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When Darkness Falls
In When Darkness Falls, Ruskin Bond emerges yet again as a master storyteller: A deceptively effortless style, an eye for the extraordinary in seemingly humdrum lives and a deep empathy with his characters—even when they belong to the supernatural realm. We meet the war veteran Markham whose deformation ends in tragedy; Susanna, the merry widow who loved each of her seven husbands to death and Kundan Singh, the reckless rake whom women find irresistible. There are also fascinating stories from the author’s childhood, about the eccentric characters and memorable animals of old Dehradun.
CONTENTS
When Darkness Falls
The Garden of Memories
The Ghost of Garden
Return of the White Pigeon
Young Man in a Tonga
The Writer's Bar
Topaz
Susanna's Seven Husbands
The Amorous Servant
Monkey Trouble
Colonel Wilkie's Good Hunting
The Family Ghost
Living Without Money
CONTENTS
When Darkness Falls
The Garden of Memories
The Ghost of Garden
Return of the White Pigeon
Young Man in a Tonga
The Writer's Bar
Topaz
Susanna's Seven Husbands
The Amorous Servant
Monkey Trouble
Colonel Wilkie's Good Hunting
The Family Ghost
Living Without Money
116 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2001
32 people are currently reading
507 people want to read
About the author
Ruskin Bond
680 books3,560 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 57 reviews
May 22, 2012
I heard his name umpteen times at various occasions. Never cared to read any of his books and only when I purchased this book I discovered that he was born(and for the major part, reaised) in India and still lives in Mussoorie, India.
This collection of short stories/memoirs has a very interesting introduction to offer. In these few lines I got my first impression of a man who loves India and she is his only inspiration.
The introduction says "My reality was India, and I needed more of India and less of England for my literary aspirations to be satisfied....and a small flat with a balcony overlooking a busy road in a small town, and the stories and essays poured forth even if they weren't being paid for; and I wasn't going to give up for a job in Australia or a career in advertising"
At a time when I find my life at a strange crossroad yet again, these stories proved to be the perfect medicine for my soul.
The stories in the book are simple and easy to imagine. Bond has written with the love of freedom and candor that he always craved and enjoyed.
When Darkness Falls , story of a man whose face has been left disfigured by the vagaries he has faced in his life. How his solitary life in the basement of a hotel takes a turn when he feel the pangs of a little freedom.
Susanna's Seven Husbands, now also made into a major Bollywood movie, this is a story of a lady who killed her 7 husbands because she had the tendency to get bored easily with her paramour.
Featuring as his memoirs are stories of his childhood and his days as a struggling writer living in Dehradun.
Added to the potpourri are stories of a young urdu poet cum tongaman,girl with the topaz ring and the story of a domesticated female monkey Tutu.
Definitely worth a read for it's aestheticism if not for the creativity. :)
This collection of short stories/memoirs has a very interesting introduction to offer. In these few lines I got my first impression of a man who loves India and she is his only inspiration.
The introduction says "My reality was India, and I needed more of India and less of England for my literary aspirations to be satisfied....and a small flat with a balcony overlooking a busy road in a small town, and the stories and essays poured forth even if they weren't being paid for; and I wasn't going to give up for a job in Australia or a career in advertising"
At a time when I find my life at a strange crossroad yet again, these stories proved to be the perfect medicine for my soul.
The stories in the book are simple and easy to imagine. Bond has written with the love of freedom and candor that he always craved and enjoyed.
When Darkness Falls , story of a man whose face has been left disfigured by the vagaries he has faced in his life. How his solitary life in the basement of a hotel takes a turn when he feel the pangs of a little freedom.
Susanna's Seven Husbands, now also made into a major Bollywood movie, this is a story of a lady who killed her 7 husbands because she had the tendency to get bored easily with her paramour.
Featuring as his memoirs are stories of his childhood and his days as a struggling writer living in Dehradun.
Added to the potpourri are stories of a young urdu poet cum tongaman,girl with the topaz ring and the story of a domesticated female monkey Tutu.
Definitely worth a read for it's aestheticism if not for the creativity. :)
November 7, 2018
I became aware of Ruskin Bond’s writings through ‘Graffiti’, the Sunday supplement accompanying ‘The Telegraph’. At that age, my first impression of him was of a ‘Children’s Author’. Believe me, in Bengal, where literary giants jostle to walk that path, that sobriquet is quite prestigious. However, I kept on being surprised by our own Bond, as I would suddenly find a chilling story from him in some book. A haunting reminiscence penned by him, without nostalgic excesses but with a lingering scent of days gone by, would strike home. I even found a collection of rather dark, macabre, even sadistic stories edited by him!
Who is this man actually? What does he write? Is he a genre writer at all?
