A Face in the Dark and Other Hauntings

by Ruskin Bond

Ruskin bond once famously remarked that while he does not believe in ghosts, he sees them all the time - in the woods, in a bar, in a crowd outside a cinema. Not surprising, then, that in his stories ghosts, jinns, witches - and the occasional monster - ae as real as the people he writes about. He makes the supernatural appear entirely natural, and therefore harder to ignore. This collection brings together all of Ruskin Bond's tales of the paranormal written over five decades. It opens with perhaps his best-known story, the unforgettable, Á face in the dark', set in a pine forest outside Simla, and ends with the shockingly macabre 'Night of the Millennium', where the scene of the action is an abondoned cemetery. In between are tales featuring monkeys and a pack of dogs come back from the dead, an elderly lady who is a witch after dark, a schoolboy riding his bicycle up and down the country road where he was killed, and Kipling's ghost in London's Victoria and Albert Museum. comprising twenty-eight classic stories that range from the chilling to the whimsical for the supernatural has its funny side too, a face in the dark and other hauntings is the perfect collection to have by your bedside when the moon is up.

Genres: Horror, Short Stories, Fiction, India, Anthologies, Humor, Supernatural

208 pages, Hardcover

First published September 15, 2004

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

[Sumati · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a kid I loved horror and I remember my brother and I hunting for ghost stories in every book, movie and TV shows. I belong to a hill station(a rainy one) myself and spook-fest is a major part of growing up there.The weather, the atmosphere, the ambiance always perfect to brew blood-curdling stories; true or untrue? The answer to that only lies deep within the wind which carried it all around the town.

Everyone loves horror stories once in a while and anybody who doesn't agree with me is most definitely lying through the teeth. My Ma loves it too and she and my Pishi(aunt)were an active partner in our endeavors to find a bone-chilling TV show and it is during this time that we came across a show called 'Anant', on Zee Tv . This show was remarkably different than the other shows of the same genre which presented some obnoxiously deformed ghosts and nonsensically directed sequences which can only evoke laughter, and in the least inspire fear.

Anant was a well directed short series based on the ghost tales of Ruskin Bond and when I read this book I found many of my memories rushing back. Bond's ghost stories are different in the way that they don't force fear on you with ghost stereotypes, they just leave an uncanny feeling in you. He infact writes about the supernatural in a very matter-of-fact and believable way. The author seems to be trying to tell us that the presence of ghosts is almost natural and they can be spotted anywhere-in a pub, in a forest, in a garden, outside a theater and other such places where we visit often and this is what leaves you feeling frightened.

Read this book if you decide to take a break from deep, serious reading and choose to read something light and spooky underpinned by brilliant descriptions of the Himalayas and other various hill stations and forests thrown in. Read it when you want to travel to the world of the paranormal that seems to harmoniously exist side by side with the real world....well, I guess almost.... ;)

[Dystopian · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the creepiest books I have ever read. Literally!

[Reading_ Tamishly · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the best Ruskin Bond collections!

1)A Face in the Dark
The creepiest one! Will haunt you forever (5 🌟)

2)The Monkeys
Horror with gruesome flashbacks (4 🌟)

3)The Haunted Bicycle
Horror (the kids are creepy!) (4 🌟)


4)The Vision
Sweet & poignant. Talks about the memories of his first book 'The Room on the Roof' & the vision he saw of his dead father (4 🌟)


5)Whistling in the Dark
The phantom bicycle-rider (3 🌟)

6)Reunion at the Regal
The ghost who stands outside New Delhi's Regal Cinema (sweet & creepy!) (5 🌟)


7)Wilson's Bridge
A haunting story of a love tragedy (5 🌟)


8)Topaz
The author lived with a ghost without realizing she was a .... (5 🌟)

9)The Black Cat
Paranormal/witches (4 🌟)

10)Whispering in the Dark
Stay in a room at night haunted by a family of ghosts! (5 🌟)


11)The Wind on Haunted Hill
Imagination/mind tricks (5 🌟)


12)The Ghost in the Garden
Haunting/the spirit of a sad woman who committed suicide (3 🌟)


13)On Fairy Hill
Paranormal/delirium/fairies (4 🌟)


