The Penguin Book of Indian Railway Stories

by Ruskin Bond

The stories in this collection capture the essence of the Indian Railways - from the small-town station, at the time of the Raj, to the present day big-city station bursting at the seams. The teening and varied life of the Indian Railway station and its environs have fascinated writers from Jules Verne in the 1870s to more recently Satyajit Ray, R.K. Laxman and more modern writers. In this anthology, one of India's best-known writers makes a selection of greattest railway stories the subcontinent has produced. Julese Verne Rudyard Kipling Flora Annie Steel Hon. J.W. Best Jim Corbett Khushwant Singh Ruskin Bond Manoj Das Intizar Husain Satyajit Ray Bill Aitkin R.K. Laxman Victor Banerjee Manojit Mitra.

Genres: Short Stories, Fiction, India, Trains

200 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1994

About the author

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.

Reviews

[Shekhar Ruparelia · Rating 3 out of 5]

(A slightly longer and more personal review of this book appears on my blog: https://adventuresofatraveller.wordpr... Please do have a look at that too. Thanks!)

This book is split into two halves: stories from before and after India’s independence. And although I’d expected the stories in the first half to fascinate me more, this is where disappointment lay. In place of stories which I expected to make me travel back in time, to a place where railway stations were little hubs of activity and filled with interesting stories, I was peddled with stories with weak plots which rather felt like I was sipping tepid and tasteless chai at a railway station.

The only story worth mentioning from the first half is the excerpt from Jules Verne’s Around the World In Eighty Days. The story is able to capture some of the romance of early railroad travel made especially challenging in Indian conditions. In it is a description of the opulent city of Bombay, forests to be crossed and unexpected interruptions as Phileas Fogg and Passepartout make their way across the Indian sub-continent.

The rest of the stories in the first half, even though a couple of them are by Kipling, can be skipped over. They did little to catch my attention and much to test my patience.

What impressed me really, was the second half of the book. With stories from writers such as Khushwant Singh, Satyajit Ray and Ruskin Bond himself, I knew I wouldn’t be disappointed. And I wasn’t.

The following is a brief review of each of the stories that appear in the Stories After Independence section:

Loyalty by Jim Corbett – One of the two disappointments in this second half, Loyalty is an autobiographical narration by Corbett about his challenges from the time when he was employed in the Indian Railways. The only aspect of this story that caught my eye was how much responsibility a twenty-one year old was entrusted with back then. My rating: 2/5

Mano Majra Station by Khushwant Singh – An extract from Singh’s Train To Pakistan. The tale, which begins amusingly, is a story set in the Punjab during the time of Partition. It captures the character of a village caught up in forces beyond its reckoning, as the story comes to a chilling end. My rating: 4/5

The Woman on Platform 8 by Ruskin Bond – A vintage Ruskin Bond story. A schoolboy, travelling alone, is waiting at a station for his train. A woman befriends him and offers him a meal. But are things really what they seem or is she a crook? My rating: 4/5

The Intimate Demon by Manoj Das – A beautifully worded little story about a father and daughter’s railway journey. My rating: 4/5

A Stranded Railroad Car by Intizar Husain – A group of men in a village gather round for their evening hookah and narrate tales of this new fangled beast called the railroad car. My rating: 3/5

Barin Bhowmik’s Ailment by Satyajit Ray – The master story-teller that he is, Ray whips up the suspense pretty early in the story and the surprise ending will certainly make you smile. My rating: 4/5

Balbir Arora goes Metric by Bill Aitken – The second and final weak story in the second half. Too long-winded. Might be of some interest to a railway geek. My rating: 3/5

Railway Reverie by R. K. Laxman – An extract from Laxman’s book The Messenger. An ill-chosen extract perhaps, because it was surprisingly short and had a very abrupt ending. My rating: 3/5

The Cherry Choo-Choo by Victor Banerjee – A heartwarming little tale which made me laugh at a number of places. My rating: 4/5

99 UP by Manojit Mitra – “This is the kind of story about railways that I wanted to read,” I told myself when I finished 99 UP. The story captures how a little town on the outskirts of Calcutta gets caught up in a frenzy when a movie star is expected to drop by for a film’s release. The story describes the various people of the village and how the visit captures each one’s imagination. My rating: 5/5

Lingering thoughs:

It is a sad sign of the times that in a book of Indian railway stories, I kept reading POW, which was supposed to stand for Palace on Wheels, as Prisoners of War. Sigh.

