book review the forty rules of love

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The Forty Rules of Love by Elif Shafak – review

A fictionalised account of the 12th-century Islamic theologian-poet Rumi and his relationship with the Sufi mystic Shams of Tabriz may not have immense popular appeal. Shafak has written exactly this, called it Sweet Blasphemy and wrapped it up inside a more digestible outer layer: like a sweet pastry with a very chewy filling. Ella, "a nonpractising Jew and an aspiring vegetarian", is hitting 40 and has done well to get a job with a literary agency after many years as a housewife. We may suspect a convenient plot device when the very first book she is asked to read is the said Sweet Blasphemy , wherein Shams's "forty rules of love" (love of God, that is) are carefully set out. This is didacticism thinly disguised as fiction. The chapters about Ella read like a case study in a popular psychology book ("she was satisfied to be a stay-at-home mom and grateful that she and her husband could afford it"), while the Sufi doctrine of living in the moment and moving ever closer to God may possibly appeal to those in search of meaning in life. It's Eat, Pray, Love plus 37 more imperatives.

• Elif Shafak

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THE FORTY RULES OF LOVE

by Elif Shafak ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 22, 2010

Shafak should have dropped Ella’s story, with its preachy spiritual ruminations, and stuck to Rumi’s odyssey, which opens a...

The bestselling, controversial Turkish author ( Bastard of Istanbul , 2007, etc.) enfolds a historical narrative about a Sufi poet within the contemporary tale of a discontented Massachusetts housewife.

With her daughter in college and her twins in high school, Ella Rubinstein has gone back to work as a reader for a Boston literary agent. She accepts the lack of passion in her marriage to a philandering dentist—this unfortunate stereotype is typical of Shafak’s tin ear where Americans are concerned—until her first reading assignment forces her to reexamine her complacency. It’s a manuscript entitled Sweet Blasphemy , which describes the 13th-century friendship between Rumi, a respected Muslim scholar, and Shams, a wandering dervish who became his soul mate. Soon Ella is carrying on an e-mail correspondence of growing intensity with the manuscript’s author, Craig, a Scot who found Sufism after a long period of personal crisis. Craig and Ella are soul mates too, and it doesn’t hurt that he’s cute. It’s hard to care about Ella, who considers her younger daughter’s eating disorder a distraction from her pursuit of spiritual enlightenment. The energy, complexity and empathy found in Shafak’s previous work are evident only in the sections of the text devoted to Rumi. He suffers humiliations from Shams, a gifted mystic but far from perfect human being who cuts him off from his family and followers, but Rumi appreciates the deeper meaning behind the tests Shams sets for him. When Shams is murdered with the help of Rumi’s jealous son, Rumi’s grief blossoms into great poetry still beloved today. In the parallel present, Ella leaves her family to follow Craig to Turkey, knowing he has terminal cancer. His death only deepens her commitment to her personal quest, and she heads to Amsterdam, where he had lived. After all, the kids can always visit.

Pub Date: Feb. 22, 2010

ISBN: 978-0-670-02145-1

Page Count: 350

Publisher: Viking

Review Posted Online: Jan. 20, 2011

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2010

LITERARY FICTION

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BOOK REVIEW

by Elif Shafak

HOUSE OF LEAVES

by Mark Z. Danielewski ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 6, 2000

The story's very ambiguity steadily feeds its mysteriousness and power, and Danielewski's mastery of postmodernist and...

An amazingly intricate and ambitious first novel - ten years in the making - that puts an engrossing new spin on the traditional haunted-house tale.

Texts within texts, preceded by intriguing introductory material and followed by 150 pages of appendices and related "documents" and photographs, tell the story of a mysterious old house in a Virginia suburb inhabited by esteemed photographer-filmmaker Will Navidson, his companion Karen Green (an ex-fashion model), and their young children Daisy and Chad.  The record of their experiences therein is preserved in Will's film The Davidson Record - which is the subject of an unpublished manuscript left behind by a (possibly insane) old man, Frank Zampano - which falls into the possession of Johnny Truant, a drifter who has survived an abusive childhood and the perverse possessiveness of his mad mother (who is institutionalized).  As Johnny reads Zampano's manuscript, he adds his own (autobiographical) annotations to the scholarly ones that already adorn and clutter the text (a trick perhaps influenced by David Foster Wallace's Infinite Jest ) - and begins experiencing panic attacks and episodes of disorientation that echo with ominous precision the content of Davidson's film (their house's interior proves, "impossibly," to be larger than its exterior; previously unnoticed doors and corridors extend inward inexplicably, and swallow up or traumatize all who dare to "explore" their recesses).  Danielewski skillfully manipulates the reader's expectations and fears, employing ingeniously skewed typography, and throwing out hints that the house's apparent malevolence may be related to the history of the Jamestown colony, or to Davidson's Pulitzer Prize-winning photograph of a dying Vietnamese child stalked by a waiting vulture.  Or, as "some critics [have suggested,] the house's mutations reflect the psychology of anyone who enters it."

Pub Date: March 6, 2000

ISBN: 0-375-70376-4

Page Count: 704

Publisher: Pantheon

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2000

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by Claire Lombardo ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 25, 2019

Characters flip between bottomless self-regard and pitiless self-loathing while, as late as the second-to-last chapter, yet...

Four Chicago sisters anchor a sharp, sly family story of feminine guile and guilt.

Newcomer Lombardo brews all seven deadly sins into a fun and brimming tale of an unapologetically bougie couple and their unruly daughters. In the opening scene, Liza Sorenson, daughter No. 3, flirts with a groomsman at her sister’s wedding. “There’s four of you?” he asked. “What’s that like?” Her retort: “It’s a vast hormonal hellscape. A marathon of instability and hair products.” Thus begins a story bristling with a particular kind of female intel. When Wendy, the oldest, sets her sights on a mate, she “made sure she left her mark throughout his house—soy milk in the fridge, box of tampons under the sink, surreptitious spritzes of her Bulgari musk on the sheets.” Turbulent Wendy is the novel’s best character, exuding a delectable bratty-ness. The parents—Marilyn, all pluck and busy optimism, and David, a genial family doctor—strike their offspring as impossibly happy. Lombardo levels this vision by interspersing chapters of the Sorenson parents’ early lean times with chapters about their daughters’ wobbly forays into adulthood. The central story unfurls over a single event-choked year, begun by Wendy, who unlatches a closed adoption and springs on her family the boy her stuffy married sister, Violet, gave away 15 years earlier. (The sisters improbably kept David and Marilyn clueless with a phony study-abroad scheme.) Into this churn, Lombardo adds cancer, infidelity, a heart attack, another unplanned pregnancy, a stillbirth, and an office crush for David. Meanwhile, youngest daughter Grace perpetrates a whopper, and “every day the lie was growing like mold, furring her judgment.” The writing here is silky, if occasionally overwrought. Still, the deft touches—a neighborhood fundraiser for a Little Free Library, a Twilight character as erotic touchstone—delight. The class calibrations are divine even as the utter apolitical whiteness of the Sorenson world becomes hard to fathom.

Pub Date: June 25, 2019

ISBN: 978-0-385-54425-2

Page Count: 544

Publisher: Doubleday

Review Posted Online: March 3, 2019

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2019

LITERARY FICTION | FAMILY LIFE & FRIENDSHIP

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Book Review: The Forty Rules Of Love by Elif Shafak

Author:  Elif Shafak

Genre:  Contemporary Fiction/Historical Fiction

Publisher:  Penguin Publisher

Language:  English

Setting Place:   Northampton, Massachusetts; Baghdad, Iran

Major Characters:  Ella Rubenstien, Shams of Tabriz, Rumi

Theme:  Love, Spiritual, History, Pain

Narration Type: First person narration by several characters.

Book Summary: The Forty Rules of Love

The Forty Rules of Love is a delightful entanglement of two narratives – one set in the contemporary times with Ella, a housewife as the protagonist.  Hers is a story of lost love and hope, till she finds herself changed because of a book she must read as a part of her new job’s obligations. The second narrative is that of the book ‘Sweet Blasphemy’, set in the 13 th century, which portrays the lives and relationships of Shams of Tabriz and Rumi.

As the plot unfolds, Ella goes finds herself mesmerized with the tale she is currently reading and decides to take lessons from the philosophy of the forty rules of love, laid down by the Shams of Tabriz.

She is ultimately led to believe, her relationship and lives are meant to be altered by the author of the book, Aziz Zahara – as was Rumi’s life altered by the Shams of Tabriz.

Book Review: The Forty Rules of Love

Ella Rubenstein, an unhappy forty-year old housewife with a cheating husband and three children; always the kind of person your mother would approve of! She couldn’t comprehend why she had these misgivings. Over the time, she has grown complacent with her agonised life, giving up on love and hope. She continues to lead her day-to-day life, drowning herself with household chores and avoiding conflicts.

Being a housewife for several years, her life finally takes a turn when she must review a book – ‘Sweet Blasphemy’, as a part of her new job’s obligations, as a literary reviewer. Ever since she read the first sentence, the book binds her as its own. She sets the ball rolling with a series of heartfelt conversations through emails with none other than the author Aziz Zahara himself.

“Every true love and friendship is a story of unexpected transformation. If we are the same person before and after we loved, that means we haven’t loved enough.”

Set in the 13th century, it portrays the journey of a rather famous pair – Shams of Tabriz and Rumi.

Shams of Tabriz, a wandering dervish and thorough Sufi, frames the forty rules of love which he imparts to fellow Sufi enthusiasts. By virtue of his gift of having visions about future, he foresees his own death. He decides to pass on his wisdom to someone at par with him, someone as soulful and in love as he is.

He travels all the way to Baghdad to find Rumi, a cleric with an unsettled soul. On the course of his imparting knowledge, he faces hatred and disappointment from other people, especially Rumi’s family. Despite all odds and dangers, he shows the path of light and love to Rumi; thus attributing to his becoming one of the most sought-after Sufi and poet of all times.