14)Would Astley Return
How a soul never leaves (3 🌟)


15)The Prize
The horror of realizing of yourself lying next to your own dead body! (4 🌟)


16)Eyes of the cat
Paranormal/Is she a human or a ... ? (4 🌟)


17)Susanna's Seven Husbands
The woman who's still searching for her final victim after her death (5 🌟)


18)The Trouble with Jinns
Paranormal/funny/creepy (5 🌟)


19)The Haunted Bungalow
The 'prets' residing in the peepal trees, the horror of their tantrums (3 🌟)


20)Ganpat's Story
What's true Vs what's a tall story (3 🌟)


21)Listen to the Wind
Whispers of the lost souls (3 🌟)


22)Ghosts of the Savoy
An urban legend (3 🌟)


23)The Man Who was Kipling
The author meeting with Rudyard Kipling (4 🌟)


24)The Daffodil Case
The author meeting with Sherlock Holmes (4 🌟)


25)Picnic At Fox-burn
When kids see paranormal beings! (4 🌟)


26)Something in the Water
The 'giant something' in the pool near Raipur (4 🌟)


27)The Family Ghost (4 🌟)


28)Night of the Millennium
The dead bodies get feasted upon! (4 🌟)

[Neha Gupta · Rating 3 out of 5]

Horror genre is not really my cup of tea. But Ruskin Bond stories are not horror they are like experiences. They make you feel you are spending a weekend on a hill station and then late night next to the bonfire everyone starts telling you about the stories they have heard from strangers with haunting experiences. None of these experiences are dangerous, life threatening or altering – they are just different. All his stories are good hearted, honest and believable. They make you warm like the bonfire burning and your attention only diverts when shadows move in the vicinity or leaves rustle as if someone far is listening.

With this collection Ruskin Bond yet again proves he is a master story teller and more than that a master story collector. I cannot imagine him sitting and wondering how he should form or end a fictional story. I always imagine him traveling, meeting people, interacting and bonding with them to share their stories with him and then he presents to you the same in the same tone and style bringing his silent listener’s great talent in it. You are immediately transported to the hills watching the sun setting beautifully and getting ready for a great story telling session through the night.

[Preetam Chatterjee · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the unnerving stillness of the first COVID wave—when everything normal had been paused and the world had the eerie vibe of an abandoned hill station—I reached for A Face in the Dark and Other Hauntings. Ruskin Bond’s collection of ghost stories, read under flickering lights with a bottle of sanitizer close by, felt oddly... appropriate.

These weren’t the shrieking, jump-scare kind of stories. No gore, no gorefests. Bond does better—he haunts softly. A faceless schoolboy. A silent figure in the mist. Footsteps on empty staircases. The kind of ghosts that slip in between tea breaks and memory gaps.

What hit me most was how the line between life and death felt so thin during that time—and Bond's stories leaned right into that sensation. The hauntings weren’t terrifying; they were melancholic, almost gentle. Like memories that refused to leave, like old regrets politely hanging about. He doesn't scream "boo"; he whispers, "remember?"

Reading it then, in isolation, I realized these stories were less about fear and more about presence—about the things that linger long after they're gone. That, too, was the mood of 2020.

And when I’d close the book at night, the silence outside didn't feel quite so empty. It felt full—of pasts, of pauses, of stories unfinished.

[Manish Mahajan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved it. In fact this book is a great influence in me attempting to follow the large footsteps of Ruskin Bond. In my soon to be published book of ghost stories, one of the story is inspired by an excerpt from this book's foreword.

In this collection by Ruskin Bond, there are two things which stand out for me
1) the simple english. I recall the story A Face in the Dark was in our CBSE class 6 or 7 english syllabus. Its indeed masterful to write otherwise complex topics like supernatural in the simplest of languages.
2) the fact that it is one of the best examples of supernatural writing I have come across, which is very distinct from horror. A supernatural story does not and should not always make you start sweating, feeling cold down the spine or loose your sleep. This genre can be funny, emotional and light also.

[Neha Nagda · Rating 4 out of 5]

It wasn't as much about the book as it was about the ambiance in which I had read its creepiest stories. A loft on the river with just a glass door for protection, alone in the woods. And I loved the thrill I got then. Got to finish the rest of it only now, not bad.