“The blue-eyed, brown-haired and pale-skinned Anglo-Indian engine driver who had rolled the ‘Choo-Choo’ into town, was whisked away by hordes of admirers, laced with rice wine that had fermented for weeks in diurnal anticipation of the arrival of the train and, in the morning, was discovered dead in the local brothel where, introduced as an Apollo from Calcutta, he succumbed to an endless striving to uphold his standard.”

“‘An old buddy?’ ‘No,’ murmured Bridges with a slight smile, ‘Half-devil and half-child, but by the living God that made him, he was a better man than I. A funny story; a wonderful memory.'”

Two books added to my to-read list from here: Around The World In Eighty days by Jules Verne and 20 Stories by Satyajit Ray.

Must read more stuff by Manojit Mitra.

[Phalguni · Rating 4 out of 5]

Found it hard to relate to the pre-independence stories, partly because I am just not comfortable with the British style of writing, but couldn't help but hug the book after almost every post-independence story! The book truly reunited me with my beloved Indian railway!!

[dunkdaft · Rating 3 out of 5]

Had high hopes from this collection but it did disappoint me. Especially the stories set in the pre-independence era. Only a few (surprisingly credited to Anonymous) are good. Stories after independence get an interesting collection. Of course, because of stalwarts like Ray, RK Laxman, and Khushwant Singh. However, all together, this is an average collection of stories.

[Ghost · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this book as a gift from my English teacher for performing well academically throughout the year. Had high expectations but other than Jim Corbett's story and a couple more in the 'Stories after Independence' part, the stories were really short and had abrupt endings as the excerpts were badly chosen. Rudyard Kipling's stories are worth skipping. My personal favourites were the 'Cherry Choo Choo and 99 UP as they provided a true insight into railway travel with a small station situated in a small town.
Overall it didn't capture my imagination and failed to portray the essence of Railway travel before my time.

[Ravinder · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fantastic read.

I liked the stories in the "After Independence" section better. With the exception of The luck of John Fernandez.

For me the best story was The Cherry Choo-Choo, closely followed by Balbir Arora Goes Metric. The stories are not all about Railways. Some are loosely connected to trains or stations.

Personally, I found Rudyard Kipling stories the most difficult/uninteresting, and there are two of them. The second one - The Bold 'Prentice is the better one.

Worth a read once

[Sathish · Rating 4 out of 5]

Always been a big fan of Ruskin Bond and I was sure that I could trust his taste. The collection of stories is a quick and enjoyable read, especially if you are fascinated by the great Indian railways.

As other readers have pointed out the weakest link in this collection is the story entitled "The man who would be king". The story by Kipling is barely related to the railways and long winded (longest story in the book). The other Kipling story was much better and I enjoyed it despite my reservations about Kipling; I wish we would stop prescribing such prominence to such a bigot.

The story "Mano Majra station" by Khushwant Singh is an excerpt from his novel "Train to Pakistan". Just like the novel, the story hits hard and leaves you with a sense of dread that is hard to put in words. "The woman on platform 8" by Ruskin Bond was a staple of CBSE English textbooks and rightfully, at least in my mind, remains a classic. In "Loyalty" by Jim Corbett, the author gives us a peek into how his dally with India started and how he ended up being the Indophile that he turned out to be. Satyajit Ray and R.K. Lakshman, true to form, did not disappoint either.

Overall, if you have a couple hours to spare, go right ahead and pick up this book. Maybe something to read on your next travel on the great Indian railways!

