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Rusty #6

Rusty Goes To London

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Rusty Travels Abroad To Fulfil His Dream Of Becoming A Writer Rusty Goes To London Is The Fourth Book In Puffin'S New Series Of The Complete Escapades Of Rusty;

In His Early Twenties Now, Rusty Finally Severs Ties With Dehra And Books A Passage To England, With The Dream Of Writing And Selling His Novel Abroad. First In His Aunt'S House In Jersey, And Then In Rented Lodgings In London, He Works As A Clerk By Day And Writes Away In The Evenings. Eventually The Novel Is Finished And Rusty Even Finds A Publisher. But This, He Discovers, Does Not Mean That His Book Will See The Light Of Day Soon ... While In London, Rusty Has Myriad Adventures, Each More Incredible Than The Last. Strolling Down Baker Street, He Runs Into Sherlock Holmes, Who Gives Him A Few Lessons In Investigative Techniques. At The Victoria And Albert Museum, He Is Accosted By Rudyard Kipling. And Then, Of Course, There Is The Strange Incident At The Chinese Quarter, The Calypso Christmas In His Lodgings, And The Story Of The Vietnamese Girl Vu-Phuong. After Three Years Abroad, However, Rusty Realizes That He Wants To Make India His Permanent Home; All He Really Needs Is A Room Of His Own To Live And Write In, As The Vibrant World That He Has Known And Loved All Along Unfolds Outside. Returning To Dehra, He Renews Some Acquaintances And Makes A Few New Ones, And Settles Into His Role As Full-Time Author. Full Of Interesting Stories And Memorable Characters,

248 pages, Paperback

First published April 30, 2004

27 people are currently reading
408 people want to read

About the author

Ruskin Bond

680 books3,557 followers
Ruskin Bond is an Indian author of British descent. He is considered to be an icon among Indian writers and children's authors and a top novelist. He wrote his first novel, The Room on the Roof, when he was seventeen which won John Llewellyn Rhys Memorial Prize in 1957. Since then he has written several novellas, over 500 short stories, as well as various essays and poems, all of which have established him as one of the best-loved and most admired chroniclers of contemporary India. In 1992 he received the Sahitya Akademi award for English writing, for his short stories collection, "Our Trees Still Grow in Dehra", by the Sahitya Akademi, India's National Academy of Letters in India. He was awarded the Padma Shri in 1999 for contributions to children's literature. He now lives with his adopted family in Landour near Mussoorie.

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5 stars
152 (40%)
4 stars
141 (37%)
3 stars
66 (17%)
2 stars
12 (3%)
1 star
6 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
Profile Image for Reading_ Tamishly.
5,302 reviews3,466 followers
December 18, 2022
I recently read Rusty Goes to London by Ruskin Bond which I expected it to be the sequel to A Room On the Roof as it’s been made to look and sound like. I got a little disappointed to be honest because…

This book is not a part of a series. The Room on the Roof is a standalone short novel. This book has nothing to do with the book.

The book is a collection of short stories by the author who has lived in different places other than India.

But still it is a four star read for me. I am familiar with most of the stories in this collection. However, I got a surprise novella which I have never read before and no one talks about.

Find out what it is. The book is so worth because of this never heard about novella!
Profile Image for Sam.
264 reviews31 followers
June 9, 2022
In this particular volume, Rusty starts his journey toward becoming a full-time writer by moving to London. Contrary to the title of the book, only a quarter of the novel deals with Rusty's adventures in London, after which he returns back to his "home" Dehra.

There's not a lot of exciting adventure per se, but Ruskin Bond successfully manages to extract the essence of the incident and lay it bare. The chapters are more or less standalone, relating his experiences while traveling to London, his various jobs, and the larger-than-life people he meets there. The latter half of the book mainly deals with his struggles of earning a living after returning to India. The tone throughout is not quite nostalgic, and not quite morose, but somewhere in-between. Rusty's interactions with Sitaram in the final chapter were hilarious, finishing the book in a more light and hopeful tone, but still tinged with a certain frustration.