[Samir Ahmed · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ruskin Bond stories are always light and entertaining. This book is a collection of short stories based mostly on mountains of India. The author uses some of the local hindi words that gives more realistic feeling and connects the readers instantly to the sequence; like sahib, jharoo, prets, churels, chowkidar, memsahibs, chamchas, etc. And i never knew before that Prets are so naughty!! And the Jinns have a weakness for women with a long black hair! And what does Succubi does, you better read the book!
Among all the stories, my favorites are :
A Face in the Dark, Reunion at Regal, The Black Cat, On Fairy Hill, Would Astley Return, The trouble with Jinns, The haunted bungalow, Ganpat's Story, The Man who was Kipling, The Daffodil Case and The night of the Millennium.
Overall, it is a #Goodread ! Go ahead and buy a copy for yourself. And do read in the 'Dark!'

[Arvind Iyer · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars.

[Sumit Singla · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ruskin Bond really knows how to create an atmosphere. And of course, all the stories in this book are intended to create an eerie one.

Some of them fail. Spectacularly. There are others, which don't horrify you. In fact, you might even read them, shrug your shoulders, and say, "Ghost stories, seriously?"

BIG mistake! For when it's a dark, rainy night and the power's out due to a storm, you just might hear a faint sound of footsteps and tinkling anklets. Well, in that case, don't sleep!

Considering I stayed in a small hilly town for nearly 10 years, the setting of most of the stories is very real and believable. Bond gets the mix of surreality and reality right on most occasions. And 'A Face in the Dark' and 'The Monkeys' are my favourite stories in this collection.

If you're a fan of Ruskin Bond's work, you might actually come across some of these stories in other collections. However, by itself, this isn't among his best work. Some of the stories are plain lame, or perhaps meant for younger readers. (Or, I've made my bones by reading too much of Stephen King and Japanese horror in the last decade.)

In a nutshell, some stories - excellent, others - ridiculously simplistic.

[Abhinav · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 to 4 stars. Would've been half a star less if not for 'The Daffodil Case' featuring Sherlock Holmes.

This book is a collection of ghost stories which are intriguing, sometimes funny & spooky rather than downright scary. Like most short story collections, some fail to live up to the mark as the others. And some parts of the stories often seem to get repetitive, besides a few phrases. But Ruskin Bond being the great writer he is, he never fails to engage your attention & you keep on reading without getting bored.

It also happens that I read two of the stories in this long back - 'The Monkeys' & 'Eyes of the Cat'. So don't be surprised if you encounter a few familiar ones because most of the stories in the book have been published before.

All in all, a fine collection by one of India's best writers. Recommended.

[Amrita · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having spent a good portion of my teen years in a sleepy little hilly town , I connect with Bond's idea of eerie , probably a little more than most would. It just exists. No starts, no gasps, no shocks. It simply exists. And you have no choice but to fall in love with it. Beautifully so.

[Sragdharamalini · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio,
Than are dreamt of in your philosophy.
—Shakespeare, Hamlet, Act I Scene V

Ruskin Bond says, while a good ghost story may not turn us into a believer in the supernatural, it can make us ponder upon the mysteries of human existence, and raise the possibility of another layer of life outside our material selves—something of the soul-force, the aura of a person that lingers on after the body is no more. Most of his stories are set in the hill-stations and small towns in the foothills of the Himalayas, away from the urban setting. Perhaps it is where “the inward eye” is able to speak the best.

Here, I would like to take up the titular story of this collection.

A Face in the Dark is set in Simla. Ruskin Bond once remarked that while he does not believe in ghosts, he sees them all the time—in the woods, in a bar, in a crowd outside a cinema. It is not surprising therefore, that the realm of the supernatural finds an expression in Ruskin Bond’s stories. He skillfully wields scary techniques in his short stories pertaining to the supernatural, thus sowing seeds of fear and suspense in the minds of his readers.
The protagonist, Mr. Oliver was an Anglo-Indian teacher, who taught in an English public school on the outskirts of the hill-station of Simla. He was a bachelor and was probably staying alone in the school premises. It was his usual leisurely activity to stroll into the town in the evening to the Simla Bazaar, about three miles from the school, with its cinemas and restaurants, returning only after dark by taking a short cut through the pine forest. A courageous man, he was not nervous or imaginative. The spectral pine forest, the eerie atmosphere with a strong wind blowing, making sad sounds, which kept most people to the main road, seemingly had no effect on him. The batteries of Oliver’s torch running down create an atmosphere of fear and suspense, indicating that something evil is going to happen.

