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The Forty Rules of Love: A Novel of Rumi Audiobook
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(3.00) - 4,887 listener ratings
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Listen to Elif Shafak's The Forty Rules of Love reviewed on NPR In this lyrical, exuberant follow-up to her 2007 novel, The Bastard of Istanbul, acclaimed Turkish author Elif Shafak unfolds two tantalizing parallel narratives—one contemporary and the other set in the thirteenth century, when Rumi encountered his spiritual mentor, the whirling dervish known as Shams of Tabriz—that together incarnate the poet's timeless message of love.
Ella Rubenstein is forty years old and unhappily married when she takes a job as a reader for a literary agent. Her first assignment is to read and report on Sweet Blasphemy, a novel written by a man named Aziz Zahara. Ella is mesmerized by his tale of Shams's search for Rumi and the dervish's role in transforming the successful but unhappy cleric into a committed mystic, passionate poet, and advocate of love. She is also taken with Shams's lessons, or rules, that offer insight into an ancient philosophy based on the unity of all people and religions, and the presence of love in each and every one of us. As she reads on, she realizes that Rumi's story mirrors her own and that Zahara—like Shams—has come to set her free.
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"This book was awesome. It was very thought provoking and makes you take a good look at your life. It is about an American woman in the present day and Rumi in Turkey in the 1200s. The author did a great job in tying these two time periods together as well as connecting the East and West."
— Carol (4 out of 5 stars)
The Forty Rules of Love Listener Reviews
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" Lots of fun for those who love Rumi! "
— Mary, 2/17/2014 -
" Loved it - in the beginning but by the end I was ready for it to be over. I loved the history of Rumi and Shams but Ella bored me. "
— Sharon, 2/10/2014 -
" If you skip the parts about Ella book becomes much more fluent and you do not miss anything in the end (you may just read the last part about Ella that will not harm I suppose). "
— S., 1/26/2014 -
" Surprisingly well written. Grasping. Thumbs Up. "
— Era, 12/27/2013 -
" I really liked the historical part of this book, but the modern story interwoven with i didn't keep my interest as well. I guess I prefer historical fiction over contemporary anyway, but it made the book a lot slower I thought. "
— Sheri, 12/25/2013 -
" At the moment I am halfway through this book and thoroughly enjoying it. Especially enjoy the part of the book that has to do with the 12th century. "
— debra47, 9/24/2013 -
" I didn't know what to expect but I really loved this. In hindsight I suppose it's a bit predictable but I really wasn't sure what it was. I think I might even re-read it at some point. Everyone needs a good love story. I do like a happy ending. "
— Christine, 8/20/2013 -
" One of those books that should be started, again, promptly, when you finish.... "
— Keira, 8/9/2013 -
" this is a beautiful book. it now has me searching for the works of rumi "
— Latressa, 5/14/2013 -
" Insipid modern day story line. "
— Rebecca, 4/9/2012 -
" The writing style was distracting. I enjoyed learning about Sufism, but the main female character was annoying and her relationship with the male write (Aziz) was far-fetched at best. "
— Rebekkah, 1/7/2012 -
" I really loved the "rules" that the author presented. I was a bit disappointed towards the end of the book. Maybe I didn't want it to end ;) "
— Donna, 11/29/2011 -
" I read this book to find about more about Rumi. Sadly, the book wasn't very well written, & there was no new biographical information in it. "
— Sue, 5/18/2011 -
" Story within story - the inside one about Rumi and Shams of Tabriz, which I preferred to the exterior contemporary story. "
— Diane, 4/29/2011 -
" Fantastic -- and amazing how she wove the story over centuries. I've just picked up The Bastard of Istanbul which she also wrote hoping for more of the same plus an interest in Rumi poetry has been nudged. "
— Modisettwilson, 3/28/2011 -
" Anyone who is curious about the relationship between Rumi and Shams, or who wants to know more about Sufism, will want to read this. "
— Maurice, 3/7/2011 -
" The book only made me want to do some research into the real story of Rumi and Shams. I could have done without the back-and-forth to the middle aged housewife as her story only distracted from the historical parts of the story. "
— Stephanie, 3/3/2011 -
" Its a amazing experience,while reading this book day by day im feeling changes within myself.A very good writting DIVINE,PURE. "
— Kumar, 3/2/2011 -
" My honors english assignment, was surprisingly good "
— Chrissy, 2/22/2011 -
" A remarkable journey of self-examination through others and through Sufi's' wisdom and beliefs, excellent read "
— Hala, 2/5/2011
About Elif Shafak
Elif Shafak is an award-winning British-Turkish novelist and the most widely read female author in Turkey. She writes in both Turkish and English, and her work has been translated into fifty languages. She holds a PhD in political science and has taught at various universities in Turkey, the United States, and the United Kingdom, including St Anne’s College, Oxford University, where she is an honorary fellow. She is a member of Weforum Global Agenda Council on Creative Economy and a founding member of the European Council on Foreign Relations. She has been awarded the title of Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres and in 2017 she was chosen by Politico as one of the twelve people who would make the world better.
About George Blagden
George Blagden is a voice artist and Earphones Award–winning narrator.