Reviews

The Forty Rules of Love by Elif Shafak

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amblygon_writes's review against another edition

4.0

I really liked this - Elif Shafak is a master at drawing us into the past. I feel like the modern parts were a bit weaker (at least in the beginning, I couldn't really get a feel for Ella, she seemed a bit inconsistent, perhaps). Shafak's language is rich and beautiful, and it's a joy to read her work.

jesseb's review against another edition

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adventurous hopeful mysterious reflective 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

4.0

idk what to say i just really like elif shafak's books. they always come to me at exactly the right time.

frankie_vega's review against another edition

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5.0

Lessons learned…
-love is the binding force between us all, let love guide.
-we are all one interconnected system.
-this book reminds me of Octavia Butler’s idea that god is change. Maybe god is love? An abstract concept that animates all of life.
-life is given to us to be lived. And to live life, one must spread love.
-structures of religion can and should be challenged. Rather, connecting with a greater power (change, love, etc.) is the essence of the religions I want to practice.

frima's review against another edition

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emotional 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

4.0

sbarnwal's review against another edition

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inspiring mysterious reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? N/A
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

4.0

misshashmeme's review against another edition

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5.0

“Every true love and friendship is a story of unexpected transformation. If we are the same person before and after we loved, that means we haven't loved enough.”

I’ve been seeing this book on shelves in every bookstore I’ve been to in the last couple of years. However, I never felt like I had to read it. Until my mother finally bought it a month ago. I started reading it, not knowing what to expect. I can assure you that I regret not reading it earlier.

This novel is about an American housewife, Ella, who has everything she could possibly need to meet the conventional needs of “happiness”. However, is she truly content ?
Twenty years into her marriage and forty years into her life, Ella gets work with a literary agent who gives her a manuscript, Sweet Blasphemy, to read and write a report on. What Ella doesn’t know is that this manuscript is going to change her life forever.

Sweet Blasphemy is about the close friendship of 13th-century poet Rumi, and the dervish Shams of Tabrizi. It explores the basic rules of Islam and the lifestyle of a Muslim. While it’s main focus is on Sufism, it includes everything that could lead you to live a much happier life with a lot less to worry about. It reminds us that the trivial matters in this world do not matter, and that there are always some things that are so much more important.

The Forty Rules of Love is a subtle (and sometimes a not-so-subtle) reminder that every human being is just that - a human being. We know where we came from, and we know where we’re going to end up. It would do us all some good if we remember that.