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The World Outside My Window
In this delightful little book, Ruskin Bond writes about some of the most interesting insects, birds, trees and flowers he has observed. As a person with a deep and abiding connection with all things natural, he brings keen observation and delightful details into his pieces. From the butterfly, dragonfly, scorpion and ant lion to different varieties of cacti, semul trees, the jasmine flower and the wild flowers found in the Himalayan region, as well as birds of the hills and urban areas like Delhi, Bond describes them all. This book is a handy guide for anyone who is interested in exploring the natural world as well as all those who love reading about nature.
- GenresNonfictionNature
Unknown Binding
First published January 1, 2016
9 people are currently reading
72 people want to read
About the author
Ruskin Bond
680 books3,563 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 - 13 of 13 reviews
August 12, 2018
I was under the impression that this book was meant for kids. And I've been proven wrong, again!(Seems that we're all prone to moments of prejudice and every now and then) Ruskin Bond in his unique and unmatched style goes on to give an informative yet interesting narrative on the various flora and fauna that have graced him with their presence over the years.
Over the course of reading, this felt like a refresher course to Class 4 biology :)
Also I think Mr. Bond was having fun writing this book, especially with lines and sections like this :
About the mating of scorpions
"His mastery over his spouse is limited to the period of courtship. The male scorpion is often seized and eaten by the female soon after mating : a custom that is also popular with spiders, but not, as yet, amongst humans "
About barbet birds :
"The barbet is one of those birds which are more often heard than they are seen. It has a monotonous far reaching call, 'pee-oh', 'pee-oh', which carries for about a mile. Like politicians, these birds love listening to their own voices and often two or three will answer each other from different trees, each trying to outdo the rest in a shrill shouting match '"
Over the course of reading, this felt like a refresher course to Class 4 biology :)
Also I think Mr. Bond was having fun writing this book, especially with lines and sections like this :
About the mating of scorpions
"His mastery over his spouse is limited to the period of courtship. The male scorpion is often seized and eaten by the female soon after mating : a custom that is also popular with spiders, but not, as yet, amongst humans "
About barbet birds :
"The barbet is one of those birds which are more often heard than they are seen. It has a monotonous far reaching call, 'pee-oh', 'pee-oh', which carries for about a mile. Like politicians, these birds love listening to their own voices and often two or three will answer each other from different trees, each trying to outdo the rest in a shrill shouting match '"
May 1, 2021
Insects, animals, plants and flowers all have come alive in this book.
This book ‘The world outside my window’ offers both a pleasant read and an informative read on the flora and fauna of Himalayan foothills. I personally came to know about most of the stuff related to plants and creatures dwelling in forests at night and day through this book.
The author has divided the book in three sections – firstly, taking us into the wonderful world of insects, secondly, getting us familiarized with Birdsongs in the mountains and thirdly, showering upon us with the loveliness of ferns. Ruskin Bond being having his whole life spent in Dehra and in in hills, uses his immense experience and observation to narrate us the tales of organisms living in the creaks of stones to tree and trunk holes.
At one point the author says that - If all insects were to suddenly disappear from the earth, it would not be long before many other living things would vanish too, possibly even mankind.
Insects like dragonflies possessing five eyes; Fireflies, glow worms, terrific energy of bees and their honey extracting process, strange and weird phasmids, Couple of beetle tribes such as the elephant beetle, the rhinoceros beetle, the stag beetle and the bamboo beetle, swallowtails and atlas moth all are vividly described in the book.
In the musical part of the book, we get to hear the insects orchestra in the monsoon season with the grasshoppers shrill in the bushes, katydids, secret behind crickets chirping and cicadas singing, number of small birds with hunting parties of tits—grey tits, red-headed tits and green-backed tits, and two delicate little willow-warblers, all the Parakeets, mynas, rosy pastors, crested bulbuls without crests, barbets and many other birds crowded the tree in order to feast noisily on big scarlet figs; bulbuls, tailorbirds, mynas, hoopoes, parrots and tree pies, blue jays or rollers, parrots – independent and noisy, sarus crane—a familiar sight around the jheels and river banks of northern India, baby owlets, hawk cuckoo semitones, koel – brainfever bird – every beings make us feel a small part in one big family.
