A Handful of Nuts

by Ruskin Bond (Narrator)

A handful of nuts is a gloriously funny and unexpectedly tender story of being young and adventurous in small town India.The narrator hopes to establish himself as a writer but is constantly diverted from his task by romances,escapades and other distractions.The Maharani of Magdor ;Stewart Granger,the movie star;William Matheson,the always broke journalist;Sitaram,the annoying but resourceful son of the local dhobi;a runaway circus tiger and an assorted prose of Dehradun denizens populate the book making it a delightful read.A classic coming of age story,A handful of nuts is one of Ruskin Bond's finest works.

Genres: Fiction, Indian Literature

120 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2009

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

[Mallika Mahidhar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ruskin Bond always gets me. Pleasant read about friendship and a young writer's life in Dehra.

Favourite words:
"We all need one friend in whom to confide—to whom we can confess our misdemeanours, look for sympathy in times of trouble."

"Our favourite books outlast our dreams..."

"The night is beautiful, made ugly only by the searing headlights of cars."

"And I knew that if I always remained close to these things, growing things, the natural world, life would come alive for me, and I would be able to write as long as I lived."

[Snigdha · Rating 4 out of 5]

A comforting slice of life story from Buskin Ronde

[Arun · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very Unlikely Bond.. A good read :)

[Ajay Thakur · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a feel - good novella where words of wisdom are disguised in simple sentences.

[Subhashree Jena · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can never go wrong with Ruskin bond and that confidence and trust of mine is just growing more and more with every book I read of his..
There's just something about his writing and the way he makes you feel whole as a person that I can never explain..I always find myself reaching or wanting to read his books when I think that life is not going well and my love of reading is slowly fading away that's when the magic of Bond's writing help me.. I always save Ruskin Bond's books because I don't want them to end.. but at the end one day I will read each and every work that he had written and I know that I will love them all.. like this one.. ❣️

[Uzma Chauhan · Rating 4 out of 5]

QOTD: Are you achieving your reading goals of 2020 right ??
🕊️ Review 🕊️
Book: A handful of nuts
Pages: 120
Author: @ruskinbondofficial
Publisher: @penguinindia ✨
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This story is about the narrator who hopes to establish himself as a writer at the age of 21 but is always distracted from his task by romances, escapades and many other, will he succeed as a writer grab your copy to find out.
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The description of Ruskin Bond sir will always be my favourite the way he describes nature in his stories is mesmerizing. If you are looking to read something that makes you laugh then you must go for this one. The story is engaging and fun to read that it will make your eyes wet with joy.
Light and cosy read.
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Note: I am on track until now.

#sevendays7posts #sevenreviewsinsevendays #bookporn #ruskinbond #bookgram #bookishchallenge
#bookaholic #bookshelf

[Anagha Mahadevan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Its one of my favourite stories of Ruskin Bond which I have read. The story mainly pictures the life of Ruskin while he was in Dehra. It was an unexpectable short story about his life around his friend Sitaram, his first love Indra and her nosey and mother, the Maharani of Magador.The story mainly travels through the adventurous situations where he meets his dead father as a support. In this story he is trying to publish his works and live his life with it.

[C.R. Narayanan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a beautiful book which speaks about the struggles in the life on a full time writer. Impressive and motivational stuff! If you're a person who is aspiring to become a writer, then this book will urge you to work harder. :-)

[Debjyoti Banerjee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Relaxing storyline...Kind of autobiographical...depicts the author's struggling life as a budding writer, the numerous people of Dehradun, his awkward friends and his crush, his self-respect and love for his simple taste and lifestyle... Its hilariously told..

[Prabhakar Prabhakar · Rating 4 out of 5]

A story of young Bond and his adventures in the town of Dehradun as a budding writer. Here's a quote from it:

"How sweet it is to do nothing, and afterwards to rest!"

[Vignesh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Simple and honestly good writing. Brings back old memories. This way better than his "flight of pigeons".

