Lamp is Lit, Leaves From a Journal

by Ruskin Bond

Autobiographical sketches and stories from India's best-loved writer in English. For over four decades now, by way of innumerable short stories, essays, poems and novels, Ruskin Bond has championed simplicity and quietude in life and in art. This collection of essays and episodes from his journals is, in his own words, "a celebration of my survival as a freelance'. The author's early forays into the literary magazines of the 1950s and '60s are described in the first part of the book, along with some examples of his work at the time. The sections that follow contain extracts from an unpublished travel journal he kept during the '60s, episodes from the highways on which he was a frequent traveller, and vignettes of life in Mussoorie, past and present. With understated humour and compassion, Ruskin Bond records the charming eccentricities of friends and acquaintances (a former princess cheerfully obsessed with death and disaster); the silent miracles of nature ("New moon in a purple sky'); life's little joys (the smell of onions frying) and its fleeting regrets. Nostalgic and heart-warming, full of wisdom and charm, The Lamp is Lit provides a fascinating glimpse into the life of "our very own resident Wordsworth in prose.

Genres: Nonfiction

216 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1998

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

[Vikas Singh · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is a heart-warming, nostalgic collection of articles, essays and short stories from Ruskin’s early days as a writer. The anthology beautifully captures the struggle, innocence and dreams of a young writer as he does a fine balance between his struggles with daily challenges and dream of being a successful writer.

[Charu Mohan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I always love reading Ruskin Bond for the simplicity his writing offer. Being someone from north India, I can relate to the characters and places he writes about. It's impossible not to feel nostalgically happy after reading him.

[Shadin Pranto · Rating 3 out of 5]

রাসকিন বন্ড সবসময়ই অনবদ্য, সুখপাঠ্য। এবারও ব্যতিক্রম হয়নি। ''The Lamp is Lit" একাধারে স্মৃতিকথা, দিনলিপি এবং গল্পের সংকলন। অর্থাৎ একের ভেতর অনেক।

পঞ্চাশের দশকে ব্রিটেনে গিয়েছিলেন আঠারো বছরের রাসকিন। সেখানকার জার্সি দ্বীপের গণপূর্ত বিভাগে একটি কাজও পেয়েছিলেন। জুনিয়র কেরানির কাজ করতেন আর স্বপ্ন দেখতেন লেখক হওয়ার। রাসকিনের সম্বল ছিল যৎসামান্য। সপ্তাহে মাত্র পাঁচ পাউন্ড মাইনে পেতেন। তাতে জীবন চলতো বটে, তবে বিলাসিতা করার জো ছিল না। রাসকিন বন্ডের প্রথম উপন্যাস 'The Room On The Roof'-এর পাণ্ডুলিপি সঙ্গে নিয়ে গিয়েছিলেন। আরও সহচর ছিল একখানা আধা সচল টাইপরাইটার। যেটির উপযুক্ত স্থান হওয়ার কথা ছিল যাদুঘরে। সেই টাইপরাইটারটির একটি বিশেষত্ব ছিল, তা হলো B অক্ষরটি মুছে গিয়েছিল। তাই টাইপ করার পর দোয়াত কালি ব্যবহার করে B লিখতে হতো! রাসকিনের সহকর্মী ছিলেন জনাব ব্রুমলি। তিনি সিনিয়র কেরানী। এই ভদ্রলোকের কথা রাসকিন অত্যন্ত শ্রদ্ধাভরে স্মরণ করেছেন। ব্রুমলি সাহেব সবসময় রাসকিনকে লেখালিখির উৎসাহ দিতেন, টাইপরাইটারটি পালটাতে বলতেন৷ নতুন একটি টাইপরাইটার আঠারো পাউন্ড। রাসকিনের সম্বল মাত্র ছয় পাউন্ড। বাকি বারো পাউন্ড ব্রুমলি সাহেব তাঁকে ধার দিয়েছিলেন। সেই বারো পাউন্ডের পুরোটা রাসকিনের শোধ দেওয়া হয়নি। লেখক রাসকিন বন্ড চিরঋণী রয়ে গেছেন ব্রুমলি সাহেবের কাছে।