To resolve this issue, I decided to go on a Bond-hunt. The first book in that path, ostensibly to give me an idea about the ‘kind’ of stories written by Ruskin Bond, was the collection under review.
And what a staggering collection it was! I consider myself privileged to be able to read such a collection of nuanced, gentle, funny, grim, dark, twisted stories. Would you like to know the best part? Often some of these stories, or vignettes, had all of those tastes mentioned above! Now beat that.
Many of the stories collected here have already acquired a legendary status, spawning their own ‘updated versions’ and becoming memes. Nevertheless, let me list them, without trying to categorise or summarise them for blurb etc.
1. When Darkness Falls
2. The Garden of Memories
3. The Ghost in the Garden
4. Return of the White Pigeon
5. Young Man in a Tonga
6. The Writer’s Bar
7. Topaz
8. Susanna’s Seven Husbands
9. The Amorous Servant
10. Monkey Trouble
11. Colonel Wilkie’s Good Hunting
12. The Family Ghost
13. Living Without Money
If you are yet to savour some of them, rectify the situation ASAP. In the meanwhile, I’m on my path towards more Bond-age. Wish me luck.
Who is this man actually? What does he write? Is he a genre writer at all?
To resolve this issue, I decided to go on a Bond-hunt. The first book in that path, ostensibly to give me an idea about the ‘kind’ of stories written by Ruskin Bond, was the collection under review.
And what a staggering collection it was! I consider myself privileged to be able to read such a collection of nuanced, gentle, funny, grim, dark, twisted stories. Would you like to know the best part? Often some of these stories, or vignettes, had all of those tastes mentioned above! Now beat that.
Many of the stories collected here have already acquired a legendary status, spawning their own ‘updated versions’ and becoming memes. Nevertheless, let me list them, without trying to categorise or summarise them for blurb etc.
1. When Darkness Falls
2. The Garden of Memories
3. The Ghost in the Garden
4. Return of the White Pigeon
5. Young Man in a Tonga
6. The Writer’s Bar
7. Topaz
8. Susanna’s Seven Husbands
9. The Amorous Servant
10. Monkey Trouble
11. Colonel Wilkie’s Good Hunting
12. The Family Ghost
13. Living Without Money
If you are yet to savour some of them, rectify the situation ASAP. In the meanwhile, I’m on my path towards more Bond-age. Wish me luck.
August 5, 2020
A mixed bag of wonderful stories from Ruskin Bond in his inimitable style, like soft footfalls on the green hills. A few horror stories, a few ironic ones and some tales from his own childhood, simply narrated but not at all simple in their impact. These stories are populated with memorable charaters like the melancholy Mr Markham, the lovable adulterer Kundan Singh or the Tonga Driver full of love for life. The collection also introduced to me the famous Suzannah of the seven husbands all of whom sadly died on her. I was under the misconception that it was a full length novel. Glad to have been rid of that one.
A wonderful read for lovers of short stories, lovers of Ruskin Bond or those who are looking for a little break.
P.S. - the horror stories are not too scary. Return of the White Pigeon and Topaz are good ghost stories.
List of Stories -
When Darkness Falls
The Garden of Memories
The Ghost of Garden
Return of the White Pigeon
Young Man in a Tonga
The Writer's Bar
Topaz
Susanna's Seven Husbands
The Amorous Servant
Monkey Trouble
Colonel Wilkie's Good Hunting
The Family Ghost
Living Without Money
A wonderful read for lovers of short stories, lovers of Ruskin Bond or those who are looking for a little break.
P.S. - the horror stories are not too scary. Return of the White Pigeon and Topaz are good ghost stories.
List of Stories -
When Darkness Falls
The Garden of Memories
The Ghost of Garden
Return of the White Pigeon
Young Man in a Tonga
The Writer's Bar
Topaz
Susanna's Seven Husbands
The Amorous Servant
Monkey Trouble
Colonel Wilkie's Good Hunting
The Family Ghost
Living Without Money
February 22, 2020
Ruskin Bond is like warm sunshine in hard winters, all cozy and snuggly. He has a magical way of dealing with his characters so humanely, and even ghosts are not exempted from his literary tenderness.
That's what you will see in this collection of short stories, where ghosts are not unidimensionally scary but are visualised as having the fading hues of tragedy and beauty that is humanity.
Ruskin Bond calms you down, balms your soul and eases your mind in this collection of short stories.
That's what you will see in this collection of short stories, where ghosts are not unidimensionally scary but are visualised as having the fading hues of tragedy and beauty that is humanity.
Ruskin Bond calms you down, balms your soul and eases your mind in this collection of short stories.
December 31, 2020
"You never get old for a Ruskin Bond book..." at least I don't! Another collection of truly magical stories from the master narrator. There are ghosts, whimsical fantasies, far from true stories, but all of which you can't help loving. If you are a Ruskin Bond lover, you are sure to adore this beautiful book, the sceneries and character descriptions, as always, is just too good.