“If we are the same person before and after we loved, that means we haven’t loved enough.”

Shafak, being a staunch feminist herself , makes sure her female characters are the strongest and gripping. The 13th century plot is particularly polyphonic, thus guiding us to the various perspectives of people around and not just the Shams of Tabriz, be it the barren harlot, the roadside leper or the amateur intern at a madrassa.

There are symbolic parallels between the plot in the 13th century and the one in current times – The era of social turmoil, people disagreeing on religious beliefs of others, the forty rules with the age of the protagonist(and why it’s the best time of her life, in fact), the unsettling, lovelorn heart of Rumi as is Ella’s, the guiding light that Shams is for Rumi, as Aziz is for Ella; and the significant outcomes of these unnamed associations. The plot with Ella, is probably the weaker story-line of the two; with only Ella’s thoughts being voiced and not any of the other characters in her life.

This is a recommended read for all poetry aficionados and Rumi admirers like me. This one’s for the soul!

Review by Lopita Dash

Buy now: the forty rules of love by elif shafak.

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Elif Shafak's New Book Reviewed

Alan Cheuse

Turkish novelist Elif Shafak's new novel, The Forty Rules of Love , takes us into the life of a middle-aged Jewish woman from central Massachusetts, who as a reader for a literary agent, has just picked up a copy of a novel by a modern Sufi mystic.

Copyright © 2010 NPR. All rights reserved. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information.

NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.

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The Forty Rules of Love, By Elif Shafak

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Bored housewife Ella feels stalled despite her gracious suburban life in Northampton, New England. Her teenage children are growing away from her; her husband is distant and unfaithful. Ella's new job as reader for a publisher introduces her to Sufism through a manuscript she is sent to read, and has life-changing consequences.

"Sweet Blasphemy", the novel she is sent to appraise, tells the story of a 13th-century wandering Persian Sufi Dervish, Shams of Tabriz, and his inspirational relationship with Rumi, the greatest poet of the Sufi canon. Rumi, a respected Koranic scholar, was transformed through his love for Shams and was inspired to write the Masnavi, a key Sufi tract which weaves Koranic analysis with poetry, parables of the everyday, the mythic and miraculous. It was to beget Mevlevi Sufism, practised through poetry, music and dance.

The Forty Rules of Love takes Sufism into blockbuster territory. It interweaves Ella's quest to find love with Shams's and Rumi's quest for beatitude through friendship, as told by a range of characters including Rumi's wife and sons: one of whom was to assassinate Shams, the other to carry on his father's work. The narrative is racy, told in first-person fragments, letters, emails and braided through with Shams's theosophy as told through his 40 rules of love. Elif Shafak expounds a populist rather than a scholarly Sufism, providing a vigourous and easily assimilable introduction to Sufi thought.

Bold bestseller this may be, but there is attention to detail. Each chapter begins with the letter "b". For Sufi mystics the secret of the Koran lies in the verse Al-Fatiha, the essence of which is contained in the word bismilahirahmanirahim (in the name of Allah, the Benevolent and Merciful), with the quintessence of the word in the dot below the first Arabic letter, a dot that embodies the universe. Shams espouses multiple readings of the Koran, and Shafak slips in two diametrically opposed contemporary translations of the Al-Nisa, the Koranic verse which M H Shakir interprets as justification for male subjugation of women - while Ahmed Ali translates as a verse extolling respect for women.

Both the observant head-scarfed daughters of AKP, the Islamic party in government in Turkey, and the secular offspring of past Kemalist regimes, are ardent fans of Shafak's novel. Her engaging vision of a gentle non-judgmental Sufi path to Islam that rejects religious fundamentalism and is accessible to all, from medieval drunks and whores to 21st-century Scottish drifters and American housewives, has made the novel a Turkish bestseller.

Challenging truisms of the fundamentalist Islamic orient and the consumerist Judeo-Christian occident, the novel proposes Sufism as a quest for spirituality which can fill the void at the heart of both. Shafak is a mercurial and often controversial writer, but should she choose to continue in this spiritual vein, I have no doubt she will challenge Paulo Coelho's dominance. With its timely, thought-provoking, feel-good message, The Forty Rules of Love deserves to be a global publishing phenomenon.

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The Forty Rules of Love : Book summary and reviews of The Forty Rules of Love by Elif Shafak

Summary | Reviews | More Information | More Books

The Forty Rules of Love

A Novel of Rumi

by Elif Shafak

Critics' Opinion:

Readers' rating:

Published Feb 2010 368 pages Genre: Literary Fiction Publication Information

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About this book

Book summary.

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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Media Reviews

Reader reviews.

"Starred Review. Shafak’s seductive, shrewd, and affecting novel brilliantly revives the revelations of Shams and Rumi, and daringly illuminates the differences between religion and spirituality, censure and compassion, fear and love of life in our own violent world." - Booklist "This novel, a best seller in Turkey, may appeal to fans of Nicholas Sparks or Robert James Waller." - Library Journal "Celebrated Turkish novelist Shafak serves up a curious blend of mediocre hen lit and epic historical to underwhelming results." - Publishers Weekly "Shafak should have dropped Ella's story, with its preachy spiritual ruminations, and stuck to Rumi's odyssey, which opens a window into a world Westerners know little about." - Kirkus Reviews "[An} appealing fable ... The universal theme is the struggle between the rational mind and the aching heart. Shafak’s heroine yields to the latter and never looks back." - More Magazine (more.com)

Author Information

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Elif Shafak Author Biography

Photo: Ebru Bilun

Elif Shafak is an award-winning British-Turkish novelist. She has published 19 books, 12 of which are novels, including her latest The Island of Missing Trees . She is a bestselling author in many countries around the world and her work has been translated into 55 languages. 10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World was shortlisted for the Booker Prize and RSL Ondaatje Prize; and was Blackwell's Book of the Year. The Forty Rules of Love was chosen by BBC among the 100 Novels that Shaped Our World. The Architect's Apprentice was chosen for the Duchess of Cornwall's inaugural book club, The Reading Room. Shafak holds a PhD in political science and she has taught at various universities in Turkey, the US and the UK, including St Anne's College, Oxford University, where she is an honorary ...

... Full Biography Author Interview Link to Elif Shafak's Website

Name Pronunciation Elif Shafak: El-liff Sha-fahk

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The Forty Rules of Love | Elif Shafak| Book Review

Story plot: 5/5

Writing: 4.5/5

Presentation: 5/5

Overall: 5/5

If there is one thing humans crave more than anything else, it is love. Love in all of its shapes and forms makes up the foundation of humanity. From eras and centuries, people both great and common have talked about its beauty. ‘The Forty Rules of Love’ is a tribute to that all-consuming, everlasting and beautiful feeling we call love.

The tale begins with Ella who is a happily married mother of three, or so she thinks. Has she ever thought about what she is if she isn’t all that? Absolutely not. It’s only when she is faced with the task of reading a book called ‘A Sweet Blasphemy’ does she realizes that there is more to her than she had thought.

When Ella gets to know the writer of the book, she cannot help but get drawn to him. His mysterious yet genuine charm awakens in her a desire that she didn’t even know existed within her. But, does she have the courage to follow her heart? To trust the process and go to where the path takes her? What about everything that she will have to leave behind?  

‘ Don’t ask yourself what kind of a love you should seek, spiritual or material, divine or mundane, Eastern or Western…divisions only lead to more divisions. Love has no labels, no definitions. It is what it is, pure and simple .’

My Thoughts on The Forty Rules of Love

I am calling it a work of art because how else can I describe the magnificence of this piece of perfection? It’s a book within a book and a story which is so raw that it almost seems untrue. It raises a lot of questions about love. The dynamic between the Shams of Tabriz and the great Rumi is beyond human understanding. A soul connection that isn’t easy to comprehend and yet is beautiful in its chaotic way.

It brings to my mind a lot of questions. Is the kind of connection that Shamz shared with Rumi and Ella with the writer Aziz even possible in this fast-paced and forever-changing world? What I do know for sure is that even if it did exist, the lack of acceptance is still the same as it was then. There are always people questioning this love.

The Forty Rules of Love is a well-written novel that carries a lot of messages and teachings. It is most suitable for a more mature reader who will be able to understand it better. Every chapter is a perspective of a character and that helps to understand their feelings better.

Points of perfection

The writer did an amazing job in the transition between the two stories, Ella’s and Rumi’s. In no way did they look abrupt or rushed. It almost seems like the two stories move parallel to each other in two different worlds.

The personalities of the characters were unique, and this added richness to the already well-written story. From the Desert Rose to Suleiman the Drunk, each had a story to tell and a side to take.

The writer introduced us to the magical world of Sufism. The beautiful musical instrument ‘Ney ’ and the ‘Sema’; the dance of the whirling dervishes.

Major Takeaways from the book

Love is chaotic and free-willed like wildfire. You cannot control it. It just spreads and spreads till your entire being is engulfed by its presence. It’s difficult to forget it and more difficult to acknowledge it but whoever finds love in this lifetime is probably the happiest of all. Love can change you, make you better or worse. It made Rumi a poet from a scholar. It is one of the strongest forces of nature.

You might be put through bad circumstances, but it is you who decides whether to suffer or endure. The Desert Rose endured and faced her difficulties and as a result, was free to live a life that she chose for herself.

In a world full of bias, just be yourself. You cannot please everyone and shouldn’t even try to. There are people out there who hate others only because their view of the world is different from their own. Tolerance is a rare virtue.