The one thing that really stuck in my mind however was when he says that his ultimate goal in life is essentially to have "a room to call his own", and how everything he has done till now and will continue to do would be to achieve that dream. It resonated deeply with me, as I have had the exact same goal for a long time. It was surprising, but also extremely encouraging to find that someone else shared such a deceptively simple ambition with me.
Profile Image for Piyali.
18 reviews2 followers
June 28, 2013
its always a pleasure to read what Mr. Bond writes but Rusty's London trip was only 20% of the book... the title was a little misleading but the read was not!
Profile Image for Shruti.
64 reviews
September 21, 2019
There is something about Ruskin Bond stories which strike a chord with the homesick heart. Lately I have been binge reading Bond and I can't seem to have enough of his beautiful descriptions of nature, his charming simplistic style and his magical way of weaving ordinary tales. Just like his tales, the inspiring chapters from life never fail to impress. As someone who wrote his first novel when he was seventeen and whose literary career has spanned for more than sixty five years, there is much to learn from and admire about this wise witty man.
This book will always hold a special place, something I can reread again and again. Travelling to my favourite literary destination (London) with the ever so charming young Rusty was nothing short of magic. This book encapsulates the episodes from the early twenties of Rusty's life. Rusty takes you to the harsh cold Jersey (Channel Islands), to a lonely life in London and then back to the ever-welcoming home Dehra, in search of a stable life as a writer. All along this journey, his undying spirit and the varied experiences shape who he becomes. While the initial chapters are about his sojourn to Jersey and London the last few are set in Dehra. Being transported to Primrose Hill, Bakers' Street, Regent's Park, East End in London and the English countryside with Bond was an absolute treat. His descriptions bring forth a clear picture of the places and the era he writes of. The fact that he wrote "Time stops in Shamli" in his early twenties and "A handful of nuts" at the age of sixty one, portrays the long inspiring journey he has trudged as a writer.
Though the stories set in Dehra are good yet I was left longing for more of his adventures in London. The spell of Bond's writings is working like a charm and I plan to read everything he has ever written.
Profile Image for Varsha Hasini.S.
89 reviews16 followers
October 23, 2021
I wanted to read this book because of the cover of course even the author but mainly the cover.

description

Rusty travels to London to fulfil his dream to become a writer. This book is all about his feelings and experiences in London.

What is it about??

Being homesick

missed opportunities that could have made your life better

friends, old and new

Indian culture's essence.

This book is about life with ups and downs, a little bit of spice and bitterness, and way too many regrets. It reminds us that the author was also a youth, just like us, striving to be seen.

Great book for 10+ ages

more on my blog
Profile Image for Prashant.
76 reviews6 followers
November 11, 2017
one of the best rusty book in rusty series, this trip to London with rusty was worth the read. thoroughly enjoyed each and every moment of this book. it is a refreshing, coming of age book. my ratings - 10/10
Profile Image for Shubham Roy  Choudhury.
288 reviews12 followers
August 30, 2025
I loved how our NCERTs introduced us to some of Ruskin Bond’s stories back in school, and picking up this book brought back that wave of nostalgia. Some stories felt a bit slow, so I skimmed through a few, but overall, it was a pleasant read.
Profile Image for Maliny Mohan.
Author 4 books28 followers
December 17, 2012

The characters are so finely sketched ! a very light , albeit enticing read
Profile Image for Gautam Sasidharan.
159 reviews5 followers
August 22, 2018
This short book is a collection of reminiscences of the author during his early twenties. The author gets an opportunity to go to London in search of a steady job, as he tries to pursue his dream of becoming a writer.

The initial stories, of the fourteen in the book, talk about his life in England; how he arrives there and how he spends the years. Thereafter, the author decides to take the plunge and returns to India.

The last five talk about his initial years in Dehra trying to establish himself as a writer. Though most of them are short the last “A Handful of Nuts” is a longer one, divided into chapters. In the author’s notes, he remarks that, but for the one at the last, all others were written contemporarily while the last one after forty years in contemplation.

The stories from London describe how he loathed the idea of anything other than India. He finds it tough to find peace with his people and the jobs he does.

