Why to read: The forty rules of love

Here’s why you should read The forty rules of love,

This book is the perfect example of how a title can mess with your head. If you’re not a “romantic” genre book reader, you’ll turn away after the first look at this book. Well, you’re wrong. No, it’s not a romantic book it’s a spiritual book.

Yes, a very unusual thing. This amazing, fantastic, heart-wrenching and absolutely breathtaking novel is written by Elif Shafak. A Turkish-British novelist, activist, and much more. She has written quite a few books, the top one being The Forty Rules of Love. Other books written by her are 10 minutes and 38 seconds in this Strange World, The Island of Missing Trees, The Bastard of Istanbul, The Gaze, and many more.

The book explains how you can have everything you ever desired, but you’re not content with it. There’s a void in your heart that you’re not able to understand. You’re not unhappy with what you have, but also not happy with it. I’m sure a lot of you can relate to this feeling.

Looking for more of a cozy read? Click here: The Bookish Life of Nina Hill

Here is “The forty Rules of love” book summary:

Story Brief:

It’s a book in a book. The story revolves around Ella, a wife, a mother, a pet owner, a housewife-anything but Ella.

Ella had a love marriage. She married David because they were in love. Once they had children, Ella decided to be the stay-at-home mom. Three children, Jeannette, and twins, Orli and Avi.

Looking from far away, they are a perfect family. But the closer you look, The more cracks you see. David cheats on Ella various times, has flings, enjoys his time, and then gets back to his normal life. Without the slightest idea, that her wife Ella knows all about it. She doesn’t say anything to protect her family.

Ella leads a normal life. She takes care of her husband and her children, she likes to cook so takes a cooking class, and loves to read.

Raising her children for quite a few years, when they’ve finally grown up, Ella decides to find another activity and finds a job as a reader for a literary agent.

The first book that she has to read and write a report on, is “Sweet Blasphemy.” The book is by an author named “Aziz. Z. Zahra” who’s a photographer and travels the World through seven continents.

On the day of starting the book, Jeannette who’s in college tells her parents that she wants to marry her boyfriend, Scott. Her parents are not happy about it but Ella in particular hates the idea. They argue. Ella tries to explain to Jeannette why it is not a good idea to marry young, to marry someone that you love.

According to Ella, love is not all someone should marry for because love doesn’t last and you would eventually have to look at other things. In that zone, Ella calls Scott and tells him not to marry her daughter. Jeannette is infuriated by it and decides to stay away from home for a while.

Distressed by this course of events, Ella starts reading “Sweet Blasphemy” to meet the deadline. The opening chapter makes her search for the author, who has little information on the net except for an email. She emails him.

You see, the main point of Aziz’s novel is that love is the essence of life and nothing else matters which Ella doesn’t agree too. She emails him to tell him that she is reading his book and she doesn’t agree with it. She tells him about her fight with her daughter to explain that “only love” never works.

To her surprise, he replies her, and eventually, they start exchanging messages and Ella’s life takes a 180-degree turn at the age of forty.

The book “Sweet Blasphemy” is about Sufism and the friendship of the famous poet Jalal-ud-din Rumi and a dervish, Shams of Tabriz.

Rumi who’s a scholar, who has a wife and children, and’s immensely respected by the people also feels like he’s missing something. His life also takes a 180-degree turn when he meets Shams of Tabriz, an unknown, unconventional dervish who is full of scandals and surprises.

Let’s see some references from the book. You can also call them The Forty rules of love quotes since everything said can be taken as a quote.

The chapters are character names, according to that character’s point of view.

References:

1. “Mom, haven’t you ever been in love?” Jeannette retorted, a hint of contempt creeping into her tone.

“Oh, give me a break! Stop daydreaming and get real, will you? You’re being so…” Ella’s eyes darted toward the window, hunting for a dramatic word until she finally came up with “…romantic.”

“What’s wrong with being romantic?” Jeannette asked, sounding offended.

2. Because love is the very essence and purpose of life. As Rumi reminds us, it hits everybody, including those who shun love-even those who use the word “romantic” as a sign of disapproval.

Ella was as bowled over as if she had read there, “Love hits everybody, even a middle-aged housewife in Northampton named Ella Rubenstein.”

(Page 15) (The bizarre timing)

3. They say there is a thin line between losing yourself in God and losing your mind.

(Sweet Blasphemy; Page 29)

4. “I can’t believe you called Scott to ask him not to marry our daughter. Tell me you didn’t do this.” Ella gasped. “Wow, word gets out fast. Honey, let me explain.

But David interjected tensely, “There is nothing to explain. What you did was wrong. Scott told Jeannette, and now she’s extremely upset. She’ll be staying with her friends for a few days. She doesn’t want to see you right now.” He paused briefly. “And I don’t blame her.”

5. “Jeannette, I’m sorry for the things I do. I know I shouldn’t complain when I’m so blessed. But it’s just that I’m so . . . unhappy-” Click. The answering machine came to a stop.

6. Hypocrisy made people happy, and truth made them sad.

(Sweet Blasphemy; Page 102)

7. “Forty is such a beautiful age for both men and women. Did you know that in mystic thought forty symbolizes the ascent from one level to a higher one and spiritual awakening? When we mourn we mourn for forty days. When a baby is born it takes forty days for him to get ready to start life on earth. And when we are in love we need to wait for forty days to be sure of our feelings.

The Flood of Noah lasted for forty days, and while the waters destroyed life, they also washed all impurity away and enabled human beings to make a new, fresh start. In Islamic mysticism, there are forty degrees between man and God. Likewise, there are four basic stages of consciousness and ten degrees in each, making forty levels in total. Jesus went into the wilderness for forty days and nights. Muhammad (PBUH) was forty years old when he received the call to become a prophet. Buddha meditated under a linden tree for forty days. Not to mention the forty rules of Shams.

You receive a new mission at forty, a new lease on life! You have reached a most auspicious number.”

(Page 115) (Aziz’s letter to Ella and to anyone who’s turning forty!)

Quote from The forty Rules of Love book:

“East, west, south, or north makes little difference. No matter what your destination, just be sure to make every journey a journey within. If you travel within, you’ll travel the whole wide world and beyond”

Originally published at https://whytoreadbysk.blogspot.com.