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The Forty Rules of Love: A Novel of Rumi Paperback – April 26, 2011

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In this lyrical, exuberant tale, acclaimed Turkish author Elif Shafak, author of The Island of Missing Trees (a Reese's Book Club Pick), incarnates Rumi's timeless message of love

• Print length 368 pages
• Language English
• Publisher Penguin Books
• Publication date April 26, 2011
• Dimensions 5.42 x 0.78 x 8.42 inches
• ISBN-10 0143118528
• ISBN-13 978-0143118527
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About the author, excerpt. © reprinted by permission. all rights reserved..

B etween your fingers you hold a stone and throw it into flowing water. The effect might not be easy to see. There will be a small ripple where the stone breaks the surface and then a splash, muffled by the rush of the surrounding river. That’s all.

Throw a stone into a lake. The effect will be not only visible but also far more lasting. The stone will disrupt the still waters. A circle will form where the stone hit the water, and in a flash that circle will multiply into another, then another. Before long the ripples caused by one plop will expand until they can be felt everywhere along the mirrored surface of the water. Only when the circles reach the shore will they stop and die out.

If a stone hits a river, the river will treat it as yet another commotion in its already tumultuous course. Nothing unusual. Nothing unmanageable.

If a stone hits a lake, however, the lake will never be the same again.

For forty years Ella Rubinstein’s life had consisted of still waters—a predictable sequence of habits, needs, and preferences. Though it was monotonous and ordinary in many ways, she had not found it tiresome. During the last twenty years, every wish she had, every person she befriended, and every decision she made was filtered through her marriage. Her husband, David, was a successful dentist who worked hard and made a lot of money. She had always known that they did not connect on any deep level, but connecting emotionally need not be a priority on a married couple’s list, she thought, especially for a man and a woman who had been married for so long. There were more important things than passion and love in a marriage, such as understanding, affection, compassion, and that most godlike act a person could perform, forgiveness. Love was secondary to any of these. Unless, that is, one lived in novels or romantic movies, where the protagonists were always larger than life and their love nothing short of legend.

Ella’s children topped her list of priorities. They had a beautiful daughter in college, Jeannette, and teenage twins, Orly and Avi. Also, they had a twelve-year-old golden retriever, Spirit, who had been Ella’s walking buddy in the mornings and her cheeriest companion ever since he’d been a puppy. Now he was old, overweight, completely deaf, and almost blind; Spirit’s time was coming, but Ella preferred to think he would go on forever. Then again, that was how she was. She never confronted the death of anything, be it a habit, a phase, or a marriage, even when the end stood right in front of her, plain and inevitable.

The Rubinsteins lived in Northampton, Massachusetts, in a large Victorian house that needed some renovation but still was splendid, with five bedrooms, three baths, shiny hardwood floors, a three-car garage, French doors, and, best of all, an outdoor Jacuzzi. They had life insurance, car insurance, retirement plans, college savings plans, joint bank accounts, and, in addition to the house they lived in, two prestigious apartments: one in Boston, the other in Rhode Island. She and David had worked hard for all this. A big, busy house with children, elegant furniture, and the wafting scent of homemade pies might seem a cliché to some people, but to them it was the picture of an ideal life. They had built their marriage around this shared vision and had attained most, if not all, of their dreams.

On their last Valentine’s Day, her husband had given her a heart-shaped diamond pendant and a card that read,

To my dear Ella,

A woman with a quiet manner, a generous heart, and the patience of a saint. Thank you for accepting me as I am. Thank you for being my wife.

Ella had never confessed this to David, but reading his card had felt like reading an obituary. This is what they will write about me when I die, she had thought. And if they were sincere, they might also add this:

Building her whole life around her husband and children, Ella lacked any survival techniques to help her cope with life’s hardships on her own. She was not the type to throw caution to the wind. Even changing her daily coffee brand was a major effort.

All of which is why no one, including Ella, could explain what was going on when she filed for divorce in the fall of 2008 after twenty years of marriage.

But there was a reason: love.

They did not live in the same city. Not even on the same continent. The two of them were not only miles apart but also as different as day and night. Their lifestyles were so dissimilar that it seemed impossible for them to bear each other’s presence, never mind fall in love. But it happened. And it happened fast, so fast in fact that Ella had no time to realize what was happening and to be on guard, if one could ever be on guard against love.

Love came to Ella as suddenly and brusquely as if a stone had been hurled from out of nowhere into the tranquil pond of her life.

NORTHAMPTON, MAY 17, 2008

B irds were singing outside her kitchen window on that balmy day in spring. Afterward Ella replayed the scene in her mind so many times that, rather than a fragment from the past, it felt like an ongoing moment still happening somewhere out there in the universe.

There they were, sitting around the table, having a late family lunch on a Saturday afternoon. Her husband was filling his plate with fried chicken legs, his favorite food. Avi was playing his knife and fork like drumsticks while his twin, Orly, was trying to calculate how many bites of which food she could eat so as not to ruin her diet of 650 calories a day. Jeannette, who was a freshman at Mount Holyoke College nearby, seemed lost in her thoughts as she spread cream cheese on another slice of bread. Also at the table sat Aunt Esther, who had stopped by to drop off one of her famous marble cakes and then stayed on for lunch. Ella had a lot of work to do afterward, but she was not ready to leave the table just yet. Lately they didn’t have too many shared family meals, and she saw this as a golden chance for everyone to reconnect.

“Esther, did Ella give you the good news?” David asked suddenly. “She found a great job.”

Though Ella had graduated with a degree in English literature and loved fiction, she hadn’t done much in the field after college, other than editing small pieces for women’s magazines, attending a few book clubs, and occasionally writing book reviews for some local papers. That was all. There was a time when she’d aspired to become a prominent book critic, but then she simply accepted the fact that life had carried her elsewhere, turning her into an industrious housewife with three kids and endless domestic responsibilities.

Not that she complained. Being the mother, the wife, the dog walker, and the housekeeper kept her busy enough. She didn’t have to be a breadwinner on top of all these. Though none of her feminist friends from Smith College approved of her choice, she was satisfied to be a stay-at-home mom and grateful that she and her husband could afford it. Besides, she had never abandoned her passion for books and still considered herself a voracious reader.

A few years ago, things had begun to change. The children were growing up, and they made it clear that they didn’t need her as much as they once had. Realizing that she had too much time to spare and no one to spend it with, Ella had considered how it might be to find a job. David had encouraged her, but though they kept talking and talking about it, she rarely pursued the opportunities that came her way, and when she did, potential employers were always looking for someone younger or more experienced. Afraid of being rejected over and over, she had simply let the subject drop.

Nevertheless, in May 2008 whatever obstacle had impeded her from finding a job all these years unexpectedly vanished. Two weeks shy of her fortieth birthday, she found herself working for a literary agency based in Boston. It was her husband who found her the job through one of his clients—or perhaps through one of his mistresses.

“Oh, it’s no big deal,” Ella rushed to explain now. “I’m only a part-time reader for a literary agent.”

But David seemed determined not to let her think too little of her new job. “Come on, tell them it’s a well-known agency,” he urged, nudging her, and when she refused to comply, he heartily agreed with himself. “It’s a prestigious place, Esther. You should see the other assistants! Girls and boys fresh out of the best colleges. Ella is the only one going back to work after being a housewife for years. Now, isn’t she something?”

Ella wondered if, deep inside, her husband felt guilty about keeping her away from a career, or else about cheating on her—these being the only two explanations she could think of as to why he was now going overboard in his enthusiasm.

Still smiling, David concluded, “This is what I call chutzpah. We’re all proud of her.”

“She is a prize. Always was,” said Aunt Esther in a voice so sentimental that it sounded as if Ella had left the table and was gone for good.

They all gazed at her lovingly. Even Avi didn’t make a cynical remark, and Orly for once seemed to care about something other than her looks. Ella forced herself to appreciate this moment of kindness, but she felt an overwhelming exhaustion that she had never experienced before. She secretly prayed for someone to change the subject.

Jeannette, her older daughter, must have heard the prayer, for she suddenly chimed in, “I have some good news, too.”

All heads turned toward her, faces beaming with expectation.

“Scott and I have decided to get married,” Jeannette announced. “Oh, I know what you guys are going to say! That we haven’t finished college yet and all that, but you’ve got to understand, we both feel ready for the next big move.”

An awkward silence descended upon the kitchen table as the warmth that had canopied them just a moment ago evaporated. Orly and Avi exchanged blank looks, and Aunt Esther froze with her hand tightened around a glass of apple juice. David put his fork aside as if he had no appetite left and squinted at Jeannette with his light brown eyes that were deeply creased with smile lines at the corners. However, right now he was anything but smiling. His mouth had drawn into a pout, as though he had just downed a swig of vinegar.

“Great! I expected you to share my happiness, but I get this cold treatment instead,” Jeannette whined.

“You just said you were getting married,” remarked David as ifJeannette didn’t know what she’d said and needed to be informed.

“Dad, I know it seems a bit too soon, but Scott proposed to me the other day and I’ve already said yes.”

“But why?” asked Ella.

From the way Jeannette looked at her, Ella reckoned, that was not the kind of question her daughter had expected. She would rather have been asked “When?” or “How?” In either case it meant that she could start shopping for her wedding dress. The question “Why?” was another matter altogether and had completely caught her off guard.

“Because I love him, I guess.” Jeannette’s tone was slightly condescending.

“Honey, what I meant was, why the rush?” insisted Ella. “Are you pregnant or something?”

Aunt Esther twitched in her chair, her face stern, her anguish visible. She took an antacid tablet from her pocket and started chewing on it.

“I’m going to be an uncle,” Avi said, giggling.

Ella held Jeannette’s hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. “You can always tell us the truth. You know that, right? We’ll stand by you no matter what.”

“Mom, will you please stop that?” Jeannette snapped as she pulled her hand away. “This has nothing to do with pregnancy. You’re embarrassing me.”

“I was just trying to help,” Ella responded calmly, calmness being a state she had been lately finding harder and harder to achieve.