“Even though I had grown up with a love for the English language and its literature, even though my forefathers were British, Britain was not really my place.”

“To be strangers without feeling like an outsider. For in India there are no strangers.”

“I had been away for over four years but the bonds were as strong as ever, the longing to return had never left me”


The author reveals his wild manners, when he is forced to acquaint with a stranger and wild roaming when he alights from a train to explore an unknown village. He exposes his love life with his sweet romantic tales rather comically during his stay in England and at Dehra.

“Somehow our relationship seemed complete and whole and I passed the day in a glow of happiness.”

He amuses the readers with his metamorphic writings and limericks and explains jocularly why he wasn’t a poet.

“Our skin, I thought is like the leaf of a tree, young and green and shiny. Then it gets darker and heavier, sometimes spotted with disease sometimes eaten away. Then fading, yellow and red, then falling, crumbling into dust or feeding the flames of fire.”

“The skin cannot change the eyes. The eyes are the true reflections of a man’s age and sensibilities. Even a blind man has hidden eyes.”

“The last lines always fox me, one reason why I never became a poet, I guess.”

On return to India, he really finds it hard to take roots as a writer. He describes how he found it difficult to start and how he steadily climbed the ladder to become a writer. The book is a worthwhile read for anybody who wants to be a writer.

For me, the book is a must-read, certainly not to be swallowed but to be chewed and digested.


Profile Image for Dania Khan.
Author 1 book12 followers
August 18, 2021
BOOK NAME- Rusty Goes to London
AUTHOR- Ruskin Bond
AGE RATING- 10/11+
BOOK RATING- 5 stars

Maybe it was the cover of this book that made me want to read it, maybe it was the familiar name of the author, maybe it was the need to read more Indian writers, maybe it was just an impulse to read Ruskin Bond’s book at this point.
But that’s what life is right? Full of maybes, I could have been writing this on a blog, I could have been writing this in 2018, I could have started my Instagram account sooner, or could have done something better.
These maybes always come back to you at night, when you really get to think about what you have done. What if I had finished my Maths Assignment sooner? Would I have been able to write more reviews, have more followers, get more likes on my post? What if I had put in even more effort, would I have 2000 followers at this point?
This book, Rusty Goes to London, captures the essence and the emotion of those maybes. It talks about what it is to be young, what it is to be pushed into the world, made to fly without training.
That’s what youth is, isn’t it? To fly without training, to fall a hundred times before flying, to be disheartened, drenched in pain, misery and sadness, but in the end, we get up, don’t we?
So does ‘Rusty’, but Rusty’s story is a bit more,
It’s being homesick,
It’s about missed opportunities,
It’s about being a writer,
It’s about the mysteriousness of India,
It’s about different cultures,
It’s about friends, old and new,
It’s about the British,
It’s about the Indians,
It’s life, mixed with a bit of masala and fiction.
This book is one that I would recommend in a heartbeat, without any hesitation.
At this point, recommending Ruskin Bond’s books is an impulse, a reflex, something which I know but don’t remember how it started.
So dear reader, read this book, feel the writing, the emotions, the different characters.
And remember that in the end, on the inside, we are all youth, striving to be seen.
Profile Image for Namratha.
1,213 reviews253 followers
April 25, 2024
When Rusty was in his twenties, he decided to leave the uncertainty of Dehra, and head off to the promising shores of England to find a publisher for his first novel. First in dour Jersey, and then in the glittering grasp of London, he eked out a clerical living by day and wrote away furiously into the night. But being ever so observant, he also took in the sights, sounds, quirks and eccentricities of the various characters who sauntered in and out of his life, adding humor, pathos, and sometimes, even an occasional pang of heartbreak.

After three years of adventures (including a run-in with the apparitions of Sherlock Holmes and Rudyard Kipling), the siren call of Dehra beckons, and Rusty returns to the familiarity of his trusted home. As expected, the charm of small-town India provides Rusty with enough fodder for his beloved typewriter. As he elaborates on the handful of nuts who pepper his bachelor’s existence, we also get a bitter-sweet novella when the train stops at quiet Shamli.