ব্রিটেনের কেরানির চাকরি ছেড়ে আবার ভারতে ফিরে এলেন রাসকিন বন্ড। সেই পুরাতন দেরাদুনে। এসে নানান স্থানে আশ্রয় নিয়েছেন। জীবিকার জন্য আচার এবং সবজি বিক্রির চেষ্টা করেছেন এবং সঙ্গী হিসেবে পেয়েছেন মজার চরিত্র আঙ্কেল কেনকে। এই আঙ্কেল কেন নিয়ে বেশকিছু ঘটনা লিখেছেন রাসকিন বন্ড। অনেক ভালো লেগেছে পড়তে।

দিনলিপি এবং গল্পের মতো কিছু লেখা আছে। সেগুলো বিশেষ পছন্দ হয়নি।

রাসকিন বন্ডের লেখার প্রধান সৌন্দর্য সহজবোধ্যতা। তাঁর কলমের প্রাঞ্জলতা পাঠকের অন্তরস্পর্শ করে। এবারও এমনটি হয়েছে।

[Preetam Chatterjee · Rating 5 out of 5]

With Ruskin Bond. The Man who gave me so much,,,,

Lamp Is Lit is one of Ruskin Bond’s most intimate and contemplative books—part journal, part memoir, and part philosophical musing.

It is written in Bond’s unmistakably gentle voice, but here he is more personal than usual, opening a window into the quiet rhythms of his life in Mussoorie, and the emotional landscape behind his stories.

While Bond’s fiction often carries a nostalgic glow, Lamp Is Lit reveals the real person behind that glow: the solitary observer, the affectionate listener, the wanderer of hills, the collector of silence.

The book is structured as journal entries spanning different years. This format gives the writing an unhurried, unpolished, and deeply authentic feel, as though we are reading pages from Bond’s private notebooks.

There is no single narrative arc; instead, the book moves like the mountain mist—meandering, settling, lifting, returning. Bond writes about his daily routines, his long walks through the woods, his neighbours, the scent of pine needles, the antics of monkeys, and the rare stillness that a small hill town can offer.

This simplicity is not mundane; Bond elevates the ordinary into something quietly luminous.

One of the most striking features of the book is Bond’s reflective wisdom. His insights are never didactic or moralising; they emerge naturally from lived experience.

He writes about loneliness with honesty, but also with acceptance—seeing it not as a burden but as a companion that allows creativity to flourish. He explores the nature of happiness, the value of small pleasures, and the meaning of home. There is a sense of deep gratitude in his observations, a recognition that life’s beauty lies in its transience.

The book also includes anecdotes from Bond’s writing life—rejections, small triumphs, encounters with readers, and the slow but steady shaping of a literary career far removed from glamour.

For aspiring writers, these entries are a treasure: they show how literature emerges not from dramatic events but from ordinary days, persistence, and a love of language.

Nature is a constant presence in the journal. Bond captures the Himalayan landscape with both tenderness and precision—the colour of changing light, the feel of monsoon winds, the sound of rain on a tin roof. His writing turns these sensory impressions into meditations.

When he describes a deodar tree or a mountain sunset, he is also describing a state of mind.

The emotional tone of the book shifts gently between nostalgia, humour, and introspection. There are memories of childhood in Jamna and Dehra, reflections on ageing, and episodes involving Bond’s adoptive family. His love for children, animals, and ordinary people shines throughout. Bond’s world is populated by watchmen, shopkeepers, friends, and strangers—each portrayed with warmth and respect.

Lamp Is Lit is particularly powerful because it shows Bond’s philosophy of contentment. In an age of speed and noise, his writing becomes an antidote, reminding us of the value of slowing down.

The “lamp” in the title is symbolic: it represents inner clarity, hope, small joys, and a gentle sense of purpose.

The prose is clean, elegant, and unpretentious—as soothing as the hills he writes about.

Readers who enjoy reflective, nature-oriented, and quietly uplifting books will find this journal deeply rewarding.