“By insulting me, you mean. Apparently the only way you can see Scott and me getting married is me being knocked up! Does it ever occur to you that I might, just might, want to marry this guy because I love him? We have been dating for eight months now.”

This elicited a scoff from Ella. “Oh, yeah, as if you could tell a man’s character in eight months! Your father and I have been married for almost twenty years, and even we can’t claim to know everything about each other. Eight months is nothing in a relationship!”

“It took God only six days to create the entire universe,” said Avi, beaming, but cold stares from everyone at the table forced him back into silence.

Sensing the escalating tension, David, his eyes fixed on his elder daughter, his brow furrowed in thought, interjected, “Honey, what your mom is trying to say is that dating is one thing, marrying is quite another.”

“But, Dad, did you think we would date forever?” Jeannette asked.

Drawing in a deep breath, Ella said, “To be perfectly blunt, we were expecting you to find someone better. You’re too young to get involved in any serious relationship.”

“You know what I’m thinking, Mom?” Jeannette said in a voice so flat as to be unrecognizable. “I’m thinking you’re projecting your own fears onto me. But just because you married so young and had a baby when you were my age, that doesn’t mean I’m going to make the same mistake.”

Ella blushed crimson as if slapped in the face. From deep within she remembered the difficult pregnancy that had resulted in Jeannette’s premature birth. As a baby and then as a toddler, her daughter had drained all of her energy, which was why she had waited six years before getting pregnant again.

“Sweetheart, we were happy for you when you started dating Scott,” David said cautiously, trying a different strategy. “He’s a nice guy. But who knows what you’ll be thinking after graduation? Things might be very different then.”

Jeannette gave a small nod that conveyed little more than feigned acquiescence. Then she said, “Is this because Scott isn’t Jewish?”

David rolled his eyes in disbelief. He had always taken pride in being an open-minded and cultured father, avoiding negative remarks about race, religion, or gender in the house.

Jeannette, however, seemed relentless. Turning to her mother, she asked, “Can you look me in the eye and tell me you’d still be making the same objections if Scott were a young Jewish man named Aaron?”

Jeannette’s voice needled with bitterness and sarcasm, and Ella feared there was more of that welling up inside her daughter.

“Sweetheart, I’ll be completely honest with you, even if you might not like it. I know how wonderful it is to be young and in love. Believe me, I do. But to get married to someone from a different background is a big gamble. And as your parents we want to make sure you’re doing the right thing.”

“And how do you know your right thing is the right thing for me?”

The question threw Ella off a little. She sighed and massaged her forehead, as if on the verge of a migraine.

“I love him, Mom. Does that mean anything to you? Do you remember that word from somewhere? He makes my heart beat faster. I can’t live without him.”

Ella heard herself chuckle. It was not her intention to make fun of her daughter’s feelings, not at all, but that was probably what her laughing to herself sounded like. For reasons unknown to her, she felt extremely nervous. She’d had fights with Jeannette before, hundreds of them, but today it felt as though she were quarreling with something else, something bigger.

“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 finally she came up with “ . . . romantic!”

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

Really, what was wrong with being romantic? Ella wondered. Since when was she so annoyed by romanticism? Unable to answer the questions tugging at the edges of her mind, she continued all the same. “Come on, honey. Which century are you living in? Just get it in your head, women don’t marry the men they fall in love with. When push comes to shove, they choose the guy who’ll be a good father and a reliable husband. Love is only a sweet feeling bound to come and quickly go away.”

When she finished talking, Ella turned to her husband. David had clasped his hands in front of him, slowly as if through water, and was looking at her like he’d never seen her before.

“I know why you’re doing this,” Jeannette said. “You’re jealous of my happiness and my youth. You want to make an unhappy housewife out of me. You want me to be you, Mom.”

Ella felt a strange, sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach, as if she had a giant rock sitting there. Was she an unhappy housewife? A middle-aged mom trapped in a failing marriage? Was this how her children saw her? And her husband, too? What about friends and neighbors? Suddenly she had the feeling that everyone around her secretly pitied her, and the suspicion was so painful that she gasped.

“You should apologize to your mom,” David said, turning to Jeannette with a frown on his face.

“It’s all right. I don’t expect an apology,” Ella said dejectedly.

Jeannette gave her mother a mock leer. And just like that, she pushed back her chair, threw her napkin aside, and walked out of the kitchen. After a minute Orly and Avi silently followed suit, either in an unusual act of solidarity with their elder sister or because they’d gotten bored of all this adult talk. Aunt Esther left next, mumbling some poor excuse while chewing fiercely on her last antacid tablet.

David and Ella remained at the table, an intense awkwardness hanging in the air between them. It pained Ella to have to face this void, which, as they both knew, had nothing to do with Jeannette or any of their children.

David grabbed the fork he had put aside and inspected it for a while. “So should I conclude that you didn’t marry the man you loved?”

“Oh, please, that’s not what I meant.”

“What is it you meant, then?” David said, still talking to the fork. “I thought you were in love with me when we got married.”

“I was in love with you,” Ella said, but couldn’t help adding, “back then.”

“So when did you stop loving me?” David asked, deadpan.

Ella looked at her husband in astonishment, like someone who had never seen her reflection before and who now held a mirror to her face. Had she stopped loving him? It was a question she had never asked herself before. She wanted to respond but lacked not so much the will as the words. Deep inside she knew it was the two of them they should be concerned about, not their children. But instead they were doing what they both were best at: letting the days go by, the routine take over, and time run its course of inevitable torpor.

She started to cry, unable to hold back this continuing sadness that had, without her knowledge, become a part of who she was. David turned his anguished face away. They both knew he hated to see her cry just as much as she hated to cry in front of him. Fortunately, the phone rang just then, saving them.

David picked it up. “Hello . . . yes, she’s here. Hold on, please.”

Ella pulled herself together and spoke up, doing her best to sound in good spirits. “Yes, this is Ella.”

“Hi, this is Michelle. Sorry to bother you over the weekend,” chirped a young woman’s voice. “It’s just that yesterday Steve wanted me to check in with you, and I simply forgot. Did you have a chance to start working on the manuscript?”

“Oh.” Ella sighed, only now remembering the task awaiting her.

Her first assignment at the literary agency was to read a novel by an unknown European author. She was then expected to write an extensive report on it.

“Tell him not to worry. I’ve already started reading,” Ella lied. Ambitious and headstrong, Michelle was the kind of person she didn’t want to upset on her first assignment.

“Oh, good! How is it?”

Ella paused, puzzled as to what to say. She didn’t know anything about the manuscript, except that it was a historical novel centered on the life of the famous mystic poet Rumi, who she learned was called “the Shakespeare of the Islamic world.”

“Oh, it’s very . . . mystical.” Ella chuckled, hoping to cover with a joke.

But Michelle was all business. “Right,” she said flatly. “Listen, I think you need to get on this. It might take longer than you expect to write a report on a novel like that. . . . ”

There was a distant muttering on the phone as Michelle’s voice trailed off. Ella imagined her juggling several tasks simultaneously—checking e-mails, reading a review on one of her authors, taking a bite from her tuna-salad sandwich, and polishing her fingernails—all while talking on the phone.

“Are you still there?” Michelle asked a minute later.

“Yes, I am.”

“Good. Listen, it’s crazy in here. I need to go. Just keep in mind the deadline is in three weeks.”

“I know,” Ella said abruptly, trying to sound more determined. “I’ll make the deadline.”

The truth was, Ella wasn’t sure she wanted to evaluate this manuscript at all. In the beginning she’d been so eager and confident. It had felt thrilling to be the first one to read an unpublished novel by an unknown author and to play however small a role in his fate. But now she wasn’t sure if she could concentrate on a subject as irrelevant to her life as Sufism and a time as distant as the thirteenth century.

Michelle must have detected her hesitation. “Is there a problem?” she asked. When no answer came, she grew insistent. “Listen, you can confide in me.”

After a bit of silence, Ella decided to tell her the truth.

“It’s just that I’m not sure I’m in the right state of mind these days to concentrate on a historical novel. I mean, I’m interested in Rumi and all that, but still, the subject is alien to me. Perhaps you could give me another novel—you know, something I could more easily relate to.”

“That’s such a skewed approach,” said Michelle. “You think you can work better with books you know something about? Not at all! Just because you live in this state, you can’t expect to edit only novels that take place in Massachusetts, right?”

“That’s not what I meant . . .” Ella said, and immediately realized she had uttered the same sentence too many times this afternoon. She glanced at her husband to see if he, too, had noticed this, but David’s expression was hard to decipher.

“Most of the time, we have to read books that have nothing to do with our lives. That’s part of our job. Just this week I finished working on a book by an Iranian woman who used to operate a brothel in Tehran and had to flee the country. Should I have told her to send the manuscript to an Iranian agency instead?”

“No, of course not,” Ella mumbled, feeling silly and guilty.

“Isn’t connecting people to distant lands and cultures one of the strengths of good literature?”

“Sure it is. Listen, forget what I said. You’ll have a report on your desk before the deadline,” Ella conceded, hating Michelle for treating her as if she were the dullest person alive and hating herself for allowing this to happen.

“Wonderful, that’s the spirit,” Michelle concluded in her singsong voice. “Don’t get me wrong, but I think you should bear in mind that there are dozens of people out there who would love to have your job. And most of them are almost half your age. That’ll keep you motivated.”

When Ella hung up the phone, she found David watching her, his face solemn and reserved. He seemed to be waiting for them to pick up where they’d left off. But she didn’t feel like mulling over their daughter’s future anymore, if that was what they’d been worrying about in the first place.