Ruskin Bond writes like the proverbial dream and to review his work seems like the heights of disrespect. He makes you laugh with his implicit barbs, sends a chill down your spine with unexpected spectres, causes a well of sadness as he paints the downfall of young heroes gone to ruin, has you smiling wistfully over the pangs of unrequited love, and chuckle delightedly over the quirks of a populace that is rich in drama and character.

This was a wonderful book to return to in my hometown and my respect for Mr. Bond's pen remains as staunch as always.
Profile Image for Saranya Dhandapani.
Author 2 books176 followers
May 14, 2023
#185
Book 26 of 2023- Rusty goes to London
Author- Ruskin Bond

“Keeping a diary or journal is something that I’ve done fitfully over the years,& sometimes it is more more than a notebook of ideas and impressions which go into the making of essays or stories.”

I’ve been reading “Rusty Series” for almost an year now. It’s about his childhood,adolescent days and how he reached the position where he is now. Nothing like getting to know your favourite author’s life journey from the author him self. This book is about his days in London. He wanted to purse a career in writing, he had bigger dreams for himself but no money.Still,he decided to go to London and try things. It was definitely not easy. He made some friends.After so much struggles,his first book goy published.

It wasn’t line he became very rich overnight after it got published. The struggles continued. With all these things going around, he still manages to embrace every little moments of life, and that’s my biggest take away,not just from this book,but from all his books.

He got consumptive eye when he was in London,yet he managed to get done a lot of reading. He constantly reminisces about his days in India,”I belonged,very firmly to peepal trees and Mango groves,to sleepy little towns all over India,to hot sunshine,muddy canals,the pungent scent of marigolds,the hills of home,spicy odours,wet earth after summer rain,neem pods bursting,laughing brown faces and the intimacy of human contact”-these lines has my heart.

He’s a very optimistic person. He returned to Dehra when he was 24. He decided that Rusty’s adventures,as a writer and as a man will have to continue in India and for his Indian readers-Rest is history! All the books from Rusty series will remind you of one thing-he’s just yet another normal,sensitive soul who’s constantly trying to find something bright and meaningful in his life.

#ruskinbondbirthday #ruskinbondbirthdayweek #ruskinbondbirthdaywithsaranya #ruskinbond #ruskinbondbooks
Profile Image for Neha Jeevan.
59 reviews16 followers
January 5, 2025
Two years ago, my friends gifted me this book as a farewell present when I moved to London. Like many treasured gifts, it found a place in a corner of cherished items, waiting for its moment. That moment came when I returned from my annual trip to India, longing for the comfort of childhood joys. What better way to rekindle that than through the words of Ruskin Bond, a beloved author from my younger years?

Reading Rusty Goes to London now, with London no longer a stranger to me, felt serendipitous. The neighborhoods Bond described were no longer just names on a page—they carried character and charm, much like the city I’ve come to know. Bond’s gift lies in his ability to make places come alive—whether it’s the bustling streets of London or the ever-enchanting Dehra, which will always hold a special place in my imagination thanks to his vivid storytelling.

This book called out to me at just the right time. There’s a quiet wisdom in Bond’s words, wrapped in a simplicity that feels like a warm embrace. It’s a perfect companion for anyone seeking a connection to something timeless.
Profile Image for Nitin Akarsh.
40 reviews
April 3, 2022
कल दोपहर में इस किताब को पढ़ कर समाप्त कर डाला l इसमें कहानी है रस्टी की जो लंदन में रह रहा है लेकिन लंदन उसे रास नहीं आ रहा है l उसका दिल भारत की ओर खिंच रहा है l लंदन में वो अपनी पहली किताब छपवा लेता है और फिर हाथ में कुछ पैसे आते ही वो भारत की चल देता है l इस किताब को पढ़ कर पता लगता है की रस्किन बॉन्ड किस कदर भारत से मुहब्बत करते हैं l छोटी छोटी बातों का उन्होंने काफी खूबसूरती से वर्णन किया है l कुछ कहानियाँ भारत वापसी के बाद की भी है l शामली में ठहरा हुआ वक़्त कहानी भी मुझे पसंद आयी l पढ़ने के काफी देर बाद तक मै सोचता रहा की उन पात्रों का क्या हुआ होगा और वो देखने में कैसे होंगे ? अगली किताब पढ़ने के लिए उठा ली है जो है Agatha Christir की Curtain l ये उनके प्रसिद्ध पात्र Poirot की आखरी किताब है l पढ़ने के बाद उसके बारे में बात करते है तब तक के Happy Sunday l पढ़ते रहिये और लिखते रहिये l
7 reviews
January 5, 2025
The most outstanding feature of Ruskin Bond stories is how well places are pictured. His writing goes to demonstrate how a simple narrative can be just as appealing and doesn't always have to have fancy jargon for it to be witty . Found the book very interesting. Like the wise storyteller is telling stories of his life, while we, the reader sit around him with sparkly eyes, loosing ourselves somewhere between the valleys of Dehradun and the busy London streets!
27 reviews2 followers
August 26, 2019
Another gem from my favourite author. 'Rusty Goes to London' gives us a glimpse of a boy who struggles through his way to fulfill his passion for writing. The language used in his work is simple and easy to understand at the same time the reader is engrossed in the writing.

Great book for children and all Ruskin Bond fans. A must read for fans of Mr. Ruskin Bond.
Profile Image for Ràďhìķà Ķàmbĺì.
5 reviews
May 18, 2020
Rusty goes to London - In every Ruskin bond’s novel you can feel his love for India and how much he like hills, in this marvellous novel there is happiness, struggle , travel, London , Shamli , dehra , love ,friendship and much more 📚
You may break, you may shatter
the vase if you will,
But the scent of the roses will linger
there still - Ruskin bond 😊
2 reviews
December 5, 2023
Good for Light Reading
Good if u want to waste ur time unnecessarily
It is for people who don't really have a life n r trying to experience it all through books
Discusses the general life activities of a poor fellow in London
Profile Image for Shiven Jain.
Author 1 book5 followers
October 10, 2017
This one was a definite 4.5! It dragged a tinnnnnnny minnnnnnny bit but otherwise, Mr. Bond didn't fail to impress me (as usual).
53 reviews3 followers
October 18, 2017
36/52 - a book you were supposed to read in school

my favourite of the Rusty books so far.
Profile Image for Karuna  Sinh.
125 reviews4 followers
February 6, 2018
It's always enjoyable to read Mr Bond..His books are very lively & gives a very picturesque effect..Rusty's experiences , dreams looks very realistic..
Profile Image for Sonam Patel.
11 reviews3 followers
April 3, 2018
Brimming with nostaligia-a quick read for a sunny day
Profile Image for Gaurav Bose.
11 reviews
April 14, 2019
Once of those which appeases you like a light breeze and carries you with it.
1 review
Read
May 22, 2023
I read this when i was in 5th grade nd i enjoyed it .. really good for children :)
Profile Image for Ekta Kubba.
229 reviews8 followers
June 4, 2023
This is the fourth book of the Rusty series. Here Rusty is in his early twenties. He is trying his best to become a writer. This book depicts his journey from living in Jersey and London to coming back to Dehra. The book is a collection of fourteen beautiful stories set in London as well as in India. The stories are simple but are woven in a magical way specific of Ruskin Bond.
The book is a longing for and belongingness to India. You get nostalgic feel while reading the stories. It is only after coming to London and spending some time here that Rusty comes to realise that he actually belongs to India. After spending a few years in England, he returns to Dehra and tries to establish himself as a writer. And this book presents his journey of initial days as a struggling writer. There is nostalgia in this book, and there is happiness in simple things. There is London, and there is Shamli and Dehra. There is friendship, love and belongingness. There is everything in this book that makes you fall in more love with Rusty and with Ruskin Bond.
Profile Image for Dev Ayan.
Author 7 books7 followers
July 31, 2016
To anyone who is homebound or wants to become a writer, this book is an introduction into the world of a budding writer, beautifully written in the heart of Dehra.
Bond is a name to be had in every bookshelves and to be read, 're-read and read again, no matter how old one is... That is the magic Bond weaves with words.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews

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