Mysticism and 'Forty Rules of Love'
The books we read help us shape our lives and change us in how we see life. Our thoughts are molded according to author's imagination but it's necessary for the reader to always be a critic of what he/she reads. Whether you agree or disagree with the message presented in 'The Forty Rules of Love' by Turkish author Elif Shafak, it is one of those books to have a profound impact on the reader whatsoever. 'The Forty Rules of Love' is a poetic and riveting novel with two parallel narratives. One takes place in the 21st century depicting the life of an unhappy woman Ella Rubenstein, while the other takes place in the 13th century where the world renowned scholar Rumi encounters a wandering dervish, Shams of Tabriz. Sufis in the Islamic world have always been considered heretics with their harrowing interpretation of religion. Although fictional, this book has done a great job in depicting the Sufi teachings and Sufism . This novel is phenomenal and influential...