Later in the day, she was alone on the porch sitting in her favorite rocking chair, looking at the orangey-red Northampton sunset. The sky felt so close and open that you could almost touch it. Her brain had gone quiet, as if tired of all the noise swirling inside. This month’s credit-card payments, Orly’s bad eating habits, Avi’s poor grades, Aunt Esther and her sad cakes, her dog Spirit’s decaying health, Jeannette’s marriage plans, her husband’s secret flings, the absence of love in her life . . . One by one, she locked them all in small mental boxes.

In that frame of mind, Ella took the manuscript out of its package and bounced it in her hand, as if weighing it. The title of the novel was written on the cover in indigo ink: Sweet Blasphemy.

Ella had been told that nobody knew much about the author—a certain A. Z. Zahara, who lived in Holland. His manuscript had been shipped to the literary agency from Amsterdam with a postcard inside the envelope. On the front of the postcard was a picture of tulip fields in dazzling pinks, yellows, and purples, and on the back a note written in delicate handwriting:

Dear Sir/Madam,

Greetings from Amsterdam. The story I herewith send you takes place in thirteenth-century Konya in Asia Minor. But I sincerely believe that it cuts across countries, cultures, and centuries.

I hope you will have the time to read SWEET BLASPHEMY, a historical, mystical novel on the remarkable bond between Rumi, the best poet and most revered spiritual leader in the history of Islam, and Shams of Tabriz, an unknown, unconventional dervish full of scandals and surprises.

May love be always with you and you always surrounded with love.

A. Z. Zahara

Product details

• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Penguin Books; Reprint edition (April 26, 2011)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Paperback ‏ : ‎ 368 pages
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0143118528
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0143118527
• Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 10.6 ounces
• Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.42 x 0.78 x 8.42 inches
• #70 in Cultural Heritage Fiction
• #383 in Women's Friendship Fiction
• #1,225 in Literary Fiction (Books)

About the author

Elif shafak.

Elif Shafak is an award-winning British-Turkish novelist. She has published 19 books, 12 of which are novels. She is a bestselling author in many countries around the world and her work has been translated into 55 languages. Her latest novel

The Island of Missing Trees, shortlisted for the Costa Award, RSL Ondaatje Prize and Women’s Prize for Fiction. 10 Minutes 38 Seconds in this Strange World was shortlisted for the Booker Prize and RSL Ondaatje Prize; and was Blackwell’s Book of the Year. The Forty Rules of Love was chosen by BBC among the 100 Novels that Shaped Our World. The Architect’s Apprentice was chosen for the Duchess of Cornwall’s inaugural book club, The Reading Room. Shafak holds a PhD in political science and she has taught at various universities in Turkey, the US and the UK, including St Anne's College, Oxford University, where she is an honorary fellow. She also holds a Doctorate of Humane Letters from Bard College.

Shafak is a Fellow and a Vice President of the Royal Society of Literature. She is a founding member of ECFR (European Council on Foreign Relations). An advocate for women's rights, LGBTQ+ rights and freedom of expression, Shafak is an inspiring public speaker and twice TED Global speaker. Shafak contributes to major publications around the world and she was awarded the medal of Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres. In 2017 she was chosen by Politico as one of the twelve people “who will give you a much needed lift of the heart”. Shafak has judged numerous literary prizes, including PEN Nabokov prize and she has chaired the Wellcome Prize.

www.elifshafak.com

Twitter @Elif_Safak

Instagram @shafakelif

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The Forty Rules of Love

51 pages • 1 hour read

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.

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Prologue-Part 1

Character Analysis

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Summary and Study Guide

The Forty Rules of Love is a 2009 novel by Elif Shafak. The book tells the story of Ella Rubinstein , a woman in her late thirties who has settled into the complacency of her life. She exists without drive or passion. The narrative follows her unlikely escape from what at first appears to be inevitable unhappiness. The novel also concerns itself with the deep, fraternal love between Sufi dervish Shams of Tabriz and the mystical scholar-poet Rumi . The story of Shams and Rumi comes to Ella through a book she is reviewing for her new job as an assistant to a literary agent; that book, Sweet Blasphemy , is a novel about the lives of the two mystics and the friends, families, and enemies they touched. As Ella reads Sweet Blasphemy , she becomes increasingly aware of the lack of love in her life compared to the love experienced by the characters in the book. Ella tends to relate to the world around her through her relationships, and her dual roles of mother and wife. Pouring over the pages of Sweet Blasphemy , Ella grows discontent with her passionless marriage to David and inspired by the love related by the author, Aziz. This study guide references the 2011 Penguin Books Edition of the text.

Plot Summary

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The text of Sweet Blasphemy begins with Sufi dervish Shams of Tabriz’s vision of his own death and the discovery of his body by the master he knows he must come to find. After decades of wandering, Shams knows that he is meant to be joined with this master in order to learn from him and for them to explore new ideas about Islam and love together. After months of waiting, Shams goes to Konya and meets Rumi, a famous Islamic scholar whose sermons are attended widely by the masses. Together, Shams and Rumi bring their teachings to a sometimes receptive but often hostile flock who do not understand Shams or the Sufi teachings—the scholars think the Sufi are nonsense and the work of Satan. Shams is frequently threatened by members of Rumi’s family, particularly Rumi’s younger son, Aladdin , whose jealousy eventually turns to hatred.

As Ella reads Sweet Blasphemy , she begins to research the author and eventually sends him an email, introducing herself and sharing a little about her life. Before long, Aziz and Ella are emailing each other multiple times a day, and sparks alight as their flirtations begin to resemble romantic feelings. Ella is taken with Aziz’s openness about love and living in the present and begins to imagine what it would be like to meet him.

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In Sweet Blasphemy , despite the positive message Shams is spreading, his divisive personality and possessiveness of Rumi continue to rub Aladdin the wrong way, and Aladdin and his friends hatch a plan to have Shams murdered. In the end, Shams’s warnings that his death will destroy Rumi are not heeded by Aladdin, and Shams is killed; shortly after, Rumi finds Shams’s body in a well. These events inspire Rumi’s poetry, the words flowing out of him after the loss of his companion.

Meanwhile, Ella is experiencing love and loss of her own. After telling her husband she wants to meet Aziz, Ella drives to Boston to do so. At the end of the visit, Ella tells Aziz that she wants to go with him back to Holland; it is then that Aziz breaks the news that he has terminal cancer and no more than 16 months left to live. The two separate for a few days; then, one evening, after fixing dinner for her family, Ella packs her bags and leaves to be with Aziz. Aziz and Ella explore the world for a year before they go to Konya, where Aziz’s book takes place. When he dies from cancer, Ella hosts his funeral and then decides to live like Aziz did—fully in the moment—and makes plans to move to Holland, to see where life will take her.

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The Forty Rules of Love by Elif Shafak (Book Review)

I have seen people falling in Love and out of Love. Matches once being made in heaven are now arranged on Tinder. I wonder if matrimonial sites are any different from online shopping? I see the sunsets and sunrises waiting to be seen but do they know the corner seats in cinemas have already been booked? I see people misusing Love, abusing Love, running in the wrong direction, on a wrong path in the name of Love. And this is when I think that maybe delusions of handwritten notes and reading poetry do not exist in this world.

Maybe, I will always be the misfit who thinks Love is not what is being shown today. My idea regarding Love and life and the interconnection between them has greatly struggled with many changes after reading the book “The Forty Rules of Love” by a Turkish writer, Elif Shafak. The book seems like an over-dramatic love story, but the spirituality and the profoundness it contains are matchless.

A novel within a novel, The Forty Rules of Love , tells two parallel stories that mirror each other across two different cultures and seven intervening centuries. Yet, the writer has beautifully stitched together both the stories with a single conception of Love. The idea is perfected in this novel because Love is such that it is recognized in all languages, felt by all people, whether poor or rich and because Love lives right inside us.

A lot of us have known Love in the wrong meaning. When anyone talks about Love, the first ideas that come to our mind are about lovers maybe. Is that right? This novel has redefined this definition. It taught me that Love is the purest of all feelings and has no bounds. It is not constricted to lovers, parents, friends, or family; it is superior to everything. And most of all, it explicitly explains the Love of Allah SWT in a map of spirituality and mysticism. It gives the interpretations of God and Love by the magic of words.

The story revolves around a mystic dervish Shams and how he changed the life of an Islamic scholar Rumi. Many of us today are fascinated by Rumi’s interpretation of Love and life, using his quotations for statuses and displaying pictures on Facebook. Still, do we know where this character of Rumi sprouted from? This is where the books introduce us to a rule “Every true love and friendship is a story of complete transformation” If we are the same person before and after we’ve loved someone, we just haven’t loved enough. This concept defines how sacrificial and how pure our Love is. This is how Shams changed Rumi from an Islamic scholar to a poet who finally embraced the ideology of Love because where there is Love, there is pain.

Where there is Love, there is sacrifice. Love is a word that often suffers from overuse, but when it comes to this book, it’s probably an understatement. The book combines two timespans, two myriads of dimensions, into a single stream of Love; I have never read anything this eye-opening and intriguing. Even though each of the forty rules by Shams is individually beautiful, I would discuss three particular rules that I felt most striking. The book introduces us to a rule that says, “No matter what your destination is, just be sure to make every journey a journey within.” This is how I learned to make the most of my time, make every second worth living, and make every moment count. Because each moment that passes by, you’ll never get it back again.

Though each of us is set apart by our goals and aims in life, we all converge at some point or the other in our paths. Our journeys are beautiful roads that untwirl in so many directions, unveil so many people, and most importantly, teach us lessons that we carry with us for a lifetime. Because after each destination, there will always be another mountain, but it’s not about how fast you reach your goal. It’s all about the path and the journey you make.

Talking of spirituality, Elif Shafak has mesmerizingly explained the Love of religion, which is the book’s main topic. She unveils another rule “If you want to strengthen your faith, you will need to soften inside. For your faith to be rock solid, your heart needs to be as soft as a feather.” She expresses two contrasting ideas and tells us that one can achieve pure comfort and peace only if our faith is strong. We have to be soft inside.