Overall, Lamp Is Lit stands as one of Bond’s most mature and heartfelt works. It is less a book to be rushed through and more a book to inhabit—slowly, thoughtfully, with the comfort of a warm cup of tea by the window.

Most recommended.

[Gorab · Rating 3 out of 5]

Happiness is an elusive state of mind, not to be gained by clumsy pursuit. It is given to those who do not sue for it: to be unconcerned about a desired good is probably the only way to possess it.

This is yet another autobiography written in 1998.
Have read quite a few of his books (including THE autobiography - Lone Fox Dancing - 2017) and I suspect this was written under the pressure of deadline from the publishers.

Why I think so? Because:
- It’s a 200 page book, with large fonts and small pages.
- Each of the 5 sections have a full page dedicated to section title, with blank page before and after. Practically there is a lot of open space for writing notes :P
- One of the sections is his travelogue journal on Jaipur, Mathura etc. Lifted from his diary pages.
- Then there is another section called leaves from a journal - which I had read before in The India I Love - 2005
- A small chapter about finding grave of Mr John Lang is followed by a long chapter which was written by Mr John Lang!

The blurb in goodreads mentions about some sketches as well. Unfortunately there weren't any in my penguin edition :(
The last part or rather the last 5 pages were the best - saving some grace (and hence the 3 stars!)

Overall: A good book with simple writing. However you won't like it if you've read anything else by him.

[Ekta Kubba · Rating 5 out of 5]

'...to be true to oneself is to be true to others.' thus says Ruskin Bond, and proving himself true to his readers, he gives an autobiographical account of his life through essays and casual leaves from his journal. Moving from his first piece of autobiography, 'Scenes From A Writer's Life', this book accounts for his days of establishing himself as a writer. Most of the book is set in plains, and till now I knew that he likes plains, but only from the top of the mountain (just joking 😀, I am his die-hard fan and I have read about his struggle in the plains also).
The first part of the book described his strange kind of love for a city in plains- the old New Delhi. I always love reading about his friend Kamal and the head of his household- Bhabhiji. What a tremendous lady she is! And then his trips with Kamal, to Rishikesh, Mathura and Jaipur, and the way he has portrayed these cities, I have never read in any guide book or any other travelogue.
Ruskin Bond's love for Rudyard Kipling and John Lang is felt very emotionally when he writes with a passion about Kipling's Simla, and a leaf from John Lang's journal. And when he goes for a search for Lang's grave, is beyond description. Even the caretaker indulges passionately in his visitor's passionate search for something, the caretaker never understood.
Ruskin sir has recorded the charming eccentricities of some of his acquaintances, my favourite among all is uncle Ken. His joblessness, his carefree attitude, his being 'crazy' as well as lazy and never to forget his strange whistling. The way Ruskin sir described him, his character will stay forever in my memory. And the another one of eccentric friend of Ruskin Bond was HH, always busy in reporting disasters and tragedies to whoever and whenever she meets, no matter on the phone.
And then there is Savoy, ever charming and old hotel in Mussoorie- Savoy. Its ghosts (my all time favourite McClintcock sahib), its administrators, its occupants and its visitors, we have read many times.
And there was the Box Man, who was 'too old to die. He could only sleep. He could fall gently like an old brown keaf.' I loved this man. He has lead his life qonderfully and was moving towards his end with dignity.
Icing on this beautiful cake is the last part of the book, the leaves from his journal that he kept from May 1997 to November 1997. Every word, written in this part, is a treat to read. Whether it's about a story, or a cheque, or unwanted guests, or media personnel, or filling a form for income tax return, or admiring and writing about flowers, every simple thing of his life, mentioned here, is worth spending time.
This book is extraordinary description of simple joys of life. It celebrates little Ruskin's love for all kinds of food ('If Granny was the best cook in the world, I must have been the boy with the best appetite); it celebrates young Ruskin's joy and love for nature and travel; it celebrates the ordinary life of an extraordinary man- Ruskin Bond.
One of the best books for Ruskin Bond's fans.