[Aditi Roy · Rating 4 out of 5]

{A Handful of Nuts}
Author:Ruskin Bond
Genre:fiction
Pages:120
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RATINGS:⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
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⏹【Introduction🗣】
It's a gloriously funny and unexpectedly tender story of being young and adventurous in small town of India for the author.
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⏹【Blurb📖】
Why had the author chosen to write about twenty-first year of his life? Just for one thing, it's often the most significant year in any young person's life. A time for falling in love; a time to set about making the dreams come true; a time to venture forth, to blaze new trails, take risks....and so on.
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⏹【Review📃】
The book dates back to the days of early 1900s when the author was just twenty-one years old.
The story is perfect amalgamation of drama, friendship,mystery, romance and thriller. With compelling writting style the plot of the story is very intricate and interesting. This book will make you laugh in a light humor way, thus the readers will hook up with it till the end.


The language is precies upto the point. Narration is remarkable. Cover is beautiful. Title is simple but apt with the story at hand.


The book focuses on a guy's emotions and captures feelings of all the characters around him very effectively.


The best part is, it's a short read and a really delighting one at that!


Summing up everything, this books is worth reading.


So,if you desire to read something different yet entertaining then do pick it up.

[Ghulam Fareed · Rating 4 out of 5]

Title: A handful of nuts

Author: Ruskin Bond

Genre: Fiction, Cultural>India, Contemporary

Year: 2009(this edition), 1994(1st published)

Publisher: Penguin Random House India

My rating: 3.5 out of 5

My views:
• About friendship, romance, and the ups and downs of a young writer's journey who is trying to get published.
• The wisdom is encapsulated in simple sentences.
• Engaging, fun, cosy, adventurous, and witty at times.
• Ended well. Epilogue is also provided.
• Short, precise, simple, and quick read. Novella.
• Kind of autobiographical. Shares personal experiences.
• Describes subtly the seamy side of one's life.
• Not the best work of Bond, e.g., notes from a small room. Writing style is good but deprived of substance at times.
• Few quotable quotes.
• Some swear words and erotic sentences.

[Bhabani Sankar Pradhan · Rating 4 out of 5]

"A Handful Of Nuts" by Ruskin Bond narrates the author's early-twenties life events. A very quick and enchanting read in which the author takes a stroll down memory lane in beautiful Dehradun, detailing his day-to-day life.

Despite the fact that the book was written when the author was in his sixties, he has described the characters in vivid detail and with light humor, which makes the book more alive.

A fine title depicting friendship, love, dream, hustle, and awkwardness of a twenty-one-year-old youth that will compel you to finish it in one sitting. The simplicity and uniqueness of the characters, as well as the exciting events, will leave you with a wonderful nostalgia for your twenties as you finish the book.

[Tanvi Hussain · Rating 5 out of 5]

No one other than Ruskin Bond can pull out beauty,elegance and romance out of simple mundane things. How many of us so far have thought of remarking the twenty first year of our lives apart from just celebrating the birthday. Or like ever thought of the significance of these odd years.I've always fallen in love with his characters especially when it goes around those people whom only Bond can glory else in reality they just exist. Sitaram is one such character who moves as centrally as the protagonist Bond himself.This story has all of it a queen doing her etiquette and shedding it all once to Sitaram the dhobiwala's son.Dehradun has always looked more beautiful from his lens.His narration of 1955 seemed as existential as 2023.

[Mrinalini · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book cannot have found me at a better time. I am 21 and I have just come back from a trip to Dehradun and Massourie, where the book is based in and where Ruskin Bond himself lives. The uncertainty of being a young adult where you are not sure of what you want to do neither are you sure of you as a person is explored so beautifully that it makes me feel at ease that everyone my age feels the same thing across decades. My only regret would be that I had no clue on the whereabouts of the author while on the trip else I would have attempted to at least get a glance of him.

[Mamta Saxena · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story is funny and how freely one can live in their youth is inspiring..The way they celebrate their birthday is a thing of past now in my surroundings but I wish to do such things again..and having a friend with whom we can confide in everything is a good idea

[Chaitalee Ghosalkar · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a treat!

