One of India’s most beloved writers, Ruskin Bond is a living legend. On 19 May 2020 he enters his 86thyear, after giving the country a treasure-trove of wonderful literary gems. He continues bringing out delightful works that resonate with children and adults.
With the immense body of work that he has made and continues to do so, you could be forgiven for not knowing where to begin reading Bond, where to pick up, or even where to pivot! Fear not…. we have all the right sources for you!
Journaling magic- Read Ruskin Bond for journaling inspiration
I love the fact that Ruskin Bond’s books read like journals themselves, even if they are fictions. But, he’s got actual journals that may just help you to pen down your thoughts! Ruskin Bond’s Words From The Hills is indeed a collector’s delight and if there was ever a journal that I would recommend to anyone it would be this!
Bookish delights- Read Ruskin Bond for some book recommendations
Nothing really beats a bellowed writer talking about the books that influenced him the most! And, with Bond we’re lucky. He also talks about the books that he has loved in a couple of titles- Love Among the Bookshelves and Confessions of a Book Lover . These books about books are very delightful and give an insight into the books that have made him what he is today. They also have passages from the books he recommends and so it’s like a taster for what you could go on to read. He has actually written books on the books that have influenced him!
Nature- The Best Bond books on nature
If you want some simple and quiet reflective reads that attune you to the beauty of nature, you need not further than Ruskin bond. Many of this more recent pocket books bring nature to you in a gentle way. You may enjoy these A Little Book of Magical Plants and A Little Book of Flowers.
Philosophy- Life lessons from Ruskin Bond
The Little Book of Everything by Ruskin Bond contains some beautiful and poignant quotes and thoughts that all come together to create a gentle philosophy of life. Each page has one simple sentence or a couple of lines at the most. But, this conveys a deep thought and an inspiring message. ‘A Book of Simple Living’….is a perfect account of simple living, high thinking. Go ahead and read these. It may change your life!
And for everything else…
Love for the mountain towns and descriptions of beautiful hills and landscapes of north India are a characteristic feature of his works. The beauty of Bond’s stories lies in their simplicity. He talks about simple people who one encounters in day to day life. His language is simple and highly readable. But the best feature in my opinion is probably his sense of humor. He describes even sad events with a tinge of humour.
On reading his works, one gets a feeling that he has a deep understanding of the human mind and heart, especially of children. He is an Anglo-Indian, but yet, writes about India from an Indian perspective. If one reads his “autobiographies”, which are like leaves from his journals, they are very similar to his stories. He writes about what he experiences. Indeed, he is a master storyteller. You may want to check out his entire collection on Amazon!