We must learn to fill ourselves with Love, kindness, and gratitude. We are all faced with incidents that teach us how to become less selfish and judgmental, yet some of us become harsher and rougher. The only way to get closer to the Divine Lord is to expand your heart to encompass all humanity and still have more room for Love . This is the actual softness you hold inside, and ultimately; it strengthens your faith. Because faith is that sunshine that reminds you- you have a purpose in life.

Be soft and gentle, and you will achieve that purpose. This rule significantly relates to the last rule I would like to share. “Whatever happens in your life, no matter how troubling things might seem, do not enter the neighbourhood of despair. Even when all doors remain closed, God will open up a new path only for you. Be thankful.” Gratitude is the best manner, and this rule is so important for everyone struggling in life.

I know there have been times when we’ve been up at night, thinking of life. When we’ve been filled in despair, and sorrow, feeling lost, not knowing what is coming up next. Elif Shafak has put forth a wonderful solution. Always know, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that when God closes a door for you, no matter how hard you cry, knock or beg at that door, it won’t open. And when God opens a door for you, no matter how far you run away, it will remain open until you walk through it.

This is a moment when you’ve got no option other than to trust Allah and walk forward. Allah will open a more beautiful door for you, and then you will praise Him for having closed the door you loved so much. May all the doors always lead us back to Allah SWT. Because if you have Allah by your side, nothing can harm you. No despair or no troubles are meant to last forever. I know that each of these rules is so profound, filled with layers and meanings.

It is rather amazing that every time you read this novel, something strikes you and stirs up emotions you haven’t felt in a long time. The book gives warmth and pleasure to its readers, and for everyone out there, I would suggest “The Forty Rules of Love” by Elif Shafak.The book is a winner in teaching us that Love is not wrong. Love is everything when all else is lost. And above all, Love is right inside each of us; it lives with us. We only need to be selfless enough to see it.

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Tangled Tourista

Tangled but celebrating, the forty rules of love by elif shafak, book review.

Book: The Forty Rules of Love

Author: Elif Shafak

Publication: Penguin Random House

Price: Rs 499

Plot: Ella Rubinstein, a housewife and a mother of three teenage children, she has a beautiful life, at least it is beautiful for the society. But Ella is not happy with this ‘beautiful’ life, there are problems in her married life, there is no love, there is an emptiness in her heart. To fill this emptiness she decided to do a part-time job, she decides to write a review of a manuscript for a company.

So when she gets this manuscript and started reading it the emptiness in her life started filling with joy. The reason behind this happiness is not just the manuscript but is the author of the manuscript too. She gets in contact with the author and slowly all the emptiness in her life was filled with love. She wants to start her life afresh, she wants to leave the husband who has always cheated on her. But there are many problems, will she ever get her happily ever after?

The novel does not consist of only one love story, you will get to read the manuscript written by the author, Aziz with whom Ella fell in love. This manuscript is the story of Shams of Tabriz and Rumi. It’s the story of their love and companionship. And in both the love stories, there is one common problem, ‘society’.

Will their love overcome all these problems? And what are these forty rules of love? As you guys know, you have to read the book to know all this.

My Views: The book has a beautiful plot, a great story with an equally beautiful backdrop. Two different time periods, two different countries, four people and their enchanting love stories. I loved the story and fell in love with the characters too.

But there are some things which I did not like much. There were times when I felt that rules were forced in the story, there was no point of talking about the rule in the given situation but for the sake of telling a rule, they were just written.

When it comes to the writing style of the author, the book is written beautifully and is really easy to read. Good for beginners too.

Overall, I would say that I really loved the story and like Ella, I fell in love with Aziz’s personality. Phew, my unrealistic book crushes. 😉

Recommendations: If you like books which are a little bit on the spiritual side then this is a good read. A perfect love story, written beautifully.

Ratings: 4/5

Have you guys read my ‘Why should one start reading’ post yet? If not then read it here .

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The Forty Rules Of Love | By Elif Shafak | Book Review

Hey folks! Welcome back to the reader’s corner. In this blog post, I am sharing my views on the book called “THE FORTY RULES OF LOVE” by ELIF SHAFAK. The very title itself will give different thoughts on the book and the story inside. But trust me you will explore a distinctive story just like me!! So, let’s get into the book.

ABOUT “THE FORTY RULES OF LOVE” BOOK.

The book “The forty rules of love” is written by Turkish female author ELIF SHAFAK. Her works have been translated into more than forty languages. This book comes under literary fiction and was published in 2009. ‘The forty rules of love’ was nominated for the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award and also this book is on the list of the 100 most influential books listed by BBC NEWS. This book has sold more than 750,000 copies in Turkey and France.

DESCRIPTION OF THE BOOK.

ELLA RUBINSTEIN, nearing her forties, married with three children and a pleasant home. Everything in her life is fulfilling yet there is an emptiness in her heart once filled with love. She happens to read a manuscript about the famous Sufi poet Rumi and Shams of Tabriz and his forty rules of love. This turned her life upside down and she embarks on the journey to meet the mysterious author of the manuscript.

HOW DID I LAND ON THIS BOOK?

Confession – I am a person who always finds interested towards the middle eastern culture and traditions, religions and belief, languages (which is written from right to left), cuisines which are kind of similar to our culture but totally unique, the whirl dances, the fashion, and the architectures mainly those minarets, mosques, tombs, and sand building, the marketplaces altogether it kind of tells me to explore those beautiful and lovely places.

Though I have explored only through books I feel like I have been to such places. So, this happened once when I visited a cafe, I saw the poster of this book and within a second I got the heed to explore the story it holds behind the beautiful cover. And finally, this book is on my hands.

MY OPINION.

Honestly speaking, I don’t want to give any hype to this book but literally, this has blown my mind. The story is enthralling. It thoroughly changed my perspective on God, religion, language, and finally the most misunderstood thing on earth “Love”. This book is fiction yet the author chose the words in an exquisite manner to tell the readers about God and Love, very clearly. After completing the book, I got a very different view on love! Coming to the 40 rules, each rule is the universal truth that has been misunderstood over the years. The rules will be very simple still it holds very deep meaning in it. While I come through each rule, I feel like the author is addressing me.

The book has two parallel stories which are very interesting so that I couldn’t put the book down. The reading experience is very amazing. Eventually, I am in love with this book, Rumi and Shams of Tabriz. The book had a great impact on me. I don’t know whether I will be following all the rules in my life, but those rules will be lingering in my mind forever!! Drawing the curtain to this post with one of my favorite poems of Mawlana Jalal ad-Din Muhammad Balkhi,

               “Out beyond the ideas of wrongdoing                  And right doing there is a field                  I will meet you there.                  When the soul lies down in that grass                 The world is too full to talk about”

So, dear readers, if you are searching for enlightening, enthralling and at the same time colorful story I highly recommend this book, “THE FORTY RULES OF LOVE” by ELIF SHAFAK. Happy reading!!

In case if you are looking to buy this book, let me make it easier. Here is the Amazon link for this book. Click, buy, and enjoy reading. Link – The Forty Rules Of Love .

If you are looking for similar book review posts, then you must definitely check out my previous blog posts. Here is the link – Readers’ Corner. All reviews are SPOILER-FREE.

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2 thoughts on “ The Forty Rules Of Love | By Elif Shafak | Book Review ”

thank you soo much kesha!!

Amazing review Swathi,you maintained it without breaking the essence of the Book 👏

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The Forty Rules Of Love Summary, Review, and Themes

The Forty Rules of Love  is a novel written by Elif Shafak . The book was originally published on March 01, 2009. This is an interesting read with two ongoing stories side by side in different eras. In this write-up, we will go through a quick summary, review, and themes of the novel. 

The Forty Rules of Love – Summary

“The Forty Rules of Love” is a novel by Elif Shafak that weaves together two parallel narratives. One is set in the 13th century during the life of the renowned poet Rumi, and the other in the present day, following Ella Rubinstein, a middle-aged woman searching for meaning in her life.

The story begins with a heart-wrenching incident of Ella getting cheated on by her husband. To move forward in life with this burden, she gets a new job as a reviewer. Her first task is to review the book , Sweet Blasphemy . It is the other part of the book has the story of the Shams of Tabriz and Maulana Rumi.

The story’s start can be summarized from the lines in the book, which encapsulate the idea that “Love has this quality to transform humans and allow them to see things differently.”

“Every true love and friendship is a story of an unexpected transformation. If we are the same person before and after we loved, that means we haven’t loved enough.”

Ella’s life takes an unexpected turn when she is assigned to read a manuscript titled “Sweet Blasphemy” by a mysterious author named Aziz Zahara.

As Ella delves into the manuscript, she becomes engrossed in the story of Rumi and his spiritual teacher, Shams of Tabriz.

The story of Rumi and Shams unfolds in the 13th century. Rumi, a respected Islamic scholar and preacher, encounters the eccentric dervish, Shams.

Initially skeptical of Shams’ unorthodox beliefs and practices, Rumi soon becomes deeply drawn to him and embarks on a transformative spiritual journey.

Through their intense friendship, Rumi learns to embrace love in its purest form, transcending societal norms and religious boundaries.

As Ella reads the manuscript, she becomes captivated by the profound teachings contained within the forty rules of love, which Shams imparts to Rumi.

These rules serve as a guide to embracing love and spirituality, challenging conventional notions of religion, and encouraging individuals to seek a deeper connection with themselves and the world around them.

Ella’s own life begins to mirror the spiritual awakening experienced by Rumi and Shams. She embarks on a personal journey of self-discovery. She questions her beliefs and reevaluates her relationships.

Through the transformative power of love and spirituality, Ella learns to find her own voice and follows her heart’s desires.

Ultimately, she breaks free from the confines of her unhappy marriage and pursues a life of fulfillment.

