Chasing Rumi: A Fable about Finding the Heart's True Desire

Can't get enough of visionary fiction? Neither can I! These are just a few titles that will inspire you: The Celestine Prophecy (James Redfield) ; The Butterfly (Jay Singh); The Monk who sold his Ferrari (Robin Sharma) ; The Alchemist (Paulo Coehlo); Chasing Rumi (Roger Housden). My favorite is by far and away THE ALCHEMIST! Go ahead...be inspired. Happy reading. Donald S. Buckland.

I really enjoyed this book after stumbling on it among the new editions. The author seems to have used the contrasting themes (different religions, geography, world views, political complications) well to get his point across. I remember finishing my reading on a single, long night. The suspense mentioned in the preview also kept me going. Having visited Istanbul and Konya one time, I can tell you that his descriptions of these specific cities are pretty accurate. I also found myself visualizing some of the concepts he describes (such as being deprived of all senses for an extended period or the restlessness the young man constantly feels). There were some short cuts to obvious problems (no language problems for once), but overall the book provides a wealth of information for the reader about the old world, its cultures, its religious and philosophical concepts. This is one of those books that makes you question the decisions you made in life.

I enjoyed reading this book as it reminded me of lighter times in my life. If I would have to pick somethhing that I liked best, I would go for the allegory of the 2 birds... read the book and you will understand.