BOOK REVIEW: FORTY RULES OF LOVE by ELIF SHAFAK

I have chosen this topic because this book has left a lasting influence on my very existence. The way it is composed, it's thematic setting and above all it's story line has left an everlasting mark on the way I look at life and my perspective about it. source: weheartit.com

Forty Rules Of Love is written by a french born Turkish writer, Elif Shafak. This story is written on parallel narrative which gives it a touch of complexity and makes the reader indulge in the story. First narrative is about Ella, a house wife in her mid 30s. Other narrative is about the historical figure Mawlana Jallaludin Rumi and his companion shams Tabriz. The writer has exposed the relevance between both these mirroring stories across different cultures and 7 intervening centuries and she has done it quite fascinatingly.
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The book narrates how a wandering dervish Shams of Tabriz changed the life of the prestigious religious scholar Mawlana Jallaludin Rumi with love. The author has traced the transformation of Rumi from a religious scholar to a poet, mainly structured around the relationship of shams and Rumi and the transition of Ella from a careful housewife to a vivid decision maker. The forty rules, delivered by Shams at different instances, are another factor behind the success of this Novel. These forty rules have life lessons with aesthetic perfection. Throughout the novel, it is witnessed that Love is the force that binds the cosmos tighter as shams has said ' There is no such thing as THEM just as there is no I. All you need to do is keep in mind how everything is interconnected. We are all one Image source: tumblr.com

This novel helps us navigate the complexities of our personal and collective life. I would recommend you all to give it a go.
Thank you for your love and support.