In short, “The Forty Rules of Love” is a tale of love’s transformative power, both in the past and the present. It beautifully explores the universal themes of connection, personal growth, and the search for meaning in life.

By intertwining the stories of Rumi and Ella, Elif Shafak invites readers to reflect on the profound impact love and spirituality can have on one’s life, reminding us of the timeless wisdom that lies within the forty rules of love.

On the one hand, where Rumi explores Sufism; Ella, on the other hand, explores true love.

The Love Ella felt for the Author of the book changed her. The friendship and devotion between the Shams of Tabraiz and Rumi made Rumi as we know him today.

Ella found how unhappy she was in her life and what she really wanted after feeling for Aziz. Rumi discovered his true poetic self after developing a bond with a mystic Sufi.

Elif Shafak’s book is an easy read, despite the oscillation between the two stories. They are separated by centuries but similar at their heart.

The prologue does give away a hint as to what the reader should expect.

“If a stone hits a river, the river will treat it as yet another commotion in its already tumultuous course. Nothing unusual. Nothing unmanageable. If a stone hits a lake, however, the lake will never be the same again.”

The Forty Rules of Love – Book Review

Every once in a while, in a discussion on “Love,” someone would end up recommending their top picks to read concerning the topic. “The Forty Rules of Love” by Elif Shafak would be there on the list.

The book has had such an impact on the readers because of its inherent simplicity.

Elif Shafak narrated two different stories of two different times set on different backdrops.

One is from the world of Sufism, where Rumi gets on the journey to find himself; discovers the layers of himself, and becomes the greatest Poet and Sufi of his time.

Another parallel story is of an unhappy housewife Ella; who happens to be a book reviewer professionally. Her first book in the line of work will change her perspective on “Love and Life” and her.

The story provides the readers with two love stories unfolding simultaneously; where the time is different, but what binds them together is Love.

The writer has tried to make forty a significant number for the female protagonist, and her life will change after it. The book has forty rules that surround both human and Sufi love.

Themes of the Novel

“The Forty Rules of Love” incorporates three themes: Love, Sufism, and feminism.

Ella, the main character, is the complete epitome of feminism. She is a woman who knows how to love herself and respect her choices.

Whereas we experience the Sufism theme throughout the novel in the spiritual friendship of Shams of Tabriz and Maulana Rumi.

The best part is this novel lets you experience two types of love; one is spiritual love and human love. You get to experience these two live side by side. It makes this novel a complete hit amongst its peers!

Symbols Used in the Novel

The book is divided into five parts; earth, water, wind, fire, and the void. These five constitute the universe; thus hinting at human emotions.

Each chapter is a crisp tale of the unfolding of the events taking place through narrations. Furthermore, they are set in different eras. One is happening in mid-thirteenth century Turkey. The other is in twenty-first-century America. Two very different worlds were trying to make sense of one common idea.

The track of Ella and Aziz that unfolds over their correspondence is rather slow and less gripping. The writer has tried to make it contemporary; yet conventional through the nuances and self-questioning thoughts. However, it didn’t spellbind me as the other track did.

Primarily, the character Ella narrates the track which makes it a little boring. The other track has characters besides the character of Shams of Tabraiz and Rumi. That’s riveting, to say the least. It keeps you hooked as to what Rumi’s family has to say and the characters like Sulaiman the Drunk, Desert Rose the Harlot, and Hasan the Beggar. It lets you see the world through people’s eyes that belong to different strata of the same society. They live very different lives while being in the same place and have opinions based on their individual experiences.

That’s the difference in narration and plot between the two stories, because of which the readers find the track of Shams of Tabraiz far more interesting than the track of Ella and Aziz.

The forty rules of love as the basic principles believed to be universal, dependable, and timeless are scattered throughout the book for the readers to comprehend as they like.

Everyone’s understanding of the rules might be different as to how they comprehend them. It can mean one thing to one individual and another to someone else.

It might leave a lasting impact on one and might not change a thing for the other, as that is the beauty of words. Hence, it strikes everyone differently. Words are so powerful that they can change a heart or pierce through it, touch souls, leave them untouched, heal them, break them, and allow everyone to have a rather personal association with them.

That is what the Forty Rules of Love can do to oneself and has done for many of its readers. It has liberated people of their fears, and doubts, and can transform one completely.

When I was a child, I saw God, I saw angels; I watched the mysteries of higher and lower worlds. I thought all men saw the same. At last, I realized that they did not see.

The story moves smoothly. Moreover, it makes the reader a part of the journey that the main characters take to get to their true self.

Rumi learns and unlearns the ways of Sufism from the Shams of Tabraiz, who defy the usual. Rumi’s change was unfathomable for his family and the people who knew him, and the rest is history as well all know of it.

Ella found conviction in her own self; the courage to let go of the ways that weren’t making her happy. It comes down to what the person seeks and wants from his/her life.

Lessons Learnt from the Novel

As the rule mentioned above from the book talks about change. However, many of us are afraid of change. We spend all our lives living the ways of others right in front of us chosen for us by society and our families. We are hesitant about change and yet always are in search of it in worldly things.

“Try not to resist the changes that come your way. Instead, let life live through you. And do not worry that your life is turning upside down. How do you know that the side you are used to is better than the one to come?” The Forty Rules of Love

One important message from the book is to always look inwards. We should try to explore ourselves first and foremost and then the world around us.

To find happiness, love, contentment, and meaning in this life, we would need to know what we truly want and are capable of. Every human being is different in this respect. What inspires one might not inspire another. What motivates one might not motivate the other. Similarly, what makes one happy might not make the other happy.

We all want to find love, but not many can give love in the truest sense it is devoid of any material or worldly gains.

If you would like to read something thought-provoking, insightful, and impactful; this novel is the right book for you.

After reading the book, your thoughts might be different from this review, which makes this book special for so many as it feels personal to its readers.

I would like to say bid with another rule from the book:

Let us choose one another as companions! Let us sit at each other’s feet! Inwardly we have many harmonies – think not That we are only what we see.

The Forty Rules of Love – As mentioned in the Novel

Following are those forty rules of love that the author has taught us in the book. These forty rules of love serve as guiding principles for the characters in the novel, encouraging them to embrace love, spirituality, and self-discovery.

• How we see God is a direct reflection of how we see ourselves.
• The path to the Truth is a labor of the heart, not of the head.
• You can study God through everything and everyone in the universe because God is not confined to a mosque, synagogue, or church.
• There is only one religion, the religion of Love.
• Love is the only language that transcends all barriers.
• The whole universe is contained within a single human being.
• Everything in the universe is within you.
• What you seek is seeking you.
• The essence of all religions is one.
• The moment you accept what troubles you’ve been given, the door will open.
• The path to love requires open-heartedness and self-acceptance.
• To find true love, you must first find a true friendship within yourself.
• The real beloved is your own essential nature.
• The quest for love changes us. There is no seeker among those who search for love who has not matured on the way.
• Love is the water of life. And a lover is a soul of fire!
• Silence is the language of God, all else is poor translation.
• God is hidden in the hearts of all creatures.
• There are more fake gurus and false teachers in this world than the number of stars in the visible universe.
• Those who know, know that those who know nothing, know nothing.
• Love is the only reality and it is not a mere sentiment. It is the ultimate truth that lies at the heart of creation.
• Everything other than love for the most beautiful God is the agony of the spirit, though it is sugar-eating.
• Your task is not to seek love, but merely to seek and find all the barriers within yourself that you have built against it.
• The universe turns differently when fire loves water.
• The seeker of love escapes the chains of birth and death.
• When love arrives, every fear disappears.
• Attachment is not love. Love only exists in freedom.
• Love is the bridge between you and everything.
• The heart is the secret inside the secret.
• Not the ones speaking the same language, but the ones sharing the same feeling understand each other.
• 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.
• The midwife knows that when there is no pain, the way for the baby cannot be opened.
• The quest for love is like searching for the lost chord. The seeker of love runs toward the illuminating soul but finds only the ecstatic, bleeding heart.
• Before the throne of the Almighty, man will be judged not by his acts but by his intentions.
• Stay together, friends. Don’t scatter and sleep. Our friendship is made of being awake.
• The reason is powerless in the expression of love.
• There is nothing worse than being blind in the eye of the heart.
• The religion of love is the only religion.
• There is a force within us more powerful than any other. That force is love.
• The true Sufi is such that even when he is unjustly accused, attacked, and condemned from all sides, he patiently endures, uttering not a single bad word about any of his critics.
• Be grateful for every second of every day that you get to spend with the people you love. Life is so very precious.

You can buy “The Forty Rules Of Love” from Amazon

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About the author.

A versatile human being with a passion for reading and writing - always striving for growth, living in the moment but trying to keep pace with the evolving world.

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May 10, 2024

8 books that would make perfect movies

Adaptations we look forward to.

There are so many books that have been adapted to movies and were superhits. From the ‘Harry Potter’ series to ‘The Godfather’, movie adaptations have always worked well for books. So, here we list some books that can become amazing movies.

‘The Secret History’ by Donna Tartt

‘The Secret History’ has all the perfect ingredients to make an amazing movie. A mysterious murder, a group of eccentric but intelligent students, and a famous college that is going through turmoil. This movie will have the power to keep the audience hooked till the end.

Penguin-Books-Ltd

​‘The Shiva Trilogy’ by Amish Tripathi

This trilogy by the famous Indian author is filled with mythology, history, and adventure. With its rich characters, beautiful plots, and epic battles between good and evil, this trilogy can make an amazing movie, maybe even a series.

​‘Gunahon ka Devta’ by Dharamvir Bharti

A classic novel in Hindi, ‘Gunahon ka Devta’ is mainly about the life of Chandra and Sudha, in the city of Varanasi, and their experiences with love, morality, and societal norms. The beautiful emotions in this book and the themes make it perfect for a movie adaptation.