[Aruna Kumar Gadepalli · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading Ruskin Bond always remains refreshing with thoughts and for using his wit and wisdom. Prose resembling poetry with words taking reader to the heights of pleasure of reading. This collection that are part of journal give the readers same pleasure of reading his story.

[Abhishek · Rating 4 out of 5]

Delightful read.
Reading Mr. Bond is therapeutic because you come across lines like following and pause for a moment to appreciate and reflect upon it

But whenever or however he died, it wouldn't be death. He was too old to die. He could only sleep.He could only fall gently, like an old brown leaf...

[Tishya Verma · Rating 5 out of 5]

As usual... Like all of Ruskin Bond's books this too got me transported to a beautiful world which is full of simpler things of life. Flowers for instance. It's like a warm, fuzzy blanket of comfort which will make u feel better even when u feel ur best. I can bet on it.

[Ganesh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ruskin Bond's books have always been a source of comfort for me. Like a grandmother's lap after a long day.

The stories, whether real or fictional never lose their charm. The simplicity of language and Ruskin's humility make reading a pleasure.

Though written in simple verse, Ruskin can move his readers with the power of his pen.

The last chapter of this book is a testament to that fact.

Thank you, Ruskin. for being a guide, a mentor, a source of comfort, and for being an influence in my life.

[Manasi Hate · Rating 5 out of 5]

The lamp is lit:Leaves from a journal is simply a awesome book.I would like to suggest to all the fans of Mr.Ruskin Bond to read it,it's an amazing book!!I just loved it..

[Vrsh · Rating 5 out of 5]

The man has got flair

[Krishnendu · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading Ruskin Bond fills my heart with happiness. 'The lamp is Lit' is kind of an autobiography. Simple, charming, and funny (in its own way). 

On days when you are sad and down, reading any of his stories can make you happy and cheerful.

There are parts of this book which I wanted to quote but let me quote the last line from this book
"...And these are my parting words to you, dear Reader: May you have the wisdom to be simple, and the humour to be happy."

And now, when I read the line again, I realize, how beautifully this summarizes the book.

[Divya Mridhula · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ruskin bond is a always a pleasure to read. This books talks about all the things he loves, literature, nature , traveling. And most of all his love for India. This book is an easy read and I found the journal entries and Ruskin's childhood the most interesting. At some points though the book was a little too descriptive about the Indian cities. But still a great read.

[Shashank Singh · Rating 5 out of 5]

As always, simple and beautiful

[Bharathi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simple wisdom , polite sarcasm and kindles love for Nature . He seem to like the plains only from top of a mountain 😊. “And I ..... will always love you !”

[Pratyusha Sen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love his writing style. And knowing more about an author's life always helps. Quick read. And I loved reading it.

[Kanan Virkar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice book to read

[Prachi Chitnis · Rating 5 out of 5]

It has been my constant companion at bed side. It uplifts tired spirits and gives a reason to enjoy the simple pleasures of life.

[Book'd Hitu · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nerve soothing and entertaining typical Ruskin Bond book.

[Mayur Kulkarni · Rating 5 out of 5]

So soothing ❤️

[Kiyara · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you are a fan of Ruskin Bond, then you will love it. It consists of his wisdom, reasons for being a writer, notes and observation from hillside life in his style that flows like a river.

[BookishJeven · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Timeless Classic that captures Ruskin Bond's life as a writer. It is a fascinating glimpse into the life of our very own resident Wordsworth in prose. #TheLampisLit #RuskinBond #onedayread

[Aritra Bhattacharya · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best mind soothing piece by ruskin bond

[Tridib Ghosh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Some Lovely thoughts , some lovely descriptions that is all I should say about this book. From the early years, through Mussourie Snapshots, till The Leaves from a journal everywhere the lively description takes us to the actual world of the story.

[Harshit Gupta · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some parts good, some too good. Though, i did like scenes from a writer's life more, because it gives me more insight into his life, because it's more like an autobiography. Though the leaves from a journal part in this one was mesmerizing.