[Hema Venkataramani · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Pengin Book of Indian Railway Stories : Edited by Ruskin Bond
I was drawn to this book as I am a bit partial to books written by Ruskin Bond. Besides the book is not voluminous and contains short stories written by eminent authors ranging from Jules Verne, Bill Aitken, Kipling to name a few. The stories tell us very vividly about their unique experiences with the railways from the time of the Raj to the modern day.Every story is set in the backdrop of the railways and there is a twist to every story towards the end. In the introduction to this collection, the author explains in a candid fashion as to why he has chosen to write on the subject of the Indian railways despite the fact that he is not really a “great railway traveller”. In “Soot gets into Your Eyes”, the author tells us about his exposure to the railways, from his boyhood days, as his maternal grandfather, William Clerke was Assistant Station Master at Karachi in the 1920s and his uncle Fred Clark, was Station Superintendent at Delhi Main during World War II. His uncle in fact owned a bungalow near the station which left the garden with fine film of soot as the steam engines passed by and their constant clamour would drown all the other sounds.The author would often spend time on railway platforms and was inspired to write railway stories such as “The Night train at Deoli, “The woman on platform 8”. While not writing, he would browse at the station bookstalls such as A.H. Wheeler and Co. in the north and Higginbothams to the south. These bookstalls were among the pioneers of publishing in India. We still get to see these bookstalls in some of the stations today. The stories are divided into two sections, Stories before Independence and Stories after Independence. They tell us about the experiences of writers belonging to two different periods as they capture the unique atmosphere of the stations. During the days of the Raj travelling by rail was not smoothsailing, as there were break of journeys and the travellers had to take a different mode of transport to reach their destination. Generally, the railway tracks were broad guage, but there were certain areas in the south and in the north where the metre guage tracks were also laid. The present-day Indian railways have adopted the policy of Uniguage throughout the country by converting all existing metre guage lines into broad guage. In “99 UP”, Manojit Mitra describes as to how the station in the sleepy village of Seulia comes to life for a short period of time when the villagers come to know that a film star is visiting their village. The story ends with a deep disappointment to the villagers as the film star fails to turn up to attend the inaugral show of his latest film,” Naba Anuraag”, in the village talkies. Satyajit Ray in his tale titled,” Barin Bhowmik’s Ailment,” gives the readers a glimpse of unusual encounters on train journeys. Khushwant Singh’s story resonates with the horrors of the communal holocaust,following Partition, in “Mano Majra Station”.He writes, “the village was stilled in a deathly silence. No one asked anyone else what the odor was. They all knew. The answer was implicit in the fact that the train had come from Pakistan. “In Jim Corbett’s “Loyalty”, we become aware of his fascination for the Railways and his undying love for India, apart from being a wild life hunter and conservationist. In Kipling’s stories, the description of the railways is ever present, which is just as relevant today as it was during the days of the Raj. In his story, “The man who would be king”, he says, “the beginning of everything was in a railway train upon the road to Mhow to Ajmir”, which sets the tone for the rest of his work, as he goes on to describe Marwar Junction and which develops into one of his finest stories. In “Balbir Arora goes Metric”, Bill Aitken in his opening line says “India’s metre guage possesses a magic of its own”, which tells us of his preference over the broad guage, further, he says that it” gives you more of the essential India, being the only line that can claim to be pan-subcontinental”. He tells us about his experience with the Palace on Wheels,(POW), as he gets an invitation to ride a brand new rake that heralded a modernized version of the train.But Aitken seems to feel that this project has not quite succeeded in giving the real feel of the Indian railways as it lacked the “actual railway atmosphere”, and that it was a “snob’s tour of Rajasthan’s palaces”. According to his opinion, the POW project in its present form could be suitably tweaked to make it interesting to the tourists and more attractive to them in the Railways quest for earning Forex. Waxing lyrical about the metre guage, he says that “the modest impact of being pulled by diesel is instantly forgettable. “This was all the more so, as he was the sole ticket holding passenger on the empty 211 UP Alanavar-Dandeli Mixed and the switch to the upmarket symphony of the money spinning POW was disappointing to say the least. He finds the YG class engines, “superbly caparisoned and simmering in all their buffed splendour”. The big trunk routes with their welded rails fail to make any impression. After all what is the railway without its “clicks and clacks”. The difference between diesel and the “chhoti line” is the “hiatus between tossed back best-seller and the lingering savour on the palate that betokens true literature”.That is Bill Aitken for you on Indian railways. In the final analysis , this book beautifully puts into perspective the history of the Indian railways over time.

[Suyog Garg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice reading!!

There a total 18 stories divided into two parts, pre-independence and post-independence. The set of stories has been lovingly chosen to include a wide variety of experiences. The two I liked the most are 'Snow Leopard' by Flora Annie Steel and 'A Stranded Rail Road Car' by Intizar Husain. Although most of the tales bring there own charm with them, from the colonial rustic environments to the altered landscapes of Independent India with the signature diesel engines in operation, I liked the particular mentioned above because of the mystic allure they carry. Both of the stories leave a piece of the heart touched by seemingly innocent emotions and ethereal encounters.

All in all, as with much of Bond's collections, this book is thoroughly enjoyable and duly recommended.

