Rhododendrons in the Mist: My Favourite Tales of the Himalaya

by Ruskin Bond

In his new collection of stories, many of which have never been published before, bestselling writer Ruskin Bond collects together his finest tales of the Himalaya, the mountains he has called home for over fifty years.
One half of the book is devoted to unsettling, sometimes terrifying stories of murder, mystery, and the supernatural. Kicking off with the sinister ‘Rhododendrons in the Mist’, a brand-new story, this section assembles chilling stories like ‘A Face in the Dark’, ‘Eyes of the Cat’, ‘Panther’s Moon’, and ‘The Skull’.
The second section comprises tales that concern themselves with the everyday drama of life in the Himalaya. Starting with the autobiographical ‘Breakfast at Barog’, which has never before appeared in print, this section includes timeless stories like ‘The Blue Umbrella’, ‘The Cherry Tree’, and ‘A Long Walk for Bina’. The book concludes with an enthralling new story, ‘The Garden of Dreams’. Singular and unforgettable, Ruskin Bond’s new collection shows us once again why he is the country’s most addictive writer. In his new collection of stories, many of which have never been published before, bestselling writer Ruskin Bond collects together his finest tales of the Himalaya, the mountains he has called home for over fifty years.
One half of the book is devoted to unsettling, sometimes terrifying stories of murder, mystery, and the supernatural. Kicking off with the sinister ‘Rhododendrons in the Mist’, a brand-new story, this section assembles chilling stories like ‘A Face in the Dark’, ‘Eyes of the Cat’, ‘Panther’s Moon’, and ‘The Skull’.
The second section comprises tales that concern themselves with the everyday drama of life in the Himalaya. Starting with the autobiographical ‘Breakfast at Barog’, which has never before appeared in print, this section includes timeless stories like ‘The Blue Umbrella’, ‘The Cherry Tree’, and ‘A Long Walk for Bina’. The book concludes with an enthralling new story, ‘The Garden of Dreams’. Singular and unforgettable, Ruskin Bond’s new collection shows us once again why he is the country’s most addictive writer.

Genres: Fiction, India

344 pages, Hardcover

Published January 1, 2019

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

[Ruchi Patel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been reading and reviewing books for almost three years now but it’s embarrassing for me to confess that this is my first read of the author Ruskin Bond. I have heard great things about his writings but somehow I never got chance to read his work and today I feel privileged to read and enjoy his work. It’s difficult to write reviews for the book written by Ruskin Bond so I will try to briefly summarise the concept of the book and my feelings that’s it. Because I think I am not eligible enough to comment on such a great writer. As I said, I heard great things about his writings and this book made me realised why it is so. The tag line of the book is “My favourite tales of Himalaya”. So definitely the book is about Himalayan tales and his experiences. The book has been divided into parts. The first part is the dark side of the mountains that contains proper Himalayan tales or the tales that are of mountains. I liked those because that made us meet proper culture and picture of mountains. I liked the supernatural element of all those stories. The second part is mostly author’s tales related to the mountains and his experiences. If we see generally, I liked how author has taken one concept or place and written short short stories, experiences or tales based on same concept. All the tales are amazingly written. I loved the narration style of the author. It had magical effect on me. I have never been on Himalaya till now but I could imagine and visualise the scenes. I loved the vocabulary and language used definitely. No need comments on other components of the writing or book as such. Indeed a good book. Recommended from my side. And a must read.

[Aruna Kumar Gadepalli · Rating 5 out of 5]

28 stories of Master story teller into 3 parts in the book. Some of them though published earlier are worth spending time in rereading. Stories dealing with nature, mountains, wild life, people of the small town in the surrounding areas, people he met and so on.

[Prerna Mishra · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked up a Ruskin Bond after a long time. His stories are based in the hills that I grew up in. So reading these stories provides me with a comfort that comes with familiarity. These stories envelope me with a warmth just as the mist blankets the hills of the Dehra valley.

This story collection is divided in two parts. The first part, The Dark Side of the Mountains, has eerie tales from the hills, with supernatural elements. But his writing prevents it from being caricaturish or comical. It builds an atmosphere of myth and mystery. The second half has more personal tales, my favorite being Breakfast at Barog , in which I could see a little boy pining for his father. And then there is the magnum opus, Tales of Fosterganj whose beauty lies in its simplistic banality.

