Book Review: The Forty Rules of Love

THE FORTY RULES OF LOVE 

by Elif Shafak

I am beguiled, enlightened, pleased with myself. I am depressed, rapturous, empty. I am all these things at once, and cannot begin to separate one from the other.

These were my thoughts as I finished reading 'The Forty Rules of Love' earlier today. As I was only halfway through the book, my mind was already wrapped in the cocoon of verses from Rumi and Shams of Tabriz. I'll admit that initially it took me quite some time to get my head around the story, mostly because it has been a long while since I picked up a book so deep and presenting a number of point of views throughout the story. Though the different POVs help to paint a more expansive picture of the plot, they might pose a challenge to new and infrequent readers.

 

The book is a contemporary love story of a housewife, Ella and a writer, Aziz Z. Zahara, narrated across the backdrop of the excruciatingly beauteous tale of love between Shams and Rumi. Ella reads a manuscript, named 'Sweet Blasphemy', about the Sufi poet Rumi and Shams of Tabriz, and sets off on a journey of finding herself, and discovering love in the most unexpected of ways. The book is divided into 5 parts - each depicting the 5 elements of Sufism - earth, water, fire, wind, and the void. We are aware of all these elements, all but one - the void. The void depicts things that are present around us through their absence. The inexplicable and uncontrollable divine element that we as human beings cannot comprehend and yet should always be aware of. As Ella continues with her literary assignment, she can't help but realize the similarities between hers and Rumi's stories. Just like Shams made ripped apart Rumi's personality, and transformed him into an advocate of love, we see that Ella too, is liberated of her old, unhappy self by Zahara's compassion.

 

Elif Shafak wrote in a segment 'Dreaming In English' (this is separate from the novel) that absence is actually a bond and distance can help you to look closer. Though she wrote it for her love and connection with the English language, I can't help but connect this phrase to the story of Rumi. Rumi was a scholar, a preacher, a faqih, but when Shams, a wandering dervish, came into his life, as his spiritual instructor, a guide, a companion, and much, much more, Rumi transformed into a rare ruby. Shams challenged all that Rumi held dear, broke him down to nothing and built him again. Throughout the book, Shams preaches about the 40 Rules of Love, which I think, we all already know in our hearts, but are too ignorant or wrapped up in the materialisms of the world to realize. Rumi was no poet, but the death of his love, his Shams, filled him with poetry. Rumi says, 'My chest is a cave where Shams is resting. Just as a mountain keeps an echo inside itself, I hold the voice of Shams within.' 

 

The rule that resonated with me the most was, "Fret not where the road will take you. Instead focus on the first step. That's the hardest part and that's what you are responsible for. Once you take that step let everything do what it naturally does and the rest will follow. Do not go with the flow. Be the flow."