minor grumble because Shafak’s prose is ultimately so beautiful, so evocative that I was transported, especially in Rumi and Shams’ story which I was always happy to go back to. This is a very spiritual and philosophical book, almost mystical, and I'm honest enough with myself to admit that I probably didn't grasp all the nuances of Shafak's writing. It is about love in its multitude: romantic, religious, from friends or soulmates, about the importance of living a purposeful life seeking, understanding and accepting these different kinds of love. I just lost myself in the beautiful writing and the beautiful quotes, and I absolutely want to read everything Shafak has ever written and is going to write in the future.
I've read a couple of Elif Shafak's books in the past and really enjoyed them, so I went into this one with high hopes.
However, this one just wasn't for me. While the writing style is good, I personally didn't enjoy the story. I found the historical sections to be a bit boring, and I didn't like the modern section much at all.
Overall, it was just ok.
However, this one just wasn't for me. While the writing style is good, I personally didn't enjoy the story. I found the historical sections to be a bit boring, and I didn't like the modern section much at all.
Overall, it was just ok.
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Mooi, maar ook wel beetje stoeien om doorheen te komen. Met andere boeken van deze schrijfster ook gehad. Toch elke keer weer de moeite waard om door te zetten
emotional
inspiring
medium-paced
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced