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Unhurried Tales: My Favourite Novellas
Unhurried Tales: My Favourite Novellas brings together, for the very first time, Ruskin Bond’s favourite (and finest) novellas. The stories in this book include Time Stops at Shamli (written in 1956 and published for the first time in 1987); The Blue Umbrella, which has been a bestseller for the last forty years; Angry River, which was a longer work when it was first written; Bus Stop, Pipalnagar; Night of the Leopard; The Last Tiger and Tales of Fosterganj, his latest novella, which was published in 2013.
These stories speak of a world that has long vanished, but it is a world that has lost none of its power to enchant. Whether we are accompanying Sita on her perilous journey down the angry river or Bisnu as he gets the better of a dangerous leopard, whether we delight in Binya’s joy at owning her blue umbrella or are saddened by the fate of the last tiger, whether we laugh uproariously at the antics of the eccentric guests at the ‘hotel’ in Shamli, get involved in the adventures of the boys in Pipalnagar or plunge into the various goings-on in the ‘backwater’ of Fosterganj, we are always entertained, always charmed. All the stories unwind in an unhurried way, even those that are filled with death-defying thrills and spills, and it is this quality that enables us to sink into them and experience to its fullest the magic of the fiction that Ruskin Bond has spun out of the hills and small towns of India for over sixty years.
These stories speak of a world that has long vanished, but it is a world that has lost none of its power to enchant. Whether we are accompanying Sita on her perilous journey down the angry river or Bisnu as he gets the better of a dangerous leopard, whether we delight in Binya’s joy at owning her blue umbrella or are saddened by the fate of the last tiger, whether we laugh uproariously at the antics of the eccentric guests at the ‘hotel’ in Shamli, get involved in the adventures of the boys in Pipalnagar or plunge into the various goings-on in the ‘backwater’ of Fosterganj, we are always entertained, always charmed. All the stories unwind in an unhurried way, even those that are filled with death-defying thrills and spills, and it is this quality that enables us to sink into them and experience to its fullest the magic of the fiction that Ruskin Bond has spun out of the hills and small towns of India for over sixty years.
245 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 1, 2017
155 people are currently reading
768 people want to read
About the author
Ruskin Bond
680 books3,557 followersRuskin 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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Displaying 1 - 30 of 52 reviews
October 28, 2018
Ruskin Bond is a part of my childhood: I think I encountered him first in The Illustrated Weekly of India (now defunct) which my father used to bring home from his office. I used to wait for it, mainly for the comic strips: but sometimes I used to read the stories too, and Bond was a regular contributor.
I cannot recollect any of the stories, but I can remember a feeling of tranquility, the smell of the mountain air, a bunch of likeable people and a sense of prowling danger like a crouching tiger. And reading him decades later, these impressions come back.
The book is titled Unhurried Tales - an apt name, as these stories move forward (if they can be said to move at all) at a leisurely pace, even when distressing events such as leopard attacks and floods happen. It is a characteristic of the Himalayan foothills of which Bond writes: people get up in the morning, go about their entirely unremarkable lives happily through the day, and sleep comfortably come night. They are not bothered the fever that grips the cities, where people keep on running without reaching anywhere. Here, they stay in one place and wait for life to come to them.
That does not mean that these stories are static. Most of them are filled with incidents which would be in the realms of fantasy in mainstream India. However, for these hill people, carnivores, natural calamities and supernatural beings are all part of life and they approach all of them phlegmatically.
That said, I found most of the stories (except Time Stops at Shamli and The Blue Umbrella) rather lukewarm. They are pleasant reads to while away an evening, but if you are looking for something extraordinary, you won't find it here.
PS: One story -The Angry River - really disturbed me, but I put that down to the current flood situation in Kerala.
I cannot recollect any of the stories, but I can remember a feeling of tranquility, the smell of the mountain air, a bunch of likeable people and a sense of prowling danger like a crouching tiger. And reading him decades later, these impressions come back.
The book is titled Unhurried Tales - an apt name, as these stories move forward (if they can be said to move at all) at a leisurely pace, even when distressing events such as leopard attacks and floods happen. It is a characteristic of the Himalayan foothills of which Bond writes: people get up in the morning, go about their entirely unremarkable lives happily through the day, and sleep comfortably come night. They are not bothered the fever that grips the cities, where people keep on running without reaching anywhere. Here, they stay in one place and wait for life to come to them.
That does not mean that these stories are static. Most of them are filled with incidents which would be in the realms of fantasy in mainstream India. However, for these hill people, carnivores, natural calamities and supernatural beings are all part of life and they approach all of them phlegmatically.
That said, I found most of the stories (except Time Stops at Shamli and The Blue Umbrella) rather lukewarm. They are pleasant reads to while away an evening, but if you are looking for something extraordinary, you won't find it here.
PS: One story -The Angry River - really disturbed me, but I put that down to the current flood situation in Kerala.
April 14, 2022
The stories like Japanese anime of Ghibli studio, it's about braveness and courage of children. And about how they take responsibilities and fulfill it with high spirit that we elder don't know. I personally like all the stories, some of them are best and some of them are good.
August 20, 2018
Ruskin Bond is one of my favorite writers and I am super confident that whenever I pickup whichever of his books, it puts a wide smile on my face throughout the time it takes me to finish it. Although I always (read always again) find them too short and a breeze to read and they just get over too fast. I believe in humor department, PGW and Ruskin Bond have no match (do let me know if you think they actually do). When I need to laugh out loud I pick up a PGW and it without fail makes me roll over my chair and sofa where I do most of my reading. And when I need to go back in time in search of Nostalgia about good old days, I pick up a Bond book. No doubt, he is a true blue Indian, the use of so many typical Indian words confirms that time and again. For example so many times he says in his story that when he was "small" and not "young" :). And the use of so many authentic Indian terms like in this one, the laugh riot story of a guy selling "Saande-ka-tel" :) or Bond himself using "Lifebuoy" soap or even better, his love towards Indian cuss words, for which he says there is no other language cuss words which come any closer in giving him any satisfaction :) till he uses most of them to chill himself down a little, whenever he is angry. I am surprised that the stories that he has written in this book are mostly from the period between the late 50's to early 60's, yet not much has changed in our part of the world in last 50 odd years. Especially the small towns, life out there, the train travels, highways, friendly people you meet all over the country and so much more as he captured so beautifully in his heart touching stories.
I have another reason to love Ruskin Bond stories or shall I say I feel more closer to them as I have almost spent a good 2 years going off and on to Mussoorie almost every month while I stayed in Delhi. And the nearby areas which keep cropping up in all his stories, Chakrata, Kemptee, Landour, Dehra(doon), Simla, Shamli and a lot of more smaller lesser known areas. His love for the wild, animals, adventure and mis-adventures are to die for. Totally hilarious accounts of him going recluse with no money in the pocket, no set job, no recognized way of making money, yet he is able to survive on little mercies of people like Hassan who runs a bakery and lets him live in a room upstairs. The room although is no good but he praises the view from the little window of the attached toilet, where he spent most of his time :) writing and creating his stories, now how funny and super kool is that. I had a jolly good time imagining Mr. Bond sitting on the western potty with a rickety old mammoth of a typewriter on his lap, furiously typing stories for us to laugh with :). His landing the fortunes accidentally and letting them go are not only hilarious but heart touching and tell a lot about the man we all love too.
All of his stories are straight from the heart and they feel so real that I seriously believe that they actually are cut out from his own life and I want to believe that none of them are really a work of fiction. The locations, the surroundings, the real life like characters, the animals, especially the tigers, leopards and bears, on top of that his adventures with them and mis-adventures too. I have learned so much from his stories in the past that I would really love to try a few of his stunts myself like the one where he is sure that if you call a Tiger an "Uncle", he will not attack you and let you live :). And if you run into a Bear some day, try running downhill as Bears hate running downhill, so he may spare you :). His friendship with a pickpocketeer or an exiled Prince a last of his own kinds are super heart touching accounts. This book is more dedicated to the friends that he had made while living a couple of years in and around Pipalnagar and Fosterganj, not too far from Mussoorie. A Baker, a banker, a pick-pocket, a hair-lipped youth, an old boozer (a royal actually) who makes his own booze, and a few more that he keeps meeting off and on. But the best story of the lot is "The Blue Umbrella", that I totally loved. Although I have seen the movie that one of our own acclaimed Director - Vishal Bhardwaj has made, but I don't know why the Movie didn't impress me much. May be I will see it again after reading the story and see if it works this time around. The story is about a little girl and her brother, who find (or acquires) a beautiful Blue Umbrella and what all she faces because of the same is the story.
Have you read "Unhurried Tales"?, if not, you have to read this without fail, a gem of a book full of terrific stories. Which one is your favorite Ruskin Bond book? Do let me know, I would love to read it too. Although I am yet to get my own copy of his recently launched Autobiography "A Lone Fox Dancing", have you read that?
PS: Do you know why Ruskin Bond calls God a "Mathematician"? Guess I need to read more of him or may be his Autobiography will have the answer.
I have another reason to love Ruskin Bond stories or shall I say I feel more closer to them as I have almost spent a good 2 years going off and on to Mussoorie almost every month while I stayed in Delhi. And the nearby areas which keep cropping up in all his stories, Chakrata, Kemptee, Landour, Dehra(doon), Simla, Shamli and a lot of more smaller lesser known areas. His love for the wild, animals, adventure and mis-adventures are to die for. Totally hilarious accounts of him going recluse with no money in the pocket, no set job, no recognized way of making money, yet he is able to survive on little mercies of people like Hassan who runs a bakery and lets him live in a room upstairs. The room although is no good but he praises the view from the little window of the attached toilet, where he spent most of his time :) writing and creating his stories, now how funny and super kool is that. I had a jolly good time imagining Mr. Bond sitting on the western potty with a rickety old mammoth of a typewriter on his lap, furiously typing stories for us to laugh with :). His landing the fortunes accidentally and letting them go are not only hilarious but heart touching and tell a lot about the man we all love too.
All of his stories are straight from the heart and they feel so real that I seriously believe that they actually are cut out from his own life and I want to believe that none of them are really a work of fiction. The locations, the surroundings, the real life like characters, the animals, especially the tigers, leopards and bears, on top of that his adventures with them and mis-adventures too. I have learned so much from his stories in the past that I would really love to try a few of his stunts myself like the one where he is sure that if you call a Tiger an "Uncle", he will not attack you and let you live :). And if you run into a Bear some day, try running downhill as Bears hate running downhill, so he may spare you :). His friendship with a pickpocketeer or an exiled Prince a last of his own kinds are super heart touching accounts. This book is more dedicated to the friends that he had made while living a couple of years in and around Pipalnagar and Fosterganj, not too far from Mussoorie. A Baker, a banker, a pick-pocket, a hair-lipped youth, an old boozer (a royal actually) who makes his own booze, and a few more that he keeps meeting off and on. But the best story of the lot is "The Blue Umbrella", that I totally loved. Although I have seen the movie that one of our own acclaimed Director - Vishal Bhardwaj has made, but I don't know why the Movie didn't impress me much. May be I will see it again after reading the story and see if it works this time around. The story is about a little girl and her brother, who find (or acquires) a beautiful Blue Umbrella and what all she faces because of the same is the story.
Have you read "Unhurried Tales"?, if not, you have to read this without fail, a gem of a book full of terrific stories. Which one is your favorite Ruskin Bond book? Do let me know, I would love to read it too. Although I am yet to get my own copy of his recently launched Autobiography "A Lone Fox Dancing", have you read that?
PS: Do you know why Ruskin Bond calls God a "Mathematician"? Guess I need to read more of him or may be his Autobiography will have the answer.
May 23, 2021
Unhurried Tales by Ruskin Bond
📓Genre: Collection | Novellas
Star: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌠 (4.3)
🔖Ruskin Bond has always been one of my favorite authors. The thing about his books ― is how simply and beautifully the stories depict complex human emotions.
🔖This book is a collection of some of the author's best novellas. Each story is unique and is actually a recollection of the author's own experiences and encounters.
🔖The best part is the heart touching style of writing, that displays both an uniform pace and lucidity. The author's unique sense of humor also finds it's way every now and then, making the stories even more enjoyable.
🔖Not to give out spoilers, I'll not elaborate on the individual tales, but I highly recommend this book to every reader out there who enjoys reading a good book!
🔸Final Verdict: Great
🔸Book Cover: It's a beautiful representation of joy
🔸Writing Style: Emotional, lucid
📓Genre: Collection | Novellas
Star: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌠 (4.3)
🔖Ruskin Bond has always been one of my favorite authors. The thing about his books ― is how simply and beautifully the stories depict complex human emotions.
🔖This book is a collection of some of the author's best novellas. Each story is unique and is actually a recollection of the author's own experiences and encounters.
🔖The best part is the heart touching style of writing, that displays both an uniform pace and lucidity. The author's unique sense of humor also finds it's way every now and then, making the stories even more enjoyable.
🔖Not to give out spoilers, I'll not elaborate on the individual tales, but I highly recommend this book to every reader out there who enjoys reading a good book!
🔸Final Verdict: Great
🔸Book Cover: It's a beautiful representation of joy
🔸Writing Style: Emotional, lucid
September 16, 2018
It was a difficult book for me. Difficult because I don't often read/like books like this. But Ruskin has a way of telling stories that grip you and engage you in the wonderful world he often finds the characters in. The setting of all the stories are beautiful, mostly set in secluded places among the mountains with beautiful ravines and gorges. The main strength of the stories lie in the world that the author is able to bring in front of you.
Being short stories, we don't have a lot of time to understand the characters deeply which is probably the reason I haven't enjoyed the stories as much as ai should have. But the author does wonderfully well in giving life to the characters in as few words as he has and you feel for their losses as your own.
The stories themselves are sometimes pretty short and some of them don't lead anywhere in particular in the end. But that might not be a bad thing in my opinion because of the way they have been written. And I particularly enjoyed the final one set in Fosterganj. It's slightly longer than the other ones and have a good character development and an unexpected climax in the end. All in all, enjoyed this book and as a result I have started picking up more short stories as side reads while I slain the giants in their own time.
Being short stories, we don't have a lot of time to understand the characters deeply which is probably the reason I haven't enjoyed the stories as much as ai should have. But the author does wonderfully well in giving life to the characters in as few words as he has and you feel for their losses as your own.
The stories themselves are sometimes pretty short and some of them don't lead anywhere in particular in the end. But that might not be a bad thing in my opinion because of the way they have been written. And I particularly enjoyed the final one set in Fosterganj. It's slightly longer than the other ones and have a good character development and an unexpected climax in the end. All in all, enjoyed this book and as a result I have started picking up more short stories as side reads while I slain the giants in their own time.
May 20, 2021
This collection is meant to be read leisurely, as the title implies. Read a few for the first time, and re-read a few. Enjoyed them all. Realised the re-reads were more fun somehow :)
Picked this on an impulse as this popped up as currently reading by one of GR friends. And then it was available under prime reading catalogue.
Glad to have read and finished the last part in a single sitting, on the day that happened to be Mr Bond's bday!
There will be more such collections, some old some new, published under a new title and new cover... and I will keep reading them in spite of knowing half of them are re-published.... because they are more fun :)
Picked this on an impulse as this popped up as currently reading by one of GR friends. And then it was available under prime reading catalogue.
Glad to have read and finished the last part in a single sitting, on the day that happened to be Mr Bond's bday!
There will be more such collections, some old some new, published under a new title and new cover... and I will keep reading them in spite of knowing half of them are re-published.... because they are more fun :)
July 24, 2020
This collection of beautifully woven stories will surely stick to you for a very long time. Whether it be the spur of the moment decision to get off a train at Shamli, Binya's bright Blue Umbrella, Sita's strength of heart or even simply walking through Fosterganj the author has not once failed to ingrain the minute details of the landscape and feelings.
Novellas are longer than a short story but shorter to be made into a book.
Novellas are longer than a short story but shorter to be made into a book.
June 24, 2018
Ruskin Bond stories has always had a teleporting affect on me and this collection is no exception. It too have the beautiful mountains and the mountain streams of refreshing water, the panthers and leopards in the jungle and cute little kids with deep sense of responsibility.
Some of his finest novellas are here. Loved it.
Some of his finest novellas are here. Loved it.
June 7, 2020
Amazin short stories. And wonderful imagination.. In each story I was feeling I was there and watching everything happening live in front of me.. Loved it totally!!!
April 1, 2019
Unhurried Tales is the only book which I chose to read again and again after Alchemist. It is such a delightful book with stories touching your heart and mind. This is my second book by Ruskin Bond. The first read by his is Great stories for Children which I enjoyed so much and became a fan of his writings. A style which takes you to a world or place may be not present now. It is difficult to tell whether his characters and places mentioned along with the incidents happened are real or fictitious.
this book is a collection of 7 novellas and my favorite is the last one named TALES OF FOSTERGANJ.
The book is a reflection of so many people around us whom we see but fail to notice.
1. TIME STOPS AT SHAMLI - is the first novella in this book in which the author himself is the protagonist who accidentally gets down at a place called SHAMLI, where he meets some people including his lost love. He invites her to be a part of his life and asks him to wait for her at the railway station. So read it if you want to know whether she went with him or not.
RATING - 4/5
2. BUS STOP, PIPALNAGAR - In this story, we can see the author in his teens, struggling to find a job and become a writer. He explains how he manages to live in a room along with his friends and some creatures like lizards, bedbugs, and some rats. The story is about the author's life and a boy, Suraj, in the small town/ village named Pipalnagar. This is the story which I was least interested and read only 2 times.
RATING - 3.9/5
3. THE LAST TIGER - This is the story of a tiger, the jungle he rules, and the people who live in a village near the jungle. This is what I love most in Ruskin Bond stories. He writes about animals, their thoughts, their life. I have read the story of a python who was a pet for an old man and a monkey also. I will explain it later. So, the tiger is not a villain in this story. He, a lonesome bachelor ruling the jungle without harming the villagers and their animals. The villagers respect the tiger and call him by the name MAHARAJ, which means the king. The arrival of summer season changes the role of tiger and he becomes the villain for the villagers. The villagers decide to kill the tiger and that is the story. I won't spoil it.
RATING - 4/5
4. ANGRY RIVER - The adventurous story of Sita, a 10-year-old girl, living with her grandparents on an island. One rainy day, she became alone when her grandfather takes her grandma to the hospital. That day, she faces the most dangerous incident happened in her life - THE FLOOD. It is extraordinary for a 10-year-old girl to take care of the house and her grandparents. She does all the work. The bravery of Sita to face the flood and how she escapes and how she resettle at the same place is the story.
5. THE BLUE UMBRELLA - Unlike Sita, Binya in this story is a kind character who lives with her mother and brother in the place called Garhwal, near to the Himalaya mountains. She gets a pretty blue umbrella from a picnic group in exchange for her claw pendant. The story is about the umbrella, fading season by season, the people who desire to have one and jealous of Binya for having it. Ram Bharosa, who owns a shop is the one who goes crazy about her umbrella and made him steal it. Again, Ruskin Bond's skill of writing or explaining each and every single thing is so appreciable. It feels like we are the character and the incident is happening with us. There is an incident where Binya almost takes the risk to rescue her umbrella falling from a cliff. That is my favorite scene where I felt the emotions of the girl who stop losing her favorite thing.
RATING - 4.3/5
6. NIGHT OF THE LEOPARD - Bisnu, a village boy who dreams to study more and travel miles to his school uphill is the protagonist of the story. There is a forest in his way where a panther appears who is a man-eater and brings fear and problems to the villagers. Bisnu is living with his mother and sister. Sheroo, his pet dog is attacked by the panther which made Bisnu so sad. At a certain point, Bisnu stops going to school because of the panther and when one day he faces the man-eater. Again Ruskin Bond's style of writing and the way he presents his character's thoughts even if it is a child, or an animal or a ghost is so awesome.
RATING - 4.3/5
7. TALES OF FOSTERGANJ - This is my favorite novella in this book. Like the name, it has further tales in this one novella. This is the story of a place - Fosterganj and the people living there. The author is in his 40s and he lives there for a few months. The series of incidents happening in the place and how the author has dragged in them are really funny to read. There is a weird person whose hobby was attending funerals, a leopard who killed that person, a bank manager whose passion was to kill that leopard, a fraud who sells some kind of an oil and claims it will increase the power of man, a gentleman who runs a bakery and gave the author a place to live, a pickpocket, a ghost villa and caretakers, etc. This story is mixed with fun, horror (not much), adventure, a murder, treasure hunt(small one). I can't explain in detail. Grab the book and have fun.
RATING - 4.5/5
this book is a collection of 7 novellas and my favorite is the last one named TALES OF FOSTERGANJ.
The book is a reflection of so many people around us whom we see but fail to notice.
1. TIME STOPS AT SHAMLI - is the first novella in this book in which the author himself is the protagonist who accidentally gets down at a place called SHAMLI, where he meets some people including his lost love. He invites her to be a part of his life and asks him to wait for her at the railway station. So read it if you want to know whether she went with him or not.
RATING - 4/5
2. BUS STOP, PIPALNAGAR - In this story, we can see the author in his teens, struggling to find a job and become a writer. He explains how he manages to live in a room along with his friends and some creatures like lizards, bedbugs, and some rats. The story is about the author's life and a boy, Suraj, in the small town/ village named Pipalnagar. This is the story which I was least interested and read only 2 times.
RATING - 3.9/5
3. THE LAST TIGER - This is the story of a tiger, the jungle he rules, and the people who live in a village near the jungle. This is what I love most in Ruskin Bond stories. He writes about animals, their thoughts, their life. I have read the story of a python who was a pet for an old man and a monkey also. I will explain it later. So, the tiger is not a villain in this story. He, a lonesome bachelor ruling the jungle without harming the villagers and their animals. The villagers respect the tiger and call him by the name MAHARAJ, which means the king. The arrival of summer season changes the role of tiger and he becomes the villain for the villagers. The villagers decide to kill the tiger and that is the story. I won't spoil it.
RATING - 4/5
4. ANGRY RIVER - The adventurous story of Sita, a 10-year-old girl, living with her grandparents on an island. One rainy day, she became alone when her grandfather takes her grandma to the hospital. That day, she faces the most dangerous incident happened in her life - THE FLOOD. It is extraordinary for a 10-year-old girl to take care of the house and her grandparents. She does all the work. The bravery of Sita to face the flood and how she escapes and how she resettle at the same place is the story.
5. THE BLUE UMBRELLA - Unlike Sita, Binya in this story is a kind character who lives with her mother and brother in the place called Garhwal, near to the Himalaya mountains. She gets a pretty blue umbrella from a picnic group in exchange for her claw pendant. The story is about the umbrella, fading season by season, the people who desire to have one and jealous of Binya for having it. Ram Bharosa, who owns a shop is the one who goes crazy about her umbrella and made him steal it. Again, Ruskin Bond's skill of writing or explaining each and every single thing is so appreciable. It feels like we are the character and the incident is happening with us. There is an incident where Binya almost takes the risk to rescue her umbrella falling from a cliff. That is my favorite scene where I felt the emotions of the girl who stop losing her favorite thing.
RATING - 4.3/5
6. NIGHT OF THE LEOPARD - Bisnu, a village boy who dreams to study more and travel miles to his school uphill is the protagonist of the story. There is a forest in his way where a panther appears who is a man-eater and brings fear and problems to the villagers. Bisnu is living with his mother and sister. Sheroo, his pet dog is attacked by the panther which made Bisnu so sad. At a certain point, Bisnu stops going to school because of the panther and when one day he faces the man-eater. Again Ruskin Bond's style of writing and the way he presents his character's thoughts even if it is a child, or an animal or a ghost is so awesome.
RATING - 4.3/5
7. TALES OF FOSTERGANJ - This is my favorite novella in this book. Like the name, it has further tales in this one novella. This is the story of a place - Fosterganj and the people living there. The author is in his 40s and he lives there for a few months. The series of incidents happening in the place and how the author has dragged in them are really funny to read. There is a weird person whose hobby was attending funerals, a leopard who killed that person, a bank manager whose passion was to kill that leopard, a fraud who sells some kind of an oil and claims it will increase the power of man, a gentleman who runs a bakery and gave the author a place to live, a pickpocket, a ghost villa and caretakers, etc. This story is mixed with fun, horror (not much), adventure, a murder, treasure hunt(small one). I can't explain in detail. Grab the book and have fun.
RATING - 4.5/5
December 11, 2025
With Ruskin Bond. The Man who gave me so much,,,,
Unhurried Tales is a remarkable gathering of Ruskin Bond’s favourite novellas—stories that, though longer than his usual short fiction, still embody his signature tenderness, observational depth, and quiet emotional resonance.
The collection celebrates the art of unhurried storytelling—something Bond has mastered over his long literary career.
These novellas allow him to explore characters and landscapes with a depth and patience not always possible in shorter forms.
What stands out immediately is the sense of immersion Bond creates. Each novella unfolds slowly, like a leisurely walk through the hills.
The pacing is deliberate, allowing readers to sink into the setting, understand the characters, and absorb the emotional nuances. In an age of fast-paced fiction, this slowness becomes a virtue—it mirrors life’s natural rhythms and the unhurried beauty of the mountains.
The characters in these novellas are some of Bond’s richest creations. They are ordinary people—children, wanderers, lonely adults, teachers, drifters—but their inner worlds are intricately drawn.
Bond explores their desires, fears, vulnerabilities, and small victories with compassion.
His characters often seek belonging, love, or purpose, and their journeys feel both personal and universal.
Themes of memory, identity, childhood, friendship, and loss run consistently through the collection.
Bond has always been a master of nostalgia—not the theatrical kind, but the soft ache of remembering people, places, and moments that shaped us. These novellas capture that ache perfectly.
They evoke the sweetness of growing up, the pain of change, and the beauty of holding on to what time threatens to erase.
Nature, as always, plays a central role. Bond’s landscapes are not passive backgrounds—they shape the emotional currents of each story.
Mist, rain, forests, riverbanks, old bungalows, and narrow hill paths appear repeatedly, each carrying symbolic weight.
Nature becomes a mirror to the characters, reflecting their moods, struggles, and moments of clarity.
One of the strongest qualities of this collection is Bond’s ability to blend simplicity with depth.
His prose remains gentle and accessible, but the themes he addresses—loneliness, personal growth, emotional resilience—are profound. He writes with a wisdom that comes from a life lived close to people and nature.
The emotional impact is subtle, accumulating slowly until the story leaves a lingering warmth.
The novellas also highlight Bond’s ability to create atmosphere. Whether the scene is a quiet hillside at dawn, a classroom buzzing with mischief, a deserted road at twilight, or a dusty bazaar filled with noise and life, Bond’s descriptions bring the moments alive. His sensory detail—sights, sounds, smells—makes every setting tangible.
Unhurried Tales also reaffirms Bond’s role as a chronicler of human kindness. While the stories acknowledge suffering and disappointment, they ultimately celebrate the gentle connections that make life meaningful.
Acts of compassion, unexpected friendships, and moments of empathy illuminate the narrative.
The emotional tone of the collection is balanced—sometimes humorous, sometimes melancholic, sometimes adventurous, always sincere.
Bond does not rely on dramatic twists; instead, he lets the emotional truth of the characters drive the narratives. This honesty gives the novellas lasting power.
In the end, the collection becomes more than an anthology—it becomes a philosophy.
It teaches the value of slowing down, paying attention, and embracing life’s quieter joys.
The title Unhurried Tales captures not only the pacing but also the worldview these stories embody.
Most recommended.
Unhurried Tales is a remarkable gathering of Ruskin Bond’s favourite novellas—stories that, though longer than his usual short fiction, still embody his signature tenderness, observational depth, and quiet emotional resonance.
The collection celebrates the art of unhurried storytelling—something Bond has mastered over his long literary career.
These novellas allow him to explore characters and landscapes with a depth and patience not always possible in shorter forms.
What stands out immediately is the sense of immersion Bond creates. Each novella unfolds slowly, like a leisurely walk through the hills.
The pacing is deliberate, allowing readers to sink into the setting, understand the characters, and absorb the emotional nuances. In an age of fast-paced fiction, this slowness becomes a virtue—it mirrors life’s natural rhythms and the unhurried beauty of the mountains.
The characters in these novellas are some of Bond’s richest creations. They are ordinary people—children, wanderers, lonely adults, teachers, drifters—but their inner worlds are intricately drawn.
Bond explores their desires, fears, vulnerabilities, and small victories with compassion.
His characters often seek belonging, love, or purpose, and their journeys feel both personal and universal.
Themes of memory, identity, childhood, friendship, and loss run consistently through the collection.
Bond has always been a master of nostalgia—not the theatrical kind, but the soft ache of remembering people, places, and moments that shaped us. These novellas capture that ache perfectly.
They evoke the sweetness of growing up, the pain of change, and the beauty of holding on to what time threatens to erase.
Nature, as always, plays a central role. Bond’s landscapes are not passive backgrounds—they shape the emotional currents of each story.
Mist, rain, forests, riverbanks, old bungalows, and narrow hill paths appear repeatedly, each carrying symbolic weight.
Nature becomes a mirror to the characters, reflecting their moods, struggles, and moments of clarity.
One of the strongest qualities of this collection is Bond’s ability to blend simplicity with depth.
His prose remains gentle and accessible, but the themes he addresses—loneliness, personal growth, emotional resilience—are profound. He writes with a wisdom that comes from a life lived close to people and nature.
The emotional impact is subtle, accumulating slowly until the story leaves a lingering warmth.
The novellas also highlight Bond’s ability to create atmosphere. Whether the scene is a quiet hillside at dawn, a classroom buzzing with mischief, a deserted road at twilight, or a dusty bazaar filled with noise and life, Bond’s descriptions bring the moments alive. His sensory detail—sights, sounds, smells—makes every setting tangible.
Unhurried Tales also reaffirms Bond’s role as a chronicler of human kindness. While the stories acknowledge suffering and disappointment, they ultimately celebrate the gentle connections that make life meaningful.
Acts of compassion, unexpected friendships, and moments of empathy illuminate the narrative.
The emotional tone of the collection is balanced—sometimes humorous, sometimes melancholic, sometimes adventurous, always sincere.
Bond does not rely on dramatic twists; instead, he lets the emotional truth of the characters drive the narratives. This honesty gives the novellas lasting power.
In the end, the collection becomes more than an anthology—it becomes a philosophy.
It teaches the value of slowing down, paying attention, and embracing life’s quieter joys.
The title Unhurried Tales captures not only the pacing but also the worldview these stories embody.
Most recommended.
May 11, 2020
Disclaimer: I am an ardent lover of the author’s writings, so this review will be rather one-sided.
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This book, put together by the wonderful folks at Aleph, is a collection of the best of Ruskin’s novella writing. It has seven of his most remarkable works, bound together by the common thread of tranquility and restfulness that pervades every page. These stories are part memoir, part autobiographical fiction, part wistful longing for the places and people of the past.
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Time Stops at Shamli takes us to a sleepy foothill town, where we are met with mysterious characters and a hotel falling into disrepair, while an old romance is quietly rekindled. This story is redolent of the song of the koel on languid summer afternoons.
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Bus Stop at Pipalnagar is the story of an impoverished author who finds himself among friends, bedbugs and rats, as he waits to get back on his feet. Your heart breaks slowly for Suraj, even as you smile at the goings on of the others.
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The Last Tiger and Night of the Leopard are reminiscent of those childhood favourites The Lion King and The Jungle Book, as the constant struggle between humans and nature is brought into sharp relief. This, Ruskin does with his usual unobstrusiveness and no unneccessary sense of urgency. The latter story is told mostly through the eyes of Bisnu, a brave and hardworking young boy. Mythology and folklore is woven deftly in with the conversations of the villagers.
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The Angry River is a story of the destruction wrought by nature as human life encroaches on it told through the travails of the courageous Sita, who is left behind alone during a flood with only her hens and doll for company.
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The Blue Umbrella is perhaps the best-loved of Ruskin’s works. This is the story of Binya, a young girl of the Garhwals, who comes into possession of the most beautiful umbrella in the village. This story is a study of human nature, with pride and covetuousness playing a major role in the turn of events. It is also a paean to the heart-warming innocence of childhood.
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My favourite however was Tales of Fosterganj, a collection of anecdotes and remembrances from the narrator’s time in the idyllic town of Fosterganj, a place where nothing seemingly ever happens. The characters we meet are each endearing and memorable in their own way. These chronicles are charming and unique for their intricacy and wit.
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All said and done, this book is the perfect foil to the uncertainties of the present, imbuing your senses with the unchanging romance of nostalgia.
.
This book, put together by the wonderful folks at Aleph, is a collection of the best of Ruskin’s novella writing. It has seven of his most remarkable works, bound together by the common thread of tranquility and restfulness that pervades every page. These stories are part memoir, part autobiographical fiction, part wistful longing for the places and people of the past.
.
Time Stops at Shamli takes us to a sleepy foothill town, where we are met with mysterious characters and a hotel falling into disrepair, while an old romance is quietly rekindled. This story is redolent of the song of the koel on languid summer afternoons.
.
Bus Stop at Pipalnagar is the story of an impoverished author who finds himself among friends, bedbugs and rats, as he waits to get back on his feet. Your heart breaks slowly for Suraj, even as you smile at the goings on of the others.
.
The Last Tiger and Night of the Leopard are reminiscent of those childhood favourites The Lion King and The Jungle Book, as the constant struggle between humans and nature is brought into sharp relief. This, Ruskin does with his usual unobstrusiveness and no unneccessary sense of urgency. The latter story is told mostly through the eyes of Bisnu, a brave and hardworking young boy. Mythology and folklore is woven deftly in with the conversations of the villagers.
.
The Angry River is a story of the destruction wrought by nature as human life encroaches on it told through the travails of the courageous Sita, who is left behind alone during a flood with only her hens and doll for company.
.
The Blue Umbrella is perhaps the best-loved of Ruskin’s works. This is the story of Binya, a young girl of the Garhwals, who comes into possession of the most beautiful umbrella in the village. This story is a study of human nature, with pride and covetuousness playing a major role in the turn of events. It is also a paean to the heart-warming innocence of childhood.
.
My favourite however was Tales of Fosterganj, a collection of anecdotes and remembrances from the narrator’s time in the idyllic town of Fosterganj, a place where nothing seemingly ever happens. The characters we meet are each endearing and memorable in their own way. These chronicles are charming and unique for their intricacy and wit.
.
All said and done, this book is the perfect foil to the uncertainties of the present, imbuing your senses with the unchanging romance of nostalgia.
August 13, 2021
In awe of Ruskin Bond's writing style. I started to read Ruskin Sir's book only recently and am totally in love with his narration. The first novella, Time stops at Shamli, is such a delightful read of a quaint town witch distinct characters and eccentric personalities. At once, I thought the author was just fantasizing in the train and perhaps never visited the town. But, then his each and every experience brought the town to life. Speechless as I was after reading my very first story, the author never fell short of my expectation. The blue umbrella was an endearing story, and the one that gives a wonderful glimpse of life on the mountains and the little possessions that drives us crazy. The icing on the cake was the last Novella - Fosterganj. It has become my absolute favorite story of this book and the one I will never forget, and perhaps, read it every now and then. Again a lifeless town with so much life. The haunted palace, the Hasan's bakery and his many children, the adventure with pick pocketer Sunil, the lizard catching amusement and the young-old boy mystery. I am running out of vocabulary to express how much I loved reading each and every word of Forterganj tales. Ruskin Sir, I bow my head in deep appreciation at your craft. What a master of words. As I write this, my mind is still wandering in the quaint town of Fosterganj, meeting the the bank manager Vishal, the last of Fosters' clan, Hasan, and the room with an English potty and a window that opens to the world beyond. I have never laughed and enjoyed reading a story, like I did while reading this last one. Long live Ruskin Bond!
May 14, 2021
All stars for the stories and the people in them. I have fallen in love with every main character, story by story.
Be it, the cute and empathetic Binya who cares even about the one who wants to part her from her loved possession or Sita, the little soul who keeps faith even in the darkest of time. The brave Bisnu and Puja or the jovial and optimistic Suraj. Even the Tiger, every moment of reading, I could feel him, I cried when he was about to die and then joyful when he found a land of his own and at the same time there's this feeling of loss for the village. There is something in the writing that just makes it all come alive.
Even though the writing is not much imaginative, in retrospect now I feel I somehow subconsciously witnessed all the events and places mentioned.
These are timeless tales. Even though I found it hard to stay focused (there's some sort of a glitch in the writing which kept me from getting engrossed), I still felt as if I time travelled there in those places, in those times and I am going to stay there for some time now.
This is the thing about long stories, and a special thing about these stories is even though they are not long enough but they share common settings, similar people, hence they feel like one big novel only. They surely are a collection to cherish forever.
Be it, the cute and empathetic Binya who cares even about the one who wants to part her from her loved possession or Sita, the little soul who keeps faith even in the darkest of time. The brave Bisnu and Puja or the jovial and optimistic Suraj. Even the Tiger, every moment of reading, I could feel him, I cried when he was about to die and then joyful when he found a land of his own and at the same time there's this feeling of loss for the village. There is something in the writing that just makes it all come alive.
Even though the writing is not much imaginative, in retrospect now I feel I somehow subconsciously witnessed all the events and places mentioned.
These are timeless tales. Even though I found it hard to stay focused (there's some sort of a glitch in the writing which kept me from getting engrossed), I still felt as if I time travelled there in those places, in those times and I am going to stay there for some time now.
This is the thing about long stories, and a special thing about these stories is even though they are not long enough but they share common settings, similar people, hence they feel like one big novel only. They surely are a collection to cherish forever.
September 24, 2018
Unhurried Tales: My Favourite Novellas by Ruskin Bond is a collection of some of his well-known stories. During the last one week of crazy post-holiday work, this book was one of the factors that eased things up for me. Ruskin Bond is known for his tales from the hills, that typically waft of mighty deodars, amicable characters, man-eating leopards, beautiful walks, snow-capped roofs, gushing rivers and more. The tales in this book are no different and carry all that typical Landour hypnotic charm. While The Blue Umbrella is about Binia & the most beautiful Umbrella in the village, the Last Tiger narrates the story of the lone tiger & his conflict with humans. My only discomfort with some of these stories is the human-animal conflict that comes-up quite frequently, something that is prevalent even more now. Besides that, these novellas are the most apt prescription for the haphazard mechanical urban lives that a lot of us are afflicted with.
June 25, 2021
🌸Unhurried Tales by Ruskin Bond
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🌸Genre - Non - fiction
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🌸Unhurried Tales is a collection of seven novels written by our beloved Ruskin Bond. Here you can found the finest and most famous novels of him.... after completing this book...I am just addicted to it.. from fosterganj's entertaining adventures to Times stop at shamli and blue umbrella which are the best selling books for forty years and still now...you can find everything . This stories speak about the places which are doesn't exists now ...but there magical powers can still enchanted you by their beautiful stories. Ruskin Bond travel through out the small towns and small villages of Indian hills over sixty years...his own experiences about those places you can found by his novels...if you are looking for something adventures, magical, entertaining...you should try this book.
Love,
Aditi ❤️
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🌸Genre - Non - fiction
.
🌸Unhurried Tales is a collection of seven novels written by our beloved Ruskin Bond. Here you can found the finest and most famous novels of him.... after completing this book...I am just addicted to it.. from fosterganj's entertaining adventures to Times stop at shamli and blue umbrella which are the best selling books for forty years and still now...you can find everything . This stories speak about the places which are doesn't exists now ...but there magical powers can still enchanted you by their beautiful stories. Ruskin Bond travel through out the small towns and small villages of Indian hills over sixty years...his own experiences about those places you can found by his novels...if you are looking for something adventures, magical, entertaining...you should try this book.
Love,
Aditi ❤️
August 5, 2018
A masterpiece from a master storyteller..
A masterpiece from a master storyteller, telling stories out of his own unhurried way. The way the stories are narrated were the lives many of us lives and seen in the good old days. Slow, no hurry, life going on its own pace.
I can not help myself stopping without a quote from the story, "The Last Tiger" here comes the quote. "The tiger is the very soul of India, and when the last tiger has gone, so will the soul of the country."
A masterpiece from a master storyteller, telling stories out of his own unhurried way. The way the stories are narrated were the lives many of us lives and seen in the good old days. Slow, no hurry, life going on its own pace.
I can not help myself stopping without a quote from the story, "The Last Tiger" here comes the quote. "The tiger is the very soul of India, and when the last tiger has gone, so will the soul of the country."
August 6, 2018
As a kid I remember having believed that animals had personalities too, Ruskin Bond's Unhurried tales made me realize it again. The simple element and innocence of the characters with a personal autobiographical touch into the stories is nothing but beauty woven in words. The book has seven short novels or novellas a literature form which is somewhere between a short story and a novel (to state in layman terms). A must have if you are a fiction fan.
April 7, 2019
This book was not at all as per my expectations. I was really really excited to read the time stops at shamli and while reading it , it was interesting . But then the end of the story was just not satisfying and I don't know why people love it . The writing was as usual very nice but i just didn't feel like reading any further. I haven't completed this book just read the one story and don't feel like reading this book any further . I hope maybe someday I'll again pick this one up.
July 13, 2020
I have read nearly all his books on paper kindle good reads.
Time and again.
The best part about Ruskins writings is they make you feel so real. U can feel the breeze u can see the mountains. The characters are so real.
They take me back to nostalgic Doon days.
The writing skills are his inborn talent.
Best wishes always. With all your books and life experiences which you share with us In such simple pure straight from the heart.
Love your books.
Time and again.
The best part about Ruskins writings is they make you feel so real. U can feel the breeze u can see the mountains. The characters are so real.
They take me back to nostalgic Doon days.
The writing skills are his inborn talent.
Best wishes always. With all your books and life experiences which you share with us In such simple pure straight from the heart.
Love your books.
January 14, 2023
Being a frequent reader of short stories, this was an excellent pick. Well written and easy to understand with no complex choice of words. Something that makes you stick to Ruskin Bond books, is the connect that you feel with the stories. If you are not a follower of anthologies or never ending novels, and if you take breaks from reading, this consolidation of short stories, is a brilliant choice. 😊
July 11, 2018
Nostalgia at its best
This book, especially the stories about Shamli and The Blue Umbrella, took me into spaces which are rarely accessible to a city mind. Such profound things disguised as simple words with a heart so close to nature and Truth. Ruskin Bond is what every reader and writer must read - since such beauty is hard to find on the pages of today's bestellers.
This book, especially the stories about Shamli and The Blue Umbrella, took me into spaces which are rarely accessible to a city mind. Such profound things disguised as simple words with a heart so close to nature and Truth. Ruskin Bond is what every reader and writer must read - since such beauty is hard to find on the pages of today's bestellers.
September 2, 2018
A sense of life belonging to small places full of life. The book makes us live those moments. Immerse it in reading unhurried way thr way it is named and tales written about.
It is pleasure to read unhurried tales in unhurried way. These novellas makes you feel an experience of an Indian experiencing India.
It is pleasure to read unhurried tales in unhurried way. These novellas makes you feel an experience of an Indian experiencing India.
September 11, 2018
Captivating.
After not reading for some time, this book was perfect to put me in pace. The tales are truly unhurried and being a compilation of short stories, I could take my sweet little breaks to sink in the previous story.
Must read for anyone who's looking for crisp, short tales which are beautiful in their own way.
After not reading for some time, this book was perfect to put me in pace. The tales are truly unhurried and being a compilation of short stories, I could take my sweet little breaks to sink in the previous story.
Must read for anyone who's looking for crisp, short tales which are beautiful in their own way.
May 12, 2020
Purely Magical!
All I can say about the book is it is simply amazing
Ruskin Bond has got something that brings life to his stories
As a reader I longed to visit atleast of those mountain-bound villages described in his stories
After reading this, I will definitely go for more of Ruskin's and I am very satisfied with this book
All I can say about the book is it is simply amazing
Ruskin Bond has got something that brings life to his stories
As a reader I longed to visit atleast of those mountain-bound villages described in his stories
After reading this, I will definitely go for more of Ruskin's and I am very satisfied with this book
May 29, 2020
Ruskin bond's words never fail to captivate one's imagination,invoking a sense of nostalgia within the reader. He is a great story teller, and this book, a collection of novellas, is a testimony to his ability of weaving vivid and lively images of his early years with his arsenal of words.
This book is truly a must read for Ruskin bond's fans.
This book is truly a must read for Ruskin bond's fans.
August 8, 2020
It's a collection of seven of Ruskin Bond's novellas. I had read two of them before but I didn't mind reading them again. His stories always make me nostalgic for small, obscure towns where lives are simple. Also, with his wit makes up for any lack of grand events and it's within the tedium of everyday life that he finds his stories.
July 24, 2018
Overall I liked the read because the narration takes us to place, be it the hills or the island... I liked Blue umberalla, Angry river, the last tiger and the night of the leopard, the most as compared to other stories. It was very simple and yet strong.
September 2, 2018
6 Novellas portraying beauty of nature in its every aay possible. Language is simple hence a easy read but the plot is deep and very heart touching. This is my first read of Ruskin Bond and now he us one of my favorite authors. Planning to read more of his work.
July 16, 2024
It’s impossible that I don’t read a Ruskin Bond in summer. And what’s better than a single novel? So many novellas!! Loved all the stories, re read the classics and overall fell in love with the easygoing narrative that Bond effortlessly employs 🥰
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