On his way back to the school, “returning after dark”, Oliver sights upon a boy, sitting alone on a rock in the midst of the forest, late at night. He had his head hung down and held his face in his hands. The “figure of the[a] boy” marked the inception of trepidation in his mind, as well as the readers, evoking a sense of an ominous foreboding. His silent sobbing accentuates the anxiety. The flickering light of the torch that he carried, with its “batteries [were] running down” creates a sense of tension. On Oliver held the torch against the face of the boy, he was horrified at shockingly macabre face, rather facelessness. The suspense is further heightened when Oliver started running away from the faceless boy, the torch falling “from his trembling hand”. He saw “a lantern swinging in the middle of the path” and stumbled upon a watchman only to find that he too was faceless. The climax is reached “when the wind blew the lamp out”, leaving the readers to imagine what might have happened to Oliver.

Narrating the story in third person, Bond has focused on the details, necessary to the creation of apprehension and anxiety in the story. Most of the images used to create a mysterious atmosphere, befits a ghost story. It is ironic how both the sources of light —the torch and the lantern, have been used in the story as tools to evoke fear, instead of getting rid of it, as both brings to light the “featureless faces” of the boy and the watchman. The alliterations in the story, especially the‘s’ sounding ones create a hissing sound, making a chill go down our spine. Moreover, the boy and the watchman, who appear to be having a ‘face’ in the dark, did not have a face when seen in light. Bond himself says, “After dark we see or hear many things that may seem mysterious and irrational and then, by the clear light of the day, we find that the magic and mystery have an explanation after all.”

This story has different layers of meaning. On one level, it can be read as a paranormal one with the faceless boy and the watchman as two ghostly figures haunting the Oliver. On a deeper level, it can be read as unraveling the mysteries of human experience for Ruskin Bond believed that no matter how rational a person is, there is always an element of superstition in his mental makeup. Thus, not only does the story makes us ponder upon the intrigues of life but also makes us probe on the possibility of another layer of life outside our material world.
Though it is said that Oliver is not “a nervous or imaginative man”, yet it is possible that out of his fear, anxiety or loneliness, he might really be imagining some strange things. It is ironic that Oliver gets to see the “face in the dark”, and when the torch light falls on the boy, he is rendered a faceless apparition. It can be deducted that human being, like Oliver experience bliss in ignorance. Till the time he does not sight upon the appalling macabre, he had concern for the boy. But a moment later, when the bloodcurdling scene intimidates him, the “concern” is gone and he runs for his safety. This shows how humans hold their own life precious the best.

Bond’s stories generally have revelation of many moments of loneliness and anxiety. The petrifying incident can also be accounted for by keeping in mind the fact that Oliver was a bachelor and was lonely. He longed for company but all he gets are “faceless” faces---he feels lost in the crowd. Thus it might be possible that Oliver is looking for friends or family but is not able to find them. Thus, it could be that a boy’s school cap was lying on a rock, which Oliver in the flickering light of his torch, imagined to be a boy without a face. Again, it might have been his fear that made him imagine the watchman too as being faceless like the boy, perhaps a case of mindscape landscape.

Although one may suggest that Oliver’s encounter might just have been a prank played upon him by a mischievous student, the strict regulations of the school suggestive of severe punitive measures, kind of reduces that possibility to a probability (/rules out that possibility). A cliffhanger, the story leaves the readers to imagine what might have happened to Oliver, ushering Goosebumps.

Thus to read Ruskin Bond’s “ghost stories is to transport oneself into imaginary world where the supernatural elements have a great sway over human life.”

[Riju Ganguly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Once upon a time there was a very solid tradition of nuanced, almost gentle telling of ghost stories. Those deceptively simple tales used to pack a punch that either resulted in immediate shudders, or caused a serious problem while visiting the restroom at night— obviously alone.
Some of the finest examples of that tradition have been showcased here by Bond. His writing is lucid, crisp, polite. Yet the stories manage to shock if not outright stun the reader.
Recommended to all those who love good stories and good writing.

[aarja · Rating 4 out of 5]

Horror at its best, but that ending-

[Ekta Kubba · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mr Bond remarks that while he doesn't believe in ghosts, he sees them all the time- in woods, in a bar, in a crowd. As he sees them just like other humans, no doubt, the supernatural in his stories appears as real as the natural world.
I don't believe in ghosts, but still, I am one person who is afraid of anything unnatural. I am afraid of stepping out alone in dark; I am afraid of going alone to secluded places; I am even afraid of watching the trailers of horror shows. Reading a book about horror is then out of question for me. But l couldn't resist reading Ruskin Bond books, no matter what's the theme. And, believe me, he has made me fall in love with horror stories. I am reading his stories about the supernatural since 2014, and the more I read these, the more craving I have for such narratives.
This is my second reading of this book. But all the stories appeared as fresh as I read these for the first time. These paranormal tales take you to the most secluded places- old cemeteries, haunted villas, wrecked houses, old trees and hotel bars. Not only these horrific places, but Mr Bond also has the terrific ability to create horror out of most of the beautiful things and places. He can make anybody feel goosebumps of fear while reading about a beautiful hill or a bridge or a lovely cat. Ruskin Bond's stories are a way to take you anywhere. Here, in the stories about the paranormal world, he takes you to an imaginary world that is very much a part of the real world, but here the supernatural elements have great sway over human life.
I highly recommend this book to everyone whether you love to read about the supernatural or you are afraid of it. This book has the power to transport you to a world with eerie experiences, but you're going to love these experiences.
#RuskinTheRadiantBond #RuskinBond #thewritingnerd #faceinthedark

[Vikash Bhandari · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio,
Than are dreamt of in your philosphy.
-Shakespeare, Hamlet

Well no doubt He is Bond, The Indian Bond.
Mr. Bond always have a way with words,I have been reading his stories since childhood and each time i did nothing except getting more and more immersed in the fictional world of his tales. The best thing about his stories is that, being a Hill folk(Garhwali), i have been leaving in Dehradun for the past few years so it is easy to relate to each of his stories, those places which he mentioned like Rajpur Road. Dilaram Bazaar, Harshil & Mussoorie, those believes of hillfolks in ghost and spirits and his love of nature, lure you to read more and more of his work. This compilation of 28 Ghost stories is a worth read, i loved the Monkeys, Wilson's Bridge, his encounter with sherlock in the Daffodil Case will definitely leave a long lasting impression on you.

I loved the book and will recommend it to all the GR readers.

[Jayaprakash Satyamurthy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Largely traditional ghost stories, drawing on the British ghost story genre and Indian folklore, they range from the sort of yarns my old Anglo-Indian geography teacher and scout master used to tell us to a couple of surprisingly nasty tales of supernatural come-uppance meted out to representatives of a brash, new India that I'm about as wary of as Bond seems to be. Some humorous tales, some heartbreaking ones and a few fairly average pieces in between, but every story has at least one vivid image in it and seems designed to be read aloud. Bond is economical with his words, writes from the heart, and is especially good at capturing atmosphere, whether it's the atmosphere of a ruinous old bungalow, a crowded, raucous bar or most of all the forests and rivers of the hills he loves. I used to take Bond rather for granted - he's such an institution in the Indian literary scene - but this volume reminds me what a great, humane storyteller he is.

[Sreerag S · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a collection of ghost stories written by Ruskin Bond. It comes with 28 stories consisting of ghost, jinns, prets and many more.
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📙Trying to kill you is not something a ghost always want to do, sometimes they want to play, sometimes frighten you, sometimes they just want to communicate and even help sometimes.
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📙Well this is a book in which you can read about ghosts without the worry for being scared. But if you are looking for something to get spooked then this isn't the right choice.
.
😍My favourite stories were
▪️The haunted bicycle.
▪️Topaz
▪️Would Astley Return
▪️ Something in the water
.
📙Love the writing style of Ruskin Bond, stories are short and interesting. Never will be bored of these.
.
📙Recommended for all short story lovers, ghost story lovers and Ruskin bond lovers.

