Written By: Ainee
About the Author “Elif Shafak”
The Forty Rules of Love is a famous novel written by Elif Shafak, a Turkish-British writer. The book was published in 2009 and became an international bestseller. Born in 1971 in France but raised in Turkey, Shafak writes in both Turkish and English. Her novel The Forty Rules of Love made her famous all around the world. She is also a public speaker who talks about human rights, tolerance, and peace.
Main Characters
The story revolves around four central figures across two different timelines:
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Ella Rubinstein: A 40-year-old housewife living in America. She feels her life is boring and without true love. When she reads Aziz’s novel, her thinking changes. She learns that love is not just about romance but about freedom, truth, and finding God.
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Aziz Zahara: A writer and traveler. He writes the book Sweet Blasphemy, which Ella reads. Through letters and emails, he shows Ella the meaning of love, faith, and living with courage.
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Rumi: A famous poet and religious scholar in 13th-century Konya. At first, he is respected but also limited by rules and society. After meeting Shams, his life changes. He becomes a spiritual poet and learns that love is the true path to God.
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Shams of Tabriz: A wandering dervish who teaches the Forty Rules of Love. His friendship with Rumi transforms both of them, though people around them become jealous and angry.
Summary of The Forty Rules of Love
The novel tells two stories at the same time, one in the modern world and one in the 13th century. These stories are connected through the theme of love and spiritual transformation.
1. The Modern Story: Ella & Aziz
The main character is Ella Rubinstein. She gets a part-time job as a reader for a publishing house. Her first task is to read a manuscript called Sweet Blasphemy by Aziz Zahara. As Ella starts reading, she contacts Aziz by email. Slowly, their exchange of messages turns into a deep connection. Through Aziz’s words and ideas, Ella learns about love and realizes by the end that she must follow her heart, even if it means making difficult decisions about her life.
2. The Historical Story: Rumi & Shams
The manuscript Ella is reading tells the story of Rumi. Rumi is respected in Konya, but rules and traditions bind his life. The story introduces the Forty Rules of Love, which are spiritual lessons about life, love, and faith. These rules explain that true love is the path to God and that religion should be about the heart, not strict dogma.
Shams and Rumi become close companions. Rumi transforms from a formal scholar into a spiritual poet whose words inspire millions, even today. However, not everyone accepts Shams. Many people are jealous of his influence on Rumi, leading to conflict and tragedy. Shams eventually disappears under mysterious circumstances, but despite the pain, Rumi’s poetry and wisdom grow, keeping Shams alive in spirit.
Conclusion: The Eternal Echo of Love and Transformation
Ultimately, The Forty Rules of Love serves as a profound reminder that while centuries may pass and technology may change the way we communicate, the human heart’s search for meaning remains constant. Elif Shafak masterfully weaves together the past and the present to show us that the walls we build around ourselves, whether they are the domestic comforts of a modern housewife like Ella or the rigid scholarly traditions of a 13th-century figure like Rumi, can only be dismantled by the transformative power of love.
The novel challenges the “Reality Check” of our modern, often cynical world by suggesting that spiritual growth is not a destination, but a continuous journey of unlearning fear and embracing vulnerability. Through the lens of Shams of Tabriz’s forty rules, we are invited to look beyond the strict dogmas and societal expectations that often limit our potential for joy. The connection between Ella and Aziz mirrors the spiritual bond between Rumi and Shams, proving that true love is an act of courage that requires us to step into the unknown.
As we close the final pages, we are left with the empowering realization that every one of us has a “Shams” waiting to awaken our soul. Whether you are seeking spiritual depth or simply a beautiful story of human connection, Shafak’s masterpiece encourages us to trust the process of life, to break free from the ego, and to remember that the path to the universe always begins within the heart.
The Core Message: Both stories, Ella with Aziz, and Rumi with Shams, share the same message: that love has the power to transform people, breaking them free from fear, rules, and ego. True love connects us to ourselves, others, God, and the universe. Read More Book Reviews