The trees and the ferns - The sal - the most important tree of the lower Himalayas, birches and the poplar prevails, oaks and chestnuts growing above 5,000 feet, rhododendrons and magnolias, pine, deodar, cedar, yew and spruce are all well-known conifers, peach and the apricot, the plum and the cherry, grow wild and in cultivation adding charm to the Himalayas, water mint, wild strawberries, wood sorrel, orchids and violets and dandelions, and a forest of ferns , lady fern ,jasmines , Flaxes, glory leys, water lilies, cacti’s – some of the many of the trees that are described the book.
Also, I liked the two poems by Ruskin Bond included in the book that were ‘The whistling schoolboy’ and ‘All is life’.
In the modern age and consumerism, we have no place for banyan trees today, they need so much space in which to spread their limbs and live comfortably.
After reading this book, I myself wanted to rest in the shade of a small babul or keekar tree and watch the kingfisher skim over the water, making just a slight splash as it dived and came up with small glistening. And eat a purple coloured jamun nourishing its sour tang, best eaten with a little salt.
This book ‘The world outside my window’ offers both a pleasant read and an informative read on the flora and fauna of Himalayan foothills. I personally came to know about most of the stuff related to plants and creatures dwelling in forests at night and day through this book.
The author has divided the book in three sections – firstly, taking us into the wonderful world of insects, secondly, getting us familiarized with Birdsongs in the mountains and thirdly, showering upon us with the loveliness of ferns. Ruskin Bond being having his whole life spent in Dehra and in in hills, uses his immense experience and observation to narrate us the tales of organisms living in the creaks of stones to tree and trunk holes.
At one point the author says that - If all insects were to suddenly disappear from the earth, it would not be long before many other living things would vanish too, possibly even mankind.
Insects like dragonflies possessing five eyes; Fireflies, glow worms, terrific energy of bees and their honey extracting process, strange and weird phasmids, Couple of beetle tribes such as the elephant beetle, the rhinoceros beetle, the stag beetle and the bamboo beetle, swallowtails and atlas moth all are vividly described in the book.
In the musical part of the book, we get to hear the insects orchestra in the monsoon season with the grasshoppers shrill in the bushes, katydids, secret behind crickets chirping and cicadas singing, number of small birds with hunting parties of tits—grey tits, red-headed tits and green-backed tits, and two delicate little willow-warblers, all the Parakeets, mynas, rosy pastors, crested bulbuls without crests, barbets and many other birds crowded the tree in order to feast noisily on big scarlet figs; bulbuls, tailorbirds, mynas, hoopoes, parrots and tree pies, blue jays or rollers, parrots – independent and noisy, sarus crane—a familiar sight around the jheels and river banks of northern India, baby owlets, hawk cuckoo semitones, koel – brainfever bird – every beings make us feel a small part in one big family.
The trees and the ferns - The sal - the most important tree of the lower Himalayas, birches and the poplar prevails, oaks and chestnuts growing above 5,000 feet, rhododendrons and magnolias, pine, deodar, cedar, yew and spruce are all well-known conifers, peach and the apricot, the plum and the cherry, grow wild and in cultivation adding charm to the Himalayas, water mint, wild strawberries, wood sorrel, orchids and violets and dandelions, and a forest of ferns , lady fern ,jasmines , Flaxes, glory leys, water lilies, cacti’s – some of the many of the trees that are described the book.
Also, I liked the two poems by Ruskin Bond included in the book that were ‘The whistling schoolboy’ and ‘All is life’.
In the modern age and consumerism, we have no place for banyan trees today, they need so much space in which to spread their limbs and live comfortably.
After reading this book, I myself wanted to rest in the shade of a small babul or keekar tree and watch the kingfisher skim over the water, making just a slight splash as it dived and came up with small glistening. And eat a purple coloured jamun nourishing its sour tang, best eaten with a little salt.
May 17, 2017
Indeed you would have already read some of the essays in this collection in any other Ruskin Bond's book but this fact does not take away the charm from his beautiful writings and you can always re-read such essays. Not only the pieces are full of usual deliciousness but some of them are quite informational too. If you are a Ruskin Bond fan then it doesn't matter what the book contains, you know it will be good and that you will be enjoying it, so go ahead and pick this book up for your next light reading.
January 5, 2020
Magical as always
March 25, 2021
If you live in hills like the author does, there's always something interesting to observe and that's what Bond does, in this book. He talks the most interesting insects, birds, beautiful flowers and trees. As someone who has always been connected with nature, all this coming from him feels very natural. 🌼🌸
"When you have some time to spare, make a list of all the different insects that you can name. If you can put more than twenty names on your list, you will probably do better than the average person."