Bharatiya-Jnanpith

​‘The Brothers Karamazov’ by Fyodor Dostoevsky

Considered to be one of the greatest novels ever written, ‘The Brothers Karamazov’ has the potential to be an outstanding movie as well. A book covering the lives of three brothers and their different experiences and encounters, the movie can be rich, deep, and philosophical.

OM-Books-International

​‘Metamorphosis’ by Franz Kafka

The story of Gregor Samsa who wakes up one day and realises he has been turned into a giant insect would fit in perfectly on the big screen. The film could capture the haunting atmosphere of the story and show Samsa’s feelings, trials, and ultimate death.

Fingerprint-Publishing

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​‘a thousand splendid suns’ by khaled hosseini.

Set against Afghanistan's conflicting history, this novel tells the story of Mariam and Laila, two women whose lives come together owing to the chaos of war and oppression. With powerful themes of friendship and struggle, this book could be an extremely emotional movie.

Bloomsbury-Paperbacks

​‘The Forty Rules of Love’ by Elif Shafak

A superhit novel, ‘The Forty Rules of Love’ by Shafak can also be an amazing movie on the big screen. The story of Ella and Aziz and Rumi and Shams of Tabriz, could be a superhit among fans of the book and others.

​‘Blood Meridian’ by Cormac McCarthy

While there are talks about the novel being adapted into a movie, there have been no formal announcements. ‘Blood Meridian’ is a dark and violent story about how far human savagery can go and the morally ambiguous nature of humans.

Thanks For Reading!

Next: Japanese bestseller 'Before the Coffee Gets Cold' explained in 10 sentences

One charger to rule them all? The Acefast Z4 218W GaN charger offers masterful power delivery at a great price, capable of quick-charging two 16-inch MacBook Pros at the same time, with ports to spare

Acefast z4 218w gan charging hub offers loads of ports and loads of power..

iMore Verdict

With a cool, partially see-through design and a really versatile set of charging speed options across a spread of four ports, the Acefast Z4 218W GaN charger might be the last power hub your desk ever needs.

Cool design

Smart port array

Great value for the charging speeds offered

At a push, maybe additional ports to the sides?

You can always trust iMore. Our team of Apple experts have years of experience testing all kinds of tech and gadgets, so you can be sure our recommendations and criticisms are accurate and helpful. Find out more about how we test.

Price and availability

What i love, what i don’t love, competition, should you buy it.

I love when a gadget just does what it says on the tin. I really love when a gadget does that, and then does it while looking good. I really, really love when a gadget does both of those things, and then does it at a great price point, too.

That’s exactly what the Acefast Z4 218 GaN charging hub manages to do. Chargers aren’t exactly the sexiest or most exciting products out there, but Acefast has managed to make one that’s not only highly functional, but pretty good-looking too. That it does so at an affordable price point is just the icing on the cake.

Offering four charging ports, a monitoring screen, and the ability to fast charge two devices up to 100W simultaneously, it’ll make a great addition to any gadget hoarder’s desk.

The Acefast Z4 218W GaN charger is available to buy now, direct from Acefast and retailers like Amazon. It has a listing price of $99.99, but has been up for sale with a price tag as low as $89.

That’s a great price for a really solid charger. And though there are a few competitors that offer more ports in a similar form factor, they can be as much as double the price for not all that much more useful functionality. This feels like a great sweet spot.

Versatility is the name of the game with the Acefast Z4 218W GaN. With three USB-C ports and a USB-A port up front, it offers four different charging modes. These are cycled through with a button on the front of the device, and explained via a colorful and bright 1.3-inch LCD screen. This details which port will charge at which speed across the various modes, and updates in real-time, ensuring you’re always able to maximize your charging efficiency across devices.

The headline charging stat will be that 2x 100W charging speed option across two USB-C ports — enough to keep two 16-inch MacBook Pros going simultaneously. But here’s a full rundown of all those different charging modes according to Acefast, and what each is capable of:

Mode A (213W Total): 

• USB-C1 (100W) + C2 (65W) + C3 (30W) + USB-A (18W)
• USB-C1 (100W Max): 3.3-21V/5A (PPS, 100W Max), 5V/3A (15W), 9V/3A (27W), 12V/3A (36W), 15V/3A (45W), 20V/5A (100W)
• USB-C2 (65W Max): 3.3-11V/5A (PPS, 55W Max), 5V/3A (15W), 9V/3A (27W), 12V/3A (36W), 15V/3A (45W), 20V/3.25A (65W)
• USB-C3 (30W Max): 3.3-11V/3A (PPS, 30W Max), 5V/3A (15W), 9V/3A (27W), 12V/2.5A (30W), 15V/2A (30W), 20V/1.5A (30W)
• USB-A (18W Max): 5V/3A (15W), 9V/2A (18W), 12V/1.5A (18W)

Mode B (213W Total): 

• USB-C1 (65W) + C2 (65W) + C3 (65W) + USB-A (18W)
• USB-C1/C2 (65W Max): 3.3-11V/5A (PPS, 55W Max), 5V/3A (15W), 9V/3A (27W), 12V/3A (36W), 15V/3A (45W), 20V/3.25A (65W)
• USB-C3 (65W Max): 3.3-21V/3A (PPS, 30W Max), 5V/3A (15W), 9V/3A (27W), 12V/3A (36W), 15V/3A (345W), 20V/3.25A (65W)

Mode C (218W Total): 

• USB-C1 (100W) + C2 (100W) + USB-A (18W)
• USB-C1/C2 (100W Max): 3.3-21V/5A (PPS, 100W Max), 5V/3A (15W), 9V/3A (27W), 12V/3A (36W), 15V/3A (45W), 20V/5A (100W)

Mode D (218W Total): 

• USB-C1 (100W) + C2 (100W) + C3 (18W)
• USB-C3 (18W Max): 3.3-11V/2A (PPS, 18W Max), 5V/3A (15W), 9V/2A (18W), 12V/1.5A (18W)

There’s admittedly a lot to take in there, but it demonstrates the flexibility on offer across the charger’s ports. I personally tended to leave it in Mode A most of the time — with that, I could fast-charge my M2 MacBook Air over USB-C port 1, speedily charge the new 2024 iPad Pro on USB-C port 2, with my iPhone 15 Pro still getting lots of juice over USB-C port 3, which left the USB-A port to top up things that weren’t as much of a charging priority, such as game controllers. It never got worryingly hot when under load, either.

And, as far as chargers go, it looks great. Acefast has a thing for transparent designs, and while it’s only the front piece that gives you a view inside the inner workings of the charger, it’s still always cool to see the circuitry behind your gadgetry. Matte grey plastic is used around the rest of the shell, with an Acefast logo embossed on top, while rubber feet on the bottom side stop things slipping around. It’s weighty — good for pulling cables out and plugging them in without yanking the whole charging unit around, though not quite as useful if you’re looking to take it on the go. In the box, you’ll find a detachable 1.5m plug cable for hooking up to a wall, too.

There’s really not much fault that can be thrown at the Acefast Z4 218W GaN charger. It might possibly be charging overkill for some more casual gadget users, who may find themselves slightly confused by all the charging speed options that can be cycled through. But then, that kind of user probably doesn’t need the flexibility offered by a multi-charger anyway.

In an ideal world, the Acefast Z4 218W GaN charger might include some ports around more sides than just its front — that’d let it act like a central hub for any traveling work forces gathered around a table, perhaps. But that's a niche use case, and not a real mark against what’s on offer here.

There are tons of charger options out there, and we regularly update our list of the best chargers for iPhone to keep you abreast of what’s available. But multi-chargers like this, capable of powering everything from the best MacBooks to your Apple Watch aren’t quite so common.

If you can stump up the cash, Ugreen has a great six-port 200W charger, the Nexode 200W — but it has a price tag of $199. If you need more watts across four ports, the new Anker Prime 240W GaN charger hits higher heights, but at a pricier $159, and without the cool design of the Acefast.

Buy it if…

• You need to fast-charge lots of devices simultaneously
• You dig being able to monitor charging speeds
• You want complete control over how to distribute power to your gadgets

Don’t buy it if…

• You need a portable charger
• You’re only looking to power a couple of devices at once
• The thought of deciding what device gets what power supply sounds complicated to you

Powerful, versatile, and good-looking, the Acefast Z4 218W GaN charging hub is a great center point for all your device-power needs. Well-priced and with a cool external design, it’s a nerdy bit of kit, but expertly ensures all your devices get the juice they need, at speed.

Bottom line: A powerful and versatile charger for your desk, ready to keep all your most important gadgets fully juiced.

Gerald Lynch is the Editor-in-Chief of iMore, keeping careful watch over the site's editorial output and commercial campaigns, ensuring iMore delivers the in-depth, accurate and timely Apple content its readership deservedly expects. You'll never see him without his iPad Pro, and he loves gaming sessions with his buddies via Apple Arcade on his iPhone 15 Pro, but don't expect him to play with you at home unless your Apple TV is hooked up to a 4K HDR screen and a 7.1 surround system. 

Living in London in the UK, Gerald was previously Editor of Gizmodo UK, and Executive Editor of TechRadar, and has covered international trade shows including Apple's WWDC, MWC, CES and IFA. If it has an acronym and an app, he's probably been there, on the front lines reporting on the latest tech innovations. Gerald is also a contributing tech pundit for BBC Radio and has written for various other publications, including T3 magazine, GamesRadar, Space.com, Real Homes, MacFormat, music bible DIY, Tech Digest, TopTenReviews, Mirror.co.uk, Brandish, Kotaku, Shiny Shiny and Lifehacker. Gerald is also the author of 'Get Technology: Upgrade Your Future', published by Aurum Press, and also holds a Guinness world record on Tetris. For real.

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