If there’s a kind of poetry that I sometimes resent, it’s philosophy. I always want to be the other side of the coin, the yin to the yang.
The 40 rules of love by Elif Shafak is a literary fiction novel about love. To me personally, it appeared as the poetry that gave me a lot, and eventually, resentment for its beauty and the grey in it.
Being specific, the book included Shams, a dervish on which the book mostly revolves. The curse that Shams bears is to see the truth, which, as he mentions, nobody likes to hear. He’s considered hysteric. His explanations are stories; his presence is magic.
All he has is love in his heart and nothing beyond it.
In that development of character, he appears one step ahead of humane, or maybe everyone else took a step back but him. With all the love in his heart, he makes mistakes to hurt. He loses empathy but love, he causes destruction but love. He pokes touch me nots, he blows on sparks that he could’ve easily not cared as he said to.
Love destroyed him but only love created something beautiful enough to be able to get destroyed. Love destroyed him but love is all he had.
Love changes you. Love hurts you. Love builds you. Love destroys what it builds. Yet, we choose to love.
Yet, we choose to lose.
Yet, we choose to love.
Rate: 4.25/5
Best part about the book: It’s gay!