November 20, 2019
Sweetest horror tales along with the summarised version of Susanna's Seven Husbands.
November 2, 2020
Frankly most of the short stories weren't even good for reading. I picked this book with a presumption of a creepy feeling but apart from one or two stories others weren't in that genre. Overall it is a light read but not that good stories by Ruskin Bond.
August 6, 2023
I may be a little late here, but the books are like evergreen. The way he tells the story and concludes each paragraph is something else, simple and easy digest yet gives you sort of nostalgia & keep you attached in the story. 3.5 stars.
July 21, 2023
A good read but I was expecting ghost stories, judging by its title.
Instead, just 1-2 are Ghost stories.
Inshort, It's title is misleading.
Apart from it, it's average read.
Instead, just 1-2 are Ghost stories.
Inshort, It's title is misleading.
Apart from it, it's average read.
October 8, 2020
Bittersweet collection of lovely stories.
July 30, 2023
When Darkness Falls by Ruskin Bond is a collection of 13 short stories full of love, loss and supernatural themes. THe stories are set in the hills of Mussoorie and Dehradun - the City of Love.
My Thoughts on The Book
It is a well-written and enjoyable collection of short stories. It is the second book of Ruskin Bond that I have picked and I can’t deny the charm of his writing and taking you in the world of his stories. When I started reading this book I was skeptical to choose this book but as soon as the moved to the stories further I realized this was the need to uplift my mood and bringing me back to my reading journey after the rush of emotions I was going through.
I wish to highlight following points about the book:
- The author is a great story-teller and the way he has set the background of each story is fantastic.
- The best part is the book has 13 stories and each of them has a different theme, they will make you laugh until your stomach hurts, cry, be optimistic, fall in love and many more.
- The stories that I liked the most are:
1. Young Man In A Tonga: It saddened me a little but it is damn a good short story.
2. Susanna’s Seven Husbands - It is amusing to find the cause of death of each husband that made her marry seven times.
3. Monkey Trouble - It was the most funny tale out of all, I don’t wish to give a spoiler so let me just say as the name itself tell you who the center character is.
- Also, the writing style of the author is so full of twists that it was difficult to guess the next part until I reached the end of the story.
- The stories have a touch of nostalgia with a sense of attachment.
- It is a sweet and bitter collection of stories transporting you to a different world that appears similar as mentioned above, the stories are set around Dehradun and the hills of Mussoorie.
I will recommend this book to those who wish to start their reading journey, who love reading short stories and is a dire fan of the author Ruskin Bond.
My Thoughts on The Book
It is a well-written and enjoyable collection of short stories. It is the second book of Ruskin Bond that I have picked and I can’t deny the charm of his writing and taking you in the world of his stories. When I started reading this book I was skeptical to choose this book but as soon as the moved to the stories further I realized this was the need to uplift my mood and bringing me back to my reading journey after the rush of emotions I was going through.
I wish to highlight following points about the book:
- The author is a great story-teller and the way he has set the background of each story is fantastic.
- The best part is the book has 13 stories and each of them has a different theme, they will make you laugh until your stomach hurts, cry, be optimistic, fall in love and many more.
- The stories that I liked the most are:
1. Young Man In A Tonga: It saddened me a little but it is damn a good short story.
2. Susanna’s Seven Husbands - It is amusing to find the cause of death of each husband that made her marry seven times.
3. Monkey Trouble - It was the most funny tale out of all, I don’t wish to give a spoiler so let me just say as the name itself tell you who the center character is.
- Also, the writing style of the author is so full of twists that it was difficult to guess the next part until I reached the end of the story.
- The stories have a touch of nostalgia with a sense of attachment.
- It is a sweet and bitter collection of stories transporting you to a different world that appears similar as mentioned above, the stories are set around Dehradun and the hills of Mussoorie.
I will recommend this book to those who wish to start their reading journey, who love reading short stories and is a dire fan of the author Ruskin Bond.
May 20, 2020
"When Darkness Falls" by Ruskin Bond is a collection of 13 short stories. I always read his books as part of my school syllabus and reading his books has always been quite nostalgic to me. His books always has the essence of the hills of Dehradun (I too love hills🏔). .
.
.
There is nothing dark or haunting about the book (no pun intended🙊). Though the characters are dodgy and perplexed ranging from Markham who doesn't go outside his house because of his impaired face to Susanna whose seven husbands had died and buried at one place to Kundan Singh who was very popular among women. The author shares deep empathy with his characters and his semi-autobiographical stories based in Dehradun lacks the spirit which his other books encompasses😞. .
.
.
This book was a disappointment for me because there was nothing creepy or spooky about it like which could have kept me on my toes and tucked under my blanket.
