2.25k reviews for:

‫قواعد العشق الأربعون: The Forty Rules of Love‬

جلال الدين الرومي, Elif Shafak, خالد الجبيلي

3.87 AVERAGE

abey's review against another edition

5.0

challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring mysterious reflective sad medium-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

bluewhitetony's review against another edition

3.25

informative inspiring mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

fatimawright's review against another edition

4.75

challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

kimcanread's review against another edition

5.0

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This book made it's way onto my shelf quite randomly really. The title was interesting but not indicative of the kinds of books I want to be reading. The blurb piqued my interest enough but still it sat a while on my shelf. To be fair not as long as many others.

I started reading it the day before I was given a large collection of books from the parents of a friend who recently passed away and it just so happened that of all the books on her shelf, this was one of the few I had.

It seemed a sign to keep on reading it. Despite this quite dear to me coincidence, this book stands alone as one I thoroughly enjoyed reading, would recommend and actually would even enjoy reading again.

I'm not much for religion although I can be spiritual and this story really resonated with me. There were many beautiful quotes to enjoy and appreciate. The style was easy to follow. While there is an aspect that feels a bit 'made for America' or an American audience perhaps, it's not exactly like I don't live in a world where this is not my reality and so it was rather relatable. More than that, there are some ideas that do actually make me think differently about how to live life in the moment, without false ego and in the present... embracing love.

A beautiful story. Easy to recommend for many readers. I think it's going to be a keeper and I'd definitely read more by this author based on this book. It's not a b.o.o.k.club book, but would love to discuss it with them. Maybe one day... Maybe I'll even try poetry by Rumi.

crisron's review against another edition

3.0

dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

tomasawyer's review against another edition

2.0

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Désolé de ne pas être tombé sous ton charme. Je ne te détesterai jamais mais on n'était juste pas fait l'un pour l'autre. C'était troublant, parfois, comme je pouvais me reconnaitre dans tes mots lorsque tu parlais d'amour et de spiritualité, mais il y avait toujours un moment dans la discussion où ta voix sonnait faux à mes oreilles. J'avais l'impression désagréable que tu éclairais autant que tu manipulais, que tu libérais autant que tu endoctrinais. J'aurais aimé que tu m'apprennes vraiment à accepter ce qui est hors de contrôle dans ma vie mais au final, tu as fini par me saouler avec tes prêches, et tu m'as surtout déçu par ta cruelle indifférence envers ceux qui t'aimaient, toi qui manifestais une si belle empathie envers tous les exclus de la société.

isasct's review against another edition

2.75

fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

diedaahh's review against another edition

5.0

emotional inspiring reflective medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

robinshakespeare's review against another edition

5.0

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This book moved slowly and patiently in a way that I really liked- in a way, you know what's going to happen in the end right from the start, so there's no drive to find out. It has an epic feel, where so much happens on each page. I kept coming back for the vivid characters, and the gentle introduction to Rumi, Shams-e-Tabrīzī and Sufism.

Ella has a corny, sickly sweet voice right from the start, with big declarations and overexplained summaries which pulled me out of being absorbed right at the key moments. Part of me wondered how deliberate this was, as other parts of the book are so delicately put together. Ella's impromptu recital of

Spoiler

the 40th rule of love right at the end so perfectly echoes her cringey gushing about the book being meant for her at the start- it's nice and a little bit humbling to think that we were shown she was a romantic

all along, in her own way.

I highly recommend it, and I can't wait to read more Shafak.

notdels's review against another edition

4.5

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

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I have to say I didn't care much for the contemporary chapters, and the main story could've stood on its own and made a wonderful book—which is the sole reason this didn't get a 5-star rating from me.