A Review of ‘A Mirrored Life’: A Novel Inspired by the Life and Works of Rumi

Diary of a young lawyer...
4 min readFeb 9, 2023

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I recently completed reading “A Mirrored Life: The Rumi Novel” by Bengali author Rabisankar Bal. Translated by Arunava Sinha, it is just as captivating as their first book, “Dozaknama”, filled with an abundance of interesting stories.

The author-translator duo provides a captivating insight into Rumi’s life through a series of stories, referred to as qisas, that contain a touch of exaggeration, but that’s what we refer to as fiction. Isn’t it? The author reveals Rumi’s life chapter by chapter, providing a historical context and exploring the different aspects of his life and teachings, ensuring that the reader is getting a well-rounded view of Rumi’s life.

What makes this book stand out is Bal’s enchanting storytelling skills. He has the power to make historical figures come alive through his words. His writing is so poetic and flowing, it reads like a beautiful poem in prose form.

The book is full of wonderful stories, tales within tales. Each story will capture your attention and take you on a journey through the lives of its characters.

In the words of the author, A qissa can tell more than a thousand words of philosophy. Philosophies come and go, but a story lives on for thousands of years, in different lands, in different forms.

As the preface states, “My learned readers, you know that there are stories even before there are stories, but some stories are bound by fate”

A book with such a captivating beginning is surely a treasure waiting to be discovered, wouldn’t you agree?

Ibn Battuta, a legendary Moroccan traveller, is the narrator of this fictionalized account. Perhaps you recognize this name from your early years of studying social studies in primary school? If not then surely from a popular Bollywood song. Anyways, While travelling Ibn Battuta hears about Maulana during a stopover, fueled by his interest in the life and teachings of Maulana Jalaluddin Rumi, he sets out on a journey to Konya, the city where Rumi lived. During his stay in Konya, Ibn Battuta is deeply impacted by Rumi’s teachings and mystique, leading him to seek out Rumi’s manuscript, the Masnavi.

While exploring the city, Ibn Battuta meet Al Mustasimi, a renowned book-maker and calligraphist. During his visit, Al Mustasimi is composing a manuscript on Maulana and shares stories of love inspired by Rumi’s teachings with Ibn Battuta. As a gesture of generosity, Al Mustasimi makes a copy of the manuscript for Ibn Battuta to bring with him on his travels.

As the pages of the book are turned, the reader is taken on a transformative journey that follows the evolution of Maulana Jalaluddin Muhammad Balkhi into Rumi, Maulana Rumi.

The heart of the book revolves around Rumi’s closest companion, an elderly dervish named Shaikh Shamsuddin, fondly referred to as “Shams.” Well, if I were to reveal all the details, then what would be left for you to read, other than the acknowledgements, dedications, and perhaps a few blank pages?

To maintain the thrill of exploration, I will not reveal any further information about the Shams and other important characters that I have purposely left out, such as Rumi’s family, Al Mustasimi’s daughter Kimia, Azad Bhakt and the four dervishes.

If you are still reading the review, chances are you will read the book too. So, I won’t spoil the story for you and let you experience it on your own.

My Verdict:

As far as prose is concerned, the qissas are beautifully written, although there are instances of unrealistic exaggeration. However, when it comes to poetry, the beauty of Rumi’s poetry is lost in translation. English translations do not entirely reflect the essence of the original poems. Despite this challenge, the author has attempted to bring the poetry to life by staying true to the protagonist’s style and period, but the limitations of the English language make it difficult to fully capture the original’s beauty.

In short, This book is a perfect fit for those who enjoy storytelling, poetry, and spirituality. However, if these topics do not interest you, the book may not hold your attention.

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Diary of a young lawyer...

I'm Abdul Qadeer, Lawyer by day and a writer by night. My talent is words. I am an aspiring writer with a huge passion for writing and researching.