.
.
There is nothing dark or haunting about the book (no pun intended🙊). Though the characters are dodgy and perplexed ranging from Markham who doesn't go outside his house because of his impaired face to Susanna whose seven husbands had died and buried at one place to Kundan Singh who was very popular among women. The author shares deep empathy with his characters and his semi-autobiographical stories based in Dehradun lacks the spirit which his other books encompasses😞. .
.
.
This book was a disappointment for me because there was nothing creepy or spooky about it like which could have kept me on my toes and tucked under my blanket.
December 21, 2017
I would totally recommend this beautiful collection of short but effective stories. These stories have no special elements in them but the way Bond has narrated them makes them mellow and mystic.These short tales are such that you would fall in love with the minute elements of nature all over again.Bond's simple yet expressive writing makes it a win. This is a book you should pick up when you do not have time and patience to complete a novel but still want to get away from stress and enjoy a good imaginative read.
July 5, 2022
This book is a work of art. It's the first time I have read a work by this amazing author and I am baffled by his ability to completely mesmerise me. I have laughed and cried through these stories and they will remain with me forever. The way they are written, beautifully painting character, taking their circumstances, at times really delicate and sensitive and presenting it so seamlessly, that you put yourself in their shoes without even realising it or having to try. The author's talent is God gifted. Looking forward to reading many more of his works.
June 27, 2019
This is a beautiful collection of short stories. Bond's stories will not only give you that nostalgic feeling but will also soothe your mind.
The stories are really good. An amazing collection of extraordinary stories of ordinary people.
The Narration style is simple yet beautiful.
Ruskin Bond's story collections are worth reading.
Recommended for all!!
The stories are really good. An amazing collection of extraordinary stories of ordinary people.
The Narration style is simple yet beautiful.
Ruskin Bond's story collections are worth reading.
Recommended for all!!
March 26, 2020
Ruskin Bond is very good at describing the characters of his books. When Darkness Falls is a horror story that gives the reader a thrilling experience. This book is filled with horror short stories with amazing characters. You will love the characters of this book. Check this article about 40 Best Ruskin Bond Books!!
https://dailybugle.in/ruskin-bond-boo...
https://dailybugle.in/ruskin-bond-boo...
January 21, 2023
This isn't a collection of horror stories per se though the cover page and blurb may make you think otherwise.
There are a few horror and supernatural tales and the rest are all about the author's experiences of life among the mountains and folks of Mussoorie.
Nevertheless its an engrossing collection written in the trademark Ruskin Bond style, simple and straight from the heart.
There are a few horror and supernatural tales and the rest are all about the author's experiences of life among the mountains and folks of Mussoorie.
Nevertheless its an engrossing collection written in the trademark Ruskin Bond style, simple and straight from the heart.
April 6, 2025
I found a well-worn copy of this book with my pre-teen cousin. I felt quite compelled to read it despite my initial hesitation (of unknown nature) to pick this book.
Safe to say... I'll be reading more of him in the future.
My favorite out this story collection were... When Darkness Falls, Topaz and to some extent The Garden of Memories and Living without money.
Safe to say... I'll be reading more of him in the future.
My favorite out this story collection were... When Darkness Falls, Topaz and to some extent The Garden of Memories and Living without money.
August 3, 2018
My first book of Ruskin bond and im totally impressed... The ghost story in this book can be read by children and let there brains get the little bit of Adrealine. Its a good book to introduce spirits to the childrens. Stories were simple and good. My favourite was off course Markam's and Rose.
March 28, 2024
Such a feel-good book, it can be finished within a day and it's such a good book, uncle Ken has become my favorite:)), Ruskin bond as usual makes us fall in love with his characters and it made me laugh hard here and there. Overall a good read!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 18, 2017
Odd yet brilliant stories marvelously written.
August 6, 2017
I believe no one comes close to Mr. Bond in describing characters and their peculiar habits in all his stories. I liked "living without money" and Latif's character in "young man in a Tonga"
September 29, 2017
The stories offer an idle time musings of the author with some interesting scenes and occasional appealing use of language. A good pass time read.
September 7, 2018
13 Stories collection. Some of them to those who are readers of Ruskin Bond will fell repeated, worth rereading.
October 31, 2018
Ruskin Bond has the captivating & humorous narrative style! This lead me to explore his other works. The short stories will leave you in nostalgia!
June 29, 2019
Mesmerizing as always.
Read
November 11, 2019Good read
May 25, 2020
The author's love for Dehradun is reflected in these short stories. Sweet little stories filled with a touch of love, reminiscent of my childhood.
September 2, 2020
A subtle and pleasant read.
June 13, 2021
Reading stories by Ruskin Bond is absolute delight. Love each story in the book.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 57 reviews