---
product_id: 13337348
title: "The Forty Rules of Love: A Novel of Rumi"
price: "KSh11357"
currency: KES
in_stock: true
reviews_count: 8
url: https://www.desertcart.co.ke/products/13337348-the-forty-rules-of-love-a-novel-of-rumi
store_origin: KE
region: Kenya
---

# The Forty Rules of Love: A Novel of Rumi

**Price:** KSh11357
**Availability:** ✅ In Stock

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- **What is this?** The Forty Rules of Love: A Novel of Rumi
- **How much does it cost?** KSh11357 with free shipping
- **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship
- **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.co.ke](https://www.desertcart.co.ke/products/13337348-the-forty-rules-of-love-a-novel-of-rumi)

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## Description

desertcart.com: The Forty Rules of Love: A Novel of Rumi: 8601300111247: Shafak, Elif: Books

Review: BREATH-TAKING!! - A must read for anyone who is living or not living their true life. If you think you know what love is, read this book. If you have no idea what love is, read this book. You will be forever changed.
Review: A POWERFUL WORK OF ART - The question is not "Is this a good book?" The question is "Are you good enough to read it?" I did not so much read The Forty Rules of Love as I marveled at the artistry of its construction and, I admit, as I turned the pages I congratulated myself on my ability to recognize that artistry. To hold this book between your hands and read it is to be in the presence of a master storyteller who has an important, possibly the most important, story to tell: the story of Love and how it manifests in this world. Elif Shafak, a writer famous for her novels in Turkish, wrote this book in English - flawlessly, beautifully, lucidly. Her use of the English language in its American variant reflects a masterful cultural sensibility. The book gains credibility by the use of cultural references that could only be known to and have meaning for cultural insiders. For example, a convert to Islam is said to have done so "after Kareem Abdul Jabbar and before Cat Stevens." The use of phrases such as "right as rain" and "talk the talk" indicates that Shafak does not use English as she was taught in school; she writes English as it is absorbed from years of deep conversation, wide reading and intense observation. As a true daughter of Turkey and lover of Istanbul, Elif Shafak is a bridge between East and West. Europe and Asia, Orient and Occident, reason and emotion, head and heart, scholar and mystic, left and right half of the human brain: to the materialist these are distinct entities and are doomed to endless conflict. Elif Shafak patiently assures us that, in the end, there is no difference. Running through her book like a leitmotif is the soothing and confident confirmation that dualism is an illusion and oneness is reality. All stories, characters, and plots tell of the struggle to realize truth and return once again to the state before knowledge of good and evil caused eviction from paradise. At one point in the novel the 13th century poet Rumi visits a tavern in Konya to teach and learn from its inhabitants. He says, "At the end of the day whoever wants to drink will drink and whoever wants to stay away from wine will stay away. We have no right to impose our way on others. There is no compulsion in religion." I love the way Elif Shafak slipped my favorite quote from the Qur'an (La iqraha fi din: There is no compulsion in religion, Sura 2, Line 256) into the story without reference. Muslims will know the quote and realize that it adds authority to Rumi's point. But those who are unaware that this is a Qur'anic quotation will receive the teaching fresh and pure, as if this is a new and fanciful notion of a novelist who merely wishes to bring harmony from conflict. That is what great art does: it brings harmony from conflict. Ultimately, there is only one book with one message. Each author writes that one book to explain that one message for a different audience so that all may learn and know about the primacy of love and the unity of humanity. Some books distinguish themselves and rise above the mass of others by the sheer quantity of light, truth, and goodness they convey. Mikhail Naimy's The Book of Mirdad is one example. The Forty Rules of Love is another. One sure way to tell whether a work of art is great, any work of art - a book, a film, music, painting, is whether it moves you to tears. I burst into tears on page 172, but that does not mean you will do the same. Each person will be moved by something different. It is the ability to touch the heart and stir the deepest emotions that makes a work of art powerful and beautiful and valuable. This book has that ability. There is nothing more to say.