This definitely has to be the wittiest opening line to any story. This is a book that is very informative and makes you realise how ignorant you have been towards insects, animals, trees and nature in general. He offers you delightful details and his observations in his writing! 😍
From grasshoppers to dragonflies, butterflies to ant lions, jasmine flowers to cacti and all sorts of wild flowers and birds found in the hilly Himalayan region, Bond talks about everything nature in this book. If you love reading about nature or learning about the flora and fauna then this is the perfect book for you. 🌻
It was informative and I really enjoyed it. ❤️
"When you have some time to spare, make a list of all the different insects that you can name. If you can put more than twenty names on your list, you will probably do better than the average person."
This definitely has to be the wittiest opening line to any story. This is a book that is very informative and makes you realise how ignorant you have been towards insects, animals, trees and nature in general. He offers you delightful details and his observations in his writing! 😍
From grasshoppers to dragonflies, butterflies to ant lions, jasmine flowers to cacti and all sorts of wild flowers and birds found in the hilly Himalayan region, Bond talks about everything nature in this book. If you love reading about nature or learning about the flora and fauna then this is the perfect book for you. 🌻
It was informative and I really enjoyed it. ❤️
February 17, 2022
Nature, a beautiful world which we all are part of. But, are we really living with nature? The view we see from our windows are usually night city, morning rush, tiring evening and maybe sometimes nature who are peeping from here and there. But why not, we take a moment and keenly observe this Nature, the greatest teacher and lover of human beings.
Ruskin Bond is well known for his wisdom beneath simple words. The World Outside My Window is no exception. It's not a fiction, neither a collection of poems. It's like a travelogue that he wrote. This book makes us observe those minute details of Nature and her beings. It makes us bath in the beauty of Nature and her creations.
Nature and her music
Nature and her art
Nature and her fragrance
Nature and her... Love.
This is what I felt while traveling in this world of the author. A book which not only gives you general knowledge, but also teaches you how to observe every single detail and bask in that beautiful world.
Though it may seem like a children's book but do I really need to say out loud that Ruskin Bond is for all ages? So, just go and grab this world!
Ruskin Bond is well known for his wisdom beneath simple words. The World Outside My Window is no exception. It's not a fiction, neither a collection of poems. It's like a travelogue that he wrote. This book makes us observe those minute details of Nature and her beings. It makes us bath in the beauty of Nature and her creations.
Nature and her music
Nature and her art
Nature and her fragrance
Nature and her... Love.
This is what I felt while traveling in this world of the author. A book which not only gives you general knowledge, but also teaches you how to observe every single detail and bask in that beautiful world.
Though it may seem like a children's book but do I really need to say out loud that Ruskin Bond is for all ages? So, just go and grab this world!
July 20, 2020
I found this book very delightful and a super lite read. I enjoyed it even more because I just love exploring about nature.
This book can act as a handy guide for the one who loves to know more about the natural world, and can gain so much of information from it, and that also from a very beautifully written literature piece.
This book can act as a handy guide for the one who loves to know more about the natural world, and can gain so much of information from it, and that also from a very beautifully written literature piece.
May 29, 2021
It is always a pleasure to read Ruskin Bond- the prose deceptive in its simplicity, the observations so full of empathy. Of late, I have come to discover the other Ruskin Bond. The one who observes flowers and birds and insects. That Ruskin Bond rules this book. Everyday companions described with something close to love.
December 6, 2019
Hated it!!! It was meant for children I should've seen that. Ruskin Bond sorry to say but you failed my expectations
April 29, 2020
Ruskin Bond- the one and only writer who can make insects and bugs sound interesting..
February 4, 2021
a warm and pretty book about birds, bugs, trees and flowers. taking this with me when i go to the mountains next time, and if i spot anything from the book i'll be like "hey look, mr bond mentioned it here and it's just as magnificent as ever." oh, to be in the mountains. city life has saddened me enough.
December 1, 2019
This book is just a encyclopedia. It told me the facts that i already knew about. When i read the title i thought it was going to be some sort of life lesson thing where a child sees the world in his eyes outside his window. But nevermind i didn't complete it. It was my first time reading a book of ruskin bond and he dissapointed me.
June 5, 2020
This book remind s me of my childhood days when little things like rain splash, paper boat, butterflies gave so much pleasure.
Bond has indeed depicted the same. I just love how he captures little things in his stories. No author of today's generation can compete him.
Bond has indeed depicted the same. I just love how he captures little things in his stories. No author of today's generation can compete him.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews