“On books and friends I spend my money; for stones and bricks, I haven’t any.” Written by India’s master storyteller, the famous books by Ruskin Bond will transport you to a world of nostalgia, charming natural country sides and simple yet deeply complicated characters which will leave a lasting impression on your mind!

Ruskin Bond is an Indian author of British descent. Most of his works are influenced by life in the hill stations at the foothills of the Himalayas, where he spent his childhood. His first novel, The Room on the Roof, was written when he was 17 and published when he was 21. Ruskin Bond was 30 years old when he decided to leave his job in Delhi as he made up his mind to become a full-time writer and live in Dehradun.

Awards

• John Llewellyn Rhys Prize – 1957
• Sahitya Akademi Award – 1992
• Padma Shri – 1999
• Padma Bhushan – 2014

Novels and short stories featuring Rusty

Rusty was created by Ruskin Bond to write stories about his own past. His first book, The Room on the Roof, which he wrote at the age of 17, was a semi-autobiographical story with Rusty being the protagonist.

• The Room on the Roof
• Vagrants in the Valley (a sequel to Room on the Roof)
• Rusty, the Boy from the Hills (collection of short stories)
• Rusty Runs Away (collection of short stories)
• Rusty and the Magic Mountain
• Rusty goes to London
• Rusty Comes Home
• The Adventures of Rusty

Must read books of Ruskin Bond

The Blue Umbrella

The Blue Umbrella is one of the most famous books by Ruskin Bond. Given a cinematic adaptation by Vishal Bhardwaj, the film also went on to win the National Film Award for Best Children’s Film in 2006. Set in a village in Himachal Pradesh, the story revolves around a blue umbrella, which is given to a young village girl, Binya, by some tourists in exchange of her lucky charm leopard claw pendant. Her umbrella becomes very popular in the village, to the length that a shopkeeper becomes obsessed with obtaining it and offers to buy it from the girl, only to be rejected. A series of different events follow, which ultimately ends with Binya deciding to give the umbrella to the shopkeeper, who in return gifts her a necklace with a bear’s claw.

The Room on the Roof

The Room on the Roof is Ruskin Bond’s first novel which was written when he was only seventeen. As the earliest one amongst the famous books by Ruskin Bond, the story revolves around an orphaned Anglo-Indian boy named Rusty, who lives with his guardians in Dehradun. His guardian keeps him from mingling with Indians and one day after getting punished for going into the bazaar, Rusty runs away and with the help of some friends he made at the bazaar starts a new life. Later, he gets a job teaching English to a boy named Kishen, in exchange for food and a small room on the roof. The novel paints a colourful rainbow of emotions as Rusty observes people from his room on the roof, falls for Kishen’s mother and as the story progresses, he becomes a mature adult as he carves a life of his own.

Time stops at Shamli

A collection of numerous short stories, Time Stops at Shamli is another famous book by Ruskin Bond. All the stories mentioned in this work are different in essence but each is as much appealing as another. The short story ‘Time Stops at Shamli’, which is a part of the book, is based on a small place called Shamli where the train from Delhi to Dehradun stops for only five minutes. A railway passenger who is curious about this place gets a chance to explore it when his train stops at the station for a longer duration due to some problems in the railway lines. The story tells about the day he spends in a hotel in Shamli, getting along with the people, both known and unknown he meets during his stay and the long-lasting impression town leaves on him.

Rusty the boy from the hills

Rusty, the Boy from the Hills explore around the life and adventures of Rusty, a curious and imaginative boy and a fictional version of Bond himself from his early childhood to his teen years. In this very famous book by Ruskin Bond, he attempts to recount and describe his childhood in the foothills of the Himalayas, which he spent with his grandparents. One of his most popular books among children and adults alike, the stories mentioned in the book range from a pet python to escaping from enemy bombardment during World War II to encountering ghosts. The book is a mixture of weird, funny and wholesome experiences that will surely make you reminisce about your own childhood memories!

A fight of pigeons

One of the most famous books by Ruskin Bond, A Flight Of Pigeons is set amidst the revolt of 1857. The story revolves around Ruth Labadoor and her family; her father is killed in front of her by rebels who had decided to wipe out all British people in the town. Ruth and her mother escape and take shelter in a house of their servant, from where they are discovered and taken by a notorious Pathan to his own house. Contrary to their expectations, they are treated well in the house and after a series of events are able to safely reunite with their relatives as the British took control and curbed the revolt. Shyam Benegal adapted this heartwarming novel of Bond into a film called Junoon which starred Shashi Kapoor, Nafisa Ali, Naseeruddin Shah and Shabana Azmi and was released in 1979.

Delhi is not far

As mentioned in the foreword by the author, Delhi Is Not Far is a plotless story, revolving around the life of numerous lower-middle-class people in the small town of Pipalnagar. The different characters in the story include a writer, a barber, an orphan, a teenager etc., who all want to make it big in life by moving to Delhi. But due to different reasons mainly financial, none of them manage to make it to Delhi at the end. This book puts forward the struggles faced by middle-class people and also their interdependent relationships with the people around them.

Our trees still grow in Dehra

Our Trees Still Grow in Dehra is a collection of numerous short stories that describe the life of the author from childhood to adulthood. Counted among the most famous books by Ruskin Bond, the short stories take us on a ride where we travel with the young Ruskin Bond to the hills of Mussoorie. Along the way, we are introduced to his friends, family and other people who made an impression in his life. This collection of short stories enables us to view India from the eyes of this wonderful author.

On an ending note, I hope you enjoy reading top 7 books by the infamous Ruskin Bond. Enjoy the thrill and passion of Ruskin Bond’s literacy style and thoughts by grabbing his books one after another.