At the expense of stating the obvious, Ruskin Bond writes about hills like no one does. It’s heartwarming to see how the folks in the hills live in harmony with the nature. Even the leopard feels like a part of the community. And most importantly, whether it’s Bina or Bishnu, they are extremely happy with the little that life has given them. If only all of us could make peace with our environment like them.
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[Dhyani · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ruskin Bond really has a way with words when it comes to writing about nature. The stories were filled with dreamy landscapes of snow laden mountains, pristine pools deep within the forest and the hustle and bustle of a small town. The characters as usual were simple but intriguing and some straight up annoying but still entertaining, these not only included humans but also animals (especially leopards). But all in all the stories were simple, emotional and take you right to the hills.

[Arathi Mohan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Collection of stories from one of my all-time favourite authors. The book is divided into two sections - the first explores mystery and supernatural events in the author's travels through the Himalayas and the second is about the everyday life in the mountains. This book has all the elements that make Ruskin Bond such a popular writer - simple yet elegant writing, scenic locations, beautiful descriptions of nature and a set of lively characters. Reading this will instantly put you in a cheerful mood.

[Preethi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Turns out am not a great fan of short stories, especially eerie ones.

[Apurva Nagpal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rhododendrons in the Mist is a collection of 28 short stories, beautifully written and nostalgic about simpler times and small things in life.
Divided in two parts, the first half ‘The Dark Side of the Mountains’ consists of some murky and mysterious tales which were both atmospheric and eerie. I was surprised at how wonderfully he played with the supernatural elements, my favourite being the story about a skull which follows and seeks its company adamantly and I thought was brilliant.

The second half, ‘Himalayan Drama’ were a mix of tales from the Hills, the simple everyday life, love for nature and some from his personal experiences. I had already read a couple of stories from this section, some of his timeless works but my favourite was a new autobiographical story titled ‘Breakfast at Barog’ a tribute for his father and it was so touching and heartwarming.

Ruskin Bond’s writing has been my instant source of comfort, sublime yet vivid in it’s description, an absolute delight!

[Aakanksha Mishra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rhododendrons in the mist is a collection of short stories, a book written by Ruskin Bond. The stories can be said to revolve around two themes—suspense and mystery and the drama of everyday life—this book is divided into sections ‘The Dark Side of Mountains’ and ‘Himalayan Drama’ respectively. I personally enjoyed these short stories very much. There was thrill, suspense, and mystery in the stories which made them intriguing to read. This is my favorite genre and I'm glad that I get to read this book.

Stories are situated in Mussoorie as the author holds a deep love for this land. He doesn't leave any chance to mention it's beauty in his novels. Rhododendrons in the Mist, A Face in the Dark, Eyes of the Cat, The Cherry Tree, Getting Granny’s Glasses, The Prospect of Flowers, etc are different short stories in the book. I enjoyed reading these stories. Some of them even spooked me. Overall it was a great experience.

The language used in the book is very plain and simple, so anyone can read the book in one sitting. The book is very interesting and has the capability to keep the reader hooked until the end.

[Craartology · Rating 4 out of 5]

Can one ever go wrong with a Ruskin Bond book?

Never.

Rhododendrons in the Mist, is one brilliant collection stories from the Himalayas, also the author’s favourites and now mine too!

Atmospheric, nostalgic and beautifully described, these 28 stories make a pleasant reading experience for Mr. Bond writes effortlessly about the simple and humble ways of living in the hills and some eerie encounters from his own life.

Some new and some known, these stories are super entertaining and comforting at the same time!

Don’t miss this one for anything! ❤️

[Priyankab · Rating 5 out of 5]

The first Ruskin Bond book i read was “Death under the deaodars” and i couldn’t stop reading his books after that. Rhododendrons in the mist is again an intriguing collection of tales. Ruskin Bond has a very simple way of putting Up the most ordinary events and paint a beautiful picture for the readers. While reading the stories i felt as if I was witnessing each and every moment.
I simply loved the book and have recommended it to many a friends if mine.

[Akanksha Tripathi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Collection of beautiful stories by Ruskin Bond. There were many stories that'll live with me forever. I was deeply moved by the last story.... I love this book and I'll surely read it again in future. Such a beautiful book. Do read.

[Vishal · Rating 5 out of 5]

the second half of the book is good.

[Winju Mishra · Rating 5 out of 5]

A little Ruskin everyday keeps your heart's pain at bay!

[Aditya Ansh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing stories which take you back to the hills ❤️❤️

[Shalini Singh · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my first from the author and I loved every bit of it

[Vedica]

100/10 book. A must read if you love mountains.