[Nitin Akarsh · Rating 4 out of 5]

"अंधेरे में एक चेहरा " रस्किन बॉन्ड की कहानियों का संग्रह है l जैसा की नाम से अंदाजा लगा पा रहे होंगे की ये डरावनी कहानियों का संग्रह है l डरावनी कहानी का आकर्षण हम सभी लोगों में होता है l डरावनी कहानियों का प्रभाव हमारी कल्पना शक्ति की तीव्रता पे निर्भर करता है l आप जितने ज्यादा कल्पनाशील होंगे , आप कहानियों से उतना अधिक जुड़ेंगे l और अगर आप डरावनी कहानियां पढ़ रहे होते हैं तो उसकी परिणति डर के रूप में होती है l संग्रह में कुल 28 कहानियाँ  हैं l जिसमें से कुछ कहानियाँ अन्य किताबों में भी मै पढ़ चूका हूँ l लेकिन अच्छी बात ये है की जो कहानियाँ डराने वाली है उसे मैंने पहली बार पढ़ा है l उनकी कहानी जिसपे प्रियंका चोपड़ा को ले कर सात खून माफ़ बनाई गई थी , इस किताब में है l अगर आप डरावनी कहानियाँ पढ़ना पसंद करते हैं तो ये आपको आवश्य पढ़नी चाहिए l ये अमेज़न पे या फ्लिपकार्ट पे लगभग 150 रू में मिल जायेगी l

[Kevin Mallik · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I was in school this story spread like a wildfire. I still remember our group of boys in the hostel remained awaked all night only to discuss about the possibilities of a plain face like a tile (no ear, no mouth, no eyes, etc.) That night was fun…indeed. Well, that time none of the boys knew that it was written by none other than Ruskin Bond. And this summer I had a chance to meet him. He is a very simple human being but a great writer.

[नीतिका यादव · Rating 5 out of 5]

❇️Ruskin Bond Once Famously Remarked , ' I am a storyteller from a personal viewpoint. When I run out of people I invent ghosts. I don't believe in ghosts. Never saw one. '
.
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❇️BOÓK REVIEW -
A FACE IN THE DARK by RUSKIN BOND.
.
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❇️Ruskin Ghost does not believe in ghosts, but he surely sees them all the -
In the Woods, In a bar, In a crowd outside a cinema. The same can by seen in this novel where one cannot find a jinn, ghosts or witches but monsters are real as people. .
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❇️The book opens up with the introductory lines from Shakespeares' Hamlet ; "There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio,
Than are dreamt of in your philosophy."
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❇️Followed by the unforgettable story, ' A Face in the Dark' , set in the pine forest of Shimla and ends with 'Night of the Millennium.'
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❇️The book comprises of 28 short stories which will bring chill down your spine and will keep you entangled with every page that you will flip.
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❇️The stories keep you intact and you wonder that you know the conclusion but trust me, it will snatch away your breathe when you will come to the end of it.
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❇️Do not mistake Ruskin Bond to be only a writer of children's work. This book is meant for anyone who has keen interest in reading horror works.
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❇️In the book he makes the supernatural things appear entirely as natural, and therefore, as a reader it is really harder to ignore.
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❇️I really like few lines from one of the chapters of the book titled 'The Ghost in the Garden '

Only a rose
to give you,
Only a song
dying away,
Only a smile
to keep in memory.
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❇️It is the perfect one to be kept on your tbr list especially for the full moon days.
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❇️Not a book which can be rated especially when you are a fan of Ruskin Bond work. .

[Elysian Bookgraphy · Rating 5 out of 5]

“You don’t have to believe in ghosts in order to enjoy a ghost story”. :
By one of the most beloved Indian writers, Ruskin Bond, ‘A Face in the Dark’ is a collection of 28 short ghost/supernatural stories which are brilliantly written and is a treat to all short story lovers.
The writing style is simple yet engaging with an impressive setting in the background.
Get ready, to travel a journey which is full of mysteries and thrilling adventurers.
All the stories are fast paced and have the capability to make you intrigued throughout, with each turning page. The use of flickering lights, eerie sounds made by pine forest in the dark, elements of fear and darkness are really outstanding which dramatically increases the suspense & tension. From the beginning till the very end, the story has the power to completely arrest the reader’s attention and imprint an unforgettable image on his/her mind.

[She Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book : A Face In The Dark

Author : Ruskin Bond

The book is a supernatural anthology with a collection of 28 different stories.

🌟What is my take on this?

The writing style is marvelous, as it playfully strikes the imagination and at times also stuns the reader. While I adore many of his other books, this one met my expectations as well. It reminded me of his other book 'Ghost Stories Of Shimla Hills'. His take on the supernatural world, the narration is enchanting.

My favorite stories:

❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

1. The vision

2. Wilson's bridge

3. Topaz

4. On fairy hill

❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

🌟What are my thoughts on the title and cover?

The title is catchy, the cover is intriguing, basically depicts a shadow.

🌟What'd be one thing that’s most captivating?

I am amazed with the short stories and the way the writer captivates the attention. Besides, it's written in easy language, and can be read by all age groups.

It's a great read, highly recommended.

Rating : 🌟🌟🌟🌟.5/5

[Tara – The BookSirens Weekend Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read a book by Ruskin Bond during my travels to India a couple of years ago. The host of my homestay suggested it. The book was a non-fiction account of the author’s travels and life in India. I recently came across A Face in the Dark and picked it up, having remembered his past work. A Face in the Dark is a fictional collection of short spooky tales. Bond uses his knowledge about living in the hills of India to his advantage and creates terrific stories that might not exactly come under the “horror” genre but did result in a few sleepless nights for me. The title story is also my favorite, and speaking about it would be giving away too much. If you want something a little different to read this Halloween to kids, I recommend giving A Face in the Dark a chance.

[Aastha · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have been a fond and loyal reader of Ruskin Bond's stories for as long as I can remember. His stories often have a warmth to them, which makes them stand out. I have his Horror Omnibus and Ghost stories from the Raj, which have some memorable spooky tales. However, this collection leaves much to be desired.

Some of the good stories in here, such as Susanna's Seven Husbands and A Face in the Dark have appeared in previous anthologies. The rest are mediocre and forgettable. Some stories end rather abruptly, and the rest hardly have anything scary about it.

So if you're looking for a good scare, I'd say skip this book and look elsewhere.

[Ankita · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Face in the Dark and Other Hauntings is a collection of paranormal stories perfect for quarantine; after all, you are (NEVER) alone.

It starts with A Face in Dark that leaves you gasps and ends with night of the millenium leaving you sleepless; atleast it did that to me. Bond's prose is simple and evocative, and leaves you feeling full in mere 2 pages! And NO, paranormal stories needn't be horrifying always, they can be humorous; I found myself giggling in some.

A quick and fantastic book to give yourself an edgy break after a heavy read.

[Shashi Sharma · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay. So, this book was the part of my childhood, and whenever I want to go back, I just pick this book up and read one of its stories. It was the first book I ever bought, so it stays at a special place in my heart.

I grew up in Dehradun. And Mussoorie is not far from here. So reading this book gives me that nostalgic feeling, a beauty, a feeling of serene hill peace, cool weather and adventures little boys and girls take up in there free time, in the times when technology did not really exist.

So, this book is deep for me.

[Dhiraj Sharma · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some scary, some thrilling. Barring a few all these tales are set in the mountains of Uttarakhand (read Mussorie, Dehradun belt) penned by the great Ruskin Bond. I wonder why Ghosts and Spirits haunt the mountains more than the plains. Anyways you will get a glimpse into the life of simple hill folks as well as the remnants of the British Raj, not to mention the bhoots, prets, chudails and what not of the nether world. A thrilling read indeed.

[Aman Kumar · Rating 4 out of 5]

A compendium of 28 spooky tales straight out of Ruskin Bond's wondrous imagination, the book is anything but a spine-chilling saga of ghostly encounters. Bond makes sure that the ghosts, spirits, jinns, prets or anything else for that matter isn't viewed as unearthly object but a part of the living and diverse environment we dwell in.