## Technical Specifications

| Specification | Value |
|---------------|-------|
| Best Sellers Rank | #13,644 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #73 in Cultural Heritage Fiction #316 in Women's Friendship Fiction #772 in Literary Fiction (Books) |
| Customer Reviews | 4.5 out of 5 stars 18,887 Reviews |

## Images

![The Forty Rules of Love: A Novel of Rumi - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/91FfSrZY4iL.jpg)

## Customer Reviews

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ BREATH-TAKING!!
*by J***R on October 14, 2025*

A must read for anyone who is living or not living their true life. If you think you know what love is, read this book. If you have no idea what love is, read this book. You will be forever changed.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ A POWERFUL WORK OF ART
*by L***R on December 28, 2010*

The question is not "Is this a good book?" The question is "Are you good enough to read it?" I did not so much read The Forty Rules of Love as I marveled at the artistry of its construction and, I admit, as I turned the pages I congratulated myself on my ability to recognize that artistry. To hold this book between your hands and read it is to be in the presence of a master storyteller who has an important, possibly the most important, story to tell: the story of Love and how it manifests in this world. Elif Shafak, a writer famous for her novels in Turkish, wrote this book in English - flawlessly, beautifully, lucidly. Her use of the English language in its American variant reflects a masterful cultural sensibility. The book gains credibility by the use of cultural references that could only be known to and have meaning for cultural insiders. For example, a convert to Islam is said to have done so "after Kareem Abdul Jabbar and before Cat Stevens." The use of phrases such as "right as rain" and "talk the talk" indicates that Shafak does not use English as she was taught in school; she writes English as it is absorbed from years of deep conversation, wide reading and intense observation. As a true daughter of Turkey and lover of Istanbul, Elif Shafak is a bridge between East and West. Europe and Asia, Orient and Occident, reason and emotion, head and heart, scholar and mystic, left and right half of the human brain: to the materialist these are distinct entities and are doomed to endless conflict. Elif Shafak patiently assures us that, in the end, there is no difference. Running through her book like a leitmotif is the soothing and confident confirmation that dualism is an illusion and oneness is reality. All stories, characters, and plots tell of the struggle to realize truth and return once again to the state before knowledge of good and evil caused eviction from paradise. At one point in the novel the 13th century poet Rumi visits a tavern in Konya to teach and learn from its inhabitants. He says, "At the end of the day whoever wants to drink will drink and whoever wants to stay away from wine will stay away. We have no right to impose our way on others. There is no compulsion in religion." I love the way Elif Shafak slipped my favorite quote from the Qur'an (La iqraha fi din: There is no compulsion in religion, Sura 2, Line 256) into the story without reference. Muslims will know the quote and realize that it adds authority to Rumi's point. But those who are unaware that this is a Qur'anic quotation will receive the teaching fresh and pure, as if this is a new and fanciful notion of a novelist who merely wishes to bring harmony from conflict. That is what great art does: it brings harmony from conflict. Ultimately, there is only one book with one message. Each author writes that one book to explain that one message for a different audience so that all may learn and know about the primacy of love and the unity of humanity. Some books distinguish themselves and rise above the mass of others by the sheer quantity of light, truth, and goodness they convey. Mikhail Naimy's The Book of Mirdad is one example. The Forty Rules of Love is another. One sure way to tell whether a work of art is great, any work of art - a book, a film, music, painting, is whether it moves you to tears. I burst into tears on page 172, but that does not mean you will do the same. Each person will be moved by something different. It is the ability to touch the heart and stir the deepest emotions that makes a work of art powerful and beautiful and valuable. This book has that ability. There is nothing more to say.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Love and living in the moment
*by L***A on July 12, 2021*

I loved this book which had alternating storylines in 2017-18 in Boston, and in the thirteenth century in the Middle East. Rumi’s poetry has always moved me with it’s beauty and mystery. This is the story of Rumi and his Sufi guide. The other main character, living in this century, is a woman book editor who is disillusioned with her life and falls in love with a Middle Eastern author whose book she’s reviewing. There were many beautiful quotes from Islam and allegories that provided spiritual guidance to those searching.

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*Product available on Desertcart Kenya*
*Store origin: KE*
*Last updated: 2026-03-16*