[Tony · Rating 3 out of 5]

Charming, if a little insubstantial, collection of stories and fragments that feature Indian railways. In some the railway is merely the setting for the writing although others are more securely planted in the lore and laws of the railways. Anyone reading to gain insight into the workings or atmosphere of the vast organisation of Indian railways might find rather slim pickings although there is something to be gained. I've had this book (unread) on my shelf since I bought it in southern India around 30 years ago, so it was perhaps a little underwhelming!

[Shyam Kodavarthi · Rating 3 out of 5]

I bought the book thinking it's a book of short train travel stories. Other than one story, it is all fiction. But I still enjoyed it. Though the source and the original date of publication is mentioned for some stories, it is not available for all. Had it been done, it would have given more context. Some stories, even though long, have been printed in full while some other stories have been cut short. I found that to be unprofessional.

[Arun · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a serendipitous find in a bookshop. It turned out to be a charming anthology of stories, each one woven around India's lifeline—the railways. These tales traverse through the changing landscapes of India, covering pre and post-Independence days. They stir varied emotions, but most deeply, they rekindle that comforting nostalgia tied to sleepy stations, rhythmic wheels, and the gentle sway of carriages. A delightful read for anyone who holds a soft corner in their heart for trains.

[Divya Pal · Rating 2 out of 5]

There are a few gems among the chaff in this book. Tales that barely have a tangential relation to trains were superfluous, Kipling’s narrative about a fictional country near Afghanistan being one example. However, the other contribution by Kipling is a gem, as is the auto-biographical story by Corbett. A fairly pedestrian compilation, alas.

[Vineet Garg · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some of the stories were very engaging while others were an easy read. Right mixture and a good collection to showcase perspectives with regards to Indian railways. My favourite was The Railway Reverie.

[Deepu Shibu · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some of the stories in this story collection curated by Ruskin Bond arent full stories. They are excerpts from other stories. I felt that to be a bit clumsy. I wouldnt have mind if they were short stories at all.

[THARINI N · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's one my first books and it's a signed copy bg himself guyssssss!!!!!!!

[Ganesh Datar · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mostly excerpts related to Indian Railways from other longer stories, apart from few full stories penned by Ruskin Bond, Manoj Das and Satyajit Ray.

[Indian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Indian railways had always had a magnetic pull on travelers. This short anthology by Ruskin Bond was suggested read by the on-board railway magazine RAIL-BANDHU. I have been an avid reader of RAIL-BANDHU in all my journeys through the Rajdhani, Shatabdi & Durontu trains.
A short story collection is like a buffet lunch, the assortment gives a rare chance for the reader to spot writers of his liking.
I discovered many writers through this book, the most amazing being Bill Aitken. His lucid prose with history, geography & cultural insights is a must read for Indofiles.
These are the writers would have been left in the sidelines, as the marketers charge ahead with nonsensical authors who yields more revenues!
Loyalty by Jim Corbet made me fall in love with Corbet yet over again. Such love for India has been shown by few westerners.
Manoj Das - a oriya writer- also shines away with his story, so does Victor Bannerji & Manojit Mitra & not to forget Mr. Ray!
Few stories were ok, average stuff, however the longest story was by Mr Kipling, the poet-author who adored Imperialism. His piece on the lost tribes of Greece - the Kalash folks of Pakistan - was a great read.
I am no Kipling fan, I would anyday prefer Orwell rather than Kipling, but Mr Kipling was a born with a flair for writing!
Kuddos to Mr Bond for this nice collection on Indian Railway Stories - few before 1947 & few after that.
A good read for Indian Railway aficionados!

[Jatin Kanwar · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice collection of short stories by Indian & foreign authors. The book is divided into two halves , stories before the independence and stories after the independence .
Each story somehow comes and links itself to this Lifeline of India (The gr8 Indian Railways) .

[Debalina · Rating 4 out of 5]

a quaint little collection reminiscing mainly the old(it's 2016 & this book came out in 1994) Indian Railways and the somewhere-steamy-somewhere-electrical nostalgia associated with it...
a nice little read for times you have less time & much pressure... this book relaxes you... :)

[Aakanksha Singh · Rating 3 out of 5]

awesome!

[Tanvi · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice anthology of stories (oh, how I wish I could change that descriptor!). It was quite fun to see so many famous authors gathered around one topic.

[Nitish Williamson]

A good collection, being a Ruskin Bond fan, gave me insight to what kind of literature would

[Ritambhara Dixit · Rating 3 out of 5]

okay