[Sharanya Mukherji · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful bouquet of stories ☺️

[Archita Sharma · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book while sitting in forests of odisha in summer heat. Full of heart, these stories help lift spirits. It was a quick and nice himalayan escape, I hope to visit fosterganj someday.

[Ekta Kubba · Rating 5 out of 5]

Being a Ruskin Bond fan, it's always a treat for me to read his books. So this book was his 100th+ that I picked up for reading in this winter season. Though the book is a compilation of almost all (except the three new ones) the old writings by him, yet it always feels fresh. He easily takes his readers to hills through his words. Book had my all time favourites like 'The Funeral', 'The Blue Umbrella', 'Getting Granny's Glasses', 'Panther's Moon', and 'From Small Beginnings'. I had already read these pieces hundreds of times, but these always appeal to me more every time I go through these. 'The Blue Umbrella' and 'The Panther's Moon' are favourite even among my students. In this book the setting of all the stories is mostly in rural hills. Characters are pure-hearted and simple-minded. The book presents eerie side of life through stories in the first part of the book- The Dark Side of the Mountains- and lovely, pleasant, emotional and humorous side in the another part- Himalayan Drama. Fiction mixed with reality, or fiction inspired by reality is the essence of Ruskin Bond's writing. He transports the readers to his current life through piece like 'A Knock at the Door', and to his childhood through 'Breakfast at Barog'. All the stories are captivating and worth spending time.

[Varun Bhakay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rhododendrons in the Mist released last year, containing old and new stories from Bond’s pen, the latter numbering three, split into two thematic halves – one dark and murky and mysterious, aptly titled “The Dark Side of Mountains”, and the other a blend of every-day tales (“Himalayan Drama”).

When Ruskin Bond says “dark”, he doesn’t actually mean it. Those stories of his which might come close to fitting the bill still have traces of humour, but are more concentrated on misdeeds and wrongun’ characters than his other work. To expect a story that’ll send a chill down your spine would be a bridge too far, but they have a certain eeriness to them all the same.

As someone who has been reading Bond for close to a decade now, I can ascertain some running themes through his work. Be it strange relatives, kind-hearted neighbours, effective game companions, there are types of characters Bond has become an expert at writing. The most natural, the most free-flowing of his character-types is the father figure, modelled usually on his own father.

Bond’s relationship with his father, who passed away when he was ten, is well-documented in his work, and it shines through one of the three new stories that are part of the collection – Breakfast at Barog is sublime, eliciting both a smile at the manner in which it plays out and a bit of sadness too, for running through its words, penned by a man well into his eighties, is the sense of a young boy who didn’t get to bid his father adieu.

Some of the stories one might have read before, and I am probably not the only one who squirmed at a love story playing out between a thirty-year-old man and a girl just short of eighteen, but the rest is all good old Bond.

[Payoja Gandhi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am a great fan of Ruskin Bond's writings. This was my 12th book of Ruskin Bond. The tagline of this book is 'My favourite Tales from the Himalayas'. The stories justify the tagline. Almost all the stories are set in hill stations. The book is divided into two parts. the first part has a supernatural element to the stories. All the stories give you an eerie feeling. The second part consists of both fiction and noon-fiction stories that are set in the hills. The author surely misses his father a lot cause he has dedicated two stories to his father. 'Breakfast at Barog' and 'A funeral'. Most of the stories like 'The Blue Umbrella', 'A face in the Dark', 'Panther's moon', 'A long walk for Bina', etc in the collection are repeated. However, I enjoyed reading them again. The vivid description of nature by Ruskin Bond in the last story, 'A Garden of Dreams' made me simply love the story. The Tales of Fosterganj are a good collection of events and strange happenings in the imaginary village named Fosterganj. Overall, the book makes you visit the hills again and again. The description of the flora and fauna, the mist, the quaint towns and villages, the weird inhabitants of these towns and the narration of happenings in their lives makes me a Ruskin Bond fan. Definitely worth collecting if you are a Ruskin Bond fan.

[Smriti · Rating 5 out of 5]

My review is likely to be biased because I'm crazy about Ruskin Bond. This book took me back to the mountains during the lockdown. A fiction book after the longest time and it didn't choose to disappoint at all. A must-read for those of you who have been Bond fans, and also for those who want to give him a try for the first time.

[Mayank · Rating 4 out of 5]

Any story from Ruskin Bond is a treat..more so when it is a signed copy..