Quirky set of people, Bond's wit mixed with his way of describing things as they are makes for a wonderful read. Another autobiographical account, this time when he's twenty one years of age. You are reminded of A Room on The Roof, but this one is taken up a notch higher.

[soumyadeep naskar · Rating 5 out of 5]

I always love reading Bond's works. So pleasant and soothing to read.

[Rayees Shaikh · Rating 5 out of 5]

A delightful read.

[Niti Mittal · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a pleasant book.

[Nitin Bhatt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bond really keep it simple. You can just go on and on and never really knew that it got finished. Living in the moment while reading it.

[Shobitha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful book... Love Ruskin Bond's writing. The way he describes characters, places and nature is simply phenomenal. A must read book for all.

[Susmita Dutta · Rating 5 out of 5]

I want to know who this sitaram character in real life is. What's the actor's name ..I'd anyone knows ,then please write in comment .

[Ekta Kubba · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ruskin Bond again takes the readers to a magical world- not of fairies, ghosts or beautiful landscapes, but the world of common people, a handful of nuts. Nothing specific or of much significance happens in the story. It is just an account of day to day life in Dehra of mid 1950s. At some places it seems like a diary account. Dehra is not described in the book; it comes alive itself through the characters. These handful of nuts are ambitious, but empty from the pockets. William Matheson, Jai Shankar, Suresh Mathur, and the funniest and most dear to Ruskin is Sitaram. This story presents the time when Ruskin was back from England and decided to settle in Dehra, the town where he spent most of his childhood. He hopes to be an established writer but is constantly distracted by adventures In the initial days. He could manage to write only 10-12 stories a month for different magazines and newspapers, that bring him around 250 rs. a month. And his friends, with one or more strange habits, rely on him financially for their number of needs. So it leaves him with no fortune for 'rainy days'.
Then there is Indu, the princess, with whom Ruskin is infatuated, but always fails to express his feelings because of her mother, the Maharani.
The book was written when Ruskin Bond was in his sixties. And the story is of a 21 year old Ruskin, still aspiring to be an established writer. So it immediately connects the reader to the author's memory where he is longing for his past, the days of his youth, the days that made him the man he is today- the Ruskin Bond.
This book brings the reminiscences of simple and engrossing life events and evokes nostalgia for a time gone by. Highly recommended for Ruskin Bond fans.

[Jp112 · Rating 5 out of 5]

More than 5 stars.
I've read some ruskin bonds novellas. These are good. Not like his short stories. But this book was just a gem. There is something in that book which is just impossible to explain. I've reread some of ruskin bonds stories and also gonna read this again book too. the ending was so beautiful.

[Vaishnavi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had just finished reading The Room on the Roof that was written by the author when he was 17 and I naturally jumped at the chance to read about the same period in his life written when he was 60. The author is 21 in this book. The perspectives are entirely different. In the Room on the Roof there is definitely the innocence of the age coming through. Simple thoughts and simpler problems in life. Whereas in the latter book, the author comes out as world-wise and a survivor. Nevertheless both books made an interesting read.

[Clement Dsouza · Rating 4 out of 5]

Novella with a funny and bit poignant touch from the master storyteller. Every time I open a Ruskin Bond book I feel like I am re-discovering myself. The story lingers on in your mind or soul or heart, whatever you think you have, even after you've finish reading.

'A Handful of Nuts' is one such story which every nut out here must read. A story of dreams and distractions, of love and lust, of friends and strangers, of nostalgia and nightmares.

[Manu · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a story written in first person narrating Ruskin's experience as a 21-year old in Dehradun in the 1950's. The novel though written when the author was in his sixties, yet he has retained the magical ability to explain most characters to their finer details. This book was part of my free list of books provided by Flipkart on my Lumia. Loved it. Simple and sweet read. Strongly recommended.

[Pranay · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very simple book where the author is reminiscing his youth (when he was 21 years old as that is the time when one starts to understand one self clearly). The story brings to light the adventures of young Ruskin Bond and his interactions with his friends. the setting is the beautiful Dehradun which is described in all its glory.