Notes From A Small Room: Signed As Essays From A Small Room

by Ruskin Bond

Whether contemplating the sound of a tropical downpour, or the fragrance of lime trees in the Himalayas or on a year spent with his cat Suzie, Ruskin Bond transports us to a quieter, more elegant world where time moves at a gentle pace.

Genres: Nonfiction, Essays, Indian Literature, India, Short Stories, Memoir, Literature

184 pages, Paperback

First published July 2, 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

[Malvika · Rating 5 out of 5]

No one can make you feel better than Ruskin Bond. He writes about simple things with beautiful emotions. Be it perfect windows or typewriters or books, Ruskin Bond writes down thoughts you've always thought, in words you always wanted to read.

[Sandhya · Rating 3 out of 5]

Moments of inspiration come to all of us. These are times when our imagination takes flight and there's an urge to pen down a few lines. It happens to me during the monsoons - seeing how lovely everything starts looking. The rains are infinitely romantic and there's a regenerating beauty to the season that is quite hard to describe.
It is with this sense of endless wonder and child-like joy that Ruskin Bond writes from his small room about all things that make an impression on him. And with his ardor for nature, even an ant's movement doesn't escape his sensitive eye.

The book - most of it are entries from his diary- is an ode to all things close and dear to him, wherein Ruskin Bond describes the mountain steam lined by white blossoms with as much tenderness as the potted geranium plant in his house. His joy at seeing seedlings break out from mother earth in the monsoons is only equaled by the wonder he feels watching the variety of insects emerging after a hot summer.

Most of the descriptions are about nature but Ruskin Bond’s affection extends to many other things, of which he makes some poignant notes. My favourite chapters (if they can be called that, because most of them are no more than 2 pages) all relate to the author’s description of his personal life – his childhood, some tender moments with his father, his struggle to become a writer. Another touching episode relates to his type writer, which he couldn’t afford entirely and his clerk/housekeeper buys it for him.

Then there are some reflections of books, the way only a bibliophile would do it; talking about how books and their curative properties, the charm of pocket-books and what it means to be a bibliophile.

..the rest can be read on my book blog, http://sandyi.blogspot.com/2009/08/ru...

[Joseph Schreiber · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bought this book in Kolkata at the insistence of a friend. These wonderful little essays proved to be great comfort over the past week of recovery from travel and food poisoning. Very gentle and accessible, these pieces are filled with wit and wisdom. I can see why Ruskin Bond is such a beloved writer in India. The only problem I have with this book is the careless proofing/copyediting. At times errors were so frequent that it threatened to ruin the reading experience.

[Sandeep · Rating 4 out of 5]

Notes from a Small Room - Ruskin Bond
Rating 4/5.
Pages 170

First thing which I noticed with this book, was the quality of the print. The book feels good to hold, the cover is soft, the pages are of good quality and the print especially the font feels good to read. The book comprises of many short essays written by Bond over the years. Many or some of the essays have been published. Some of them are fresh and new. This book came out on the occasion of Bond turning 75.

The other thing which I am always skeptical when reading Bond books' are the amount of stories which get repeated. Not in this one. Though few of the essays have an overlap or commonality with stories written by Bond, these essays, have their own individuality for reasons I shall explain.

These essays are less about people but more about nature and abstraction. These are less about happenings involving people instead they involve happenings with nature like sunrise, sunset, people do play a part but its more about plants, flowers, trees all of which Bond goes to at the first possible opportunity. Essays portray how Bond escapes to the hills which provide him much solitude, amidst happenings of the plains.

Though the book is a mere 170 pages and very simple in terms of writing, I took a good 2 odd days to complete it, just to slowly soak into the precious contemplation which the book puts the reader into. The book made me realize how bad I am at botany, zoology and birds. Yet I am amazed that this book put me with a new desire to study and read about the Birds of India, there are a couple of books on my mind which I plan to procure. Also I plan to read Chasing the Monsoon by Alex Frater soon just to satisfy more of my monsoon curiosity.

I may be repeating my thought process here, but, I feel the essence of the essays lies in Bond capturing the simplistic things of nature, of life, which most others tend to ignore. A walk along a winding hill road, an evening in the company of Monsoon rains in the plains, a dawn with a view from the room. The sights, sound, smell which are captured from one's room. The views appearing from one's room. Writing about these, re-living memories of these again and again even after sixty odd years, it is exactly what Bond does through these writings.

This book reminded me of the couple of quiet days which I spent in Kaddukhal, Uttarakhand, where I had a room with a view to the hills (Picture in my goodreads profile). Overall a very pleasant read. And also very much a good candidate for a re-read too.

Cheers,

[Pankaj Suneja · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of the simple and sweet book I have read. I brought this book from a bookstore during my trip to Kolkata. It is my first Ruskin Bond. In this book, the notes from small room, Ruskin Bond gives us a glimpse of solitude and close to nature life. This non-fiction has various short reflections. Some of them are memorable to me, like ‘remember this day’ in which he describes his childhood time with his father. And then one day his father was no more, and the last day he spent with his father becomes so powerful memory.
In the last reflection ‘thoughts to be 75’, he sums up. “Wisdom does not come with age. It is born with you in the cradle. Either you have it or you don’t.”
“Dawn, daybreak, sunrise. They are all different. Twilight, dusk, nightfall. All quite different. We must be aware of these subtle differences in the light around us if we are to appreciate the life around us”
It is raining outside, as I write this and somehow some drops are so clearly visible that eyes just stare at them. But life around us is so much filled with motorcycle engine that most of the mind occupies in the distinction of noise and sound of raindrops falling. Notes from Small room, can be cherished by every writer in us. It is sweet gift for all of us. Bond shares about his journey to become writer and his conflicts between earning money and following passion. I am looking forward to read other Ruskin Bond’s work. May be his first novel “The Room on the Roof”. He was eighteen when it was published.
‘Notes from Small room’ by Ruskin Bond has to be to read in one’s lifetime.

[Anagha Mahadevan · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was the story of Ruskin Bond, what all happened in his life, the happiness, the tragedies. He also talks about the places he stayed and what all did he did there. The way he enjoyed his life. He elucidates on how he became an author, the efforts he had put in for it. Through this piece of text, he has expressed all his thoughts and imaginations. A very compelling style of writing, makes us travel along with his feelings. The simple and ample way of explaining incidents makes his work very special.

[Debalina · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s not possible to not love Ruskin Bond. This book made me feel happy, be calm and made me fall in love with Ruskin Bond again. A perfect night time read for pleasant dreams about nature, hills, mountains, the next sunrise, rhododendrons, night-owls, and how they do not sound like a motorbike starting, nighthawks and how the world has been unfair to them, cats, flying squirrels, dahlias, roses, and all things happy and wonderful and beautiful.

Happy reading!🙃

[Prashant · Rating 5 out of 5]

poetic, lyrical, heart touching and nostalgic compilations of Ruskin bond's best articles and essays filled with slice of life experiences. one reading session is not enough to relish on the thoughts written by bond. one of the best Ruskin bond books to read in weekends. loved these notes from small room.

[Vani · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is one book which inspires you to observe life closely and keep writing for yourself

[Barkha · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have had this book since more than 10 years, gifted by a friend in school on a birthday. I didn't read it at the time and it has been such a permanent fixture in my little book cabinet that my unseeing eyes always glossed over it without paying attention. Last week I picked it up for lack of anything else to read, and I was pleasantly surprised.

Written on his 75th birthday, this book can best be described as poignant tales of a life well lived. Ruskin Bond paints a vivid picture, be it London, Delhi or the mountains; be it his school at 8 in Shimla, a rundown job in London at 17, frequent unpreferred visits to the Delhi plains, or his home in Mussoorie since 20 years. Perhaps some of his best stories are of Garhwal: it's clear that he is in love with the mountains. He brings you closer to nature with his well armed repository of trees, birds; their sounds, fragrances. This book is interspersed with many gems - one moment we are ruminating on the mystery of midnight walks, another on the sacredness of afternoon naps, the next on the morning dew. A moment on the rain, another on old books, a third on debts. He's an observational writer and he will transport you anywhere.

You also get a glimpse into the life, psyche and philosophy of this man: he is inherently simple, prefers solitude and feels at home amidst nature. We get a window into the loss of his father at a very young age, or into how he became a writer.

This book is about truly cherishing the simple things in life. Today he's 86 and a recent article tells me that he still continues to live his life in the same simple manner in his modest home, meeting fans every weekend at the local bookshop, loving his afternoon naps and cherishing his room plant. He's very grounded and no amount of success shook him from his roots in the Himalayas.

I have never read Ruskin Bond much, but now I am going to correct that.

(Note to self: As I like this book, I also ponder on how my own tastes have changed over the years. This book didn't interest me at 15: so serious, so poignant. Seemed like old man ruminations. I was only interested in reading fiction, I loved reading Agatha Christie or other mysteries / YA which rewarded you instantly with thrill and sensation. Compared to that, this book is a slow cook. Not something to be taken in at one go, it rewards you slowly. When you read something and relate it to incidents of your life and are quietly amused, or better yet you read something and relate to it down the line and fondly remember this cherished book. I am glad that my tastes have evolved to include more variety. 10 years on, I would like to think I have become more contemplative and I can appreciate ruminations on life.)

[Jitendra Mulay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very simple and beautifully written book. Like the idea of prescribing books as medicines, surly it works.

[Book'd Hitu · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ruskin bond. As magical as always.

[Mukunth · Rating 5 out of 5]

it depicts Rusty' daily life in simple words, at any time you find yourself speaking with Rusty while reading:) it has a calming affect on your mind....you do wanna change the page, not like the thriller, but one deliberately delays so that pages continues .....feel loving even just watching the book!!

[April Singh · Rating 4 out of 5]

to get to read this book is a feast in itself.
she wants you to read it because she knows that you love to read him.
and that she actually brings it for you to read ( she is a bad lady after all)
and that to read it during the your exams.
Epic!!!

[Deepti · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book! It can brighten the most dreary day! Alone-ness and loneliness are not the same thing, and this book helped me see many important things about life.

[Aditi Agrawal · Rating 4 out of 5]

“I love this life passionately and I wish it could go on and on. But all good things must come to an end and when the time comes to makes my exit, I hope I can do so with good grace and humor”..! -RUSKIN
A writer’s imagination is beyond literacy, he keeps you stumped to his writings. Ruskin Bond is someone who romances with little things in his writings and personifies a great deal of happiness engraved in it. He writes simple things with beautiful emotions.
With the sense of endless wonder and child like joy that Ruskin Bond writes from his small room about all the things that make an impression on him. And with this ardor for nature, even an ant’s movement doesn’t escape his sensitive eye.
The book- most of the descriptions are about nature but Ruskin Bond’s affection extends too many other things, of which he makes some poignant notes. All the chapters are related to his personal life, his childhood, some tender moments with his father and his struggle to become a writer….This is where I find a connect with him and he totally had it. Most o the entries are random but his struggle was real. One episode kept my mouth open that how he did not have money to buy a typewriter and how his housekeeper bought it for him.
There are the things which a bibliophile can understand, the charm of books and its worth

[Lay Shah · Rating 3 out of 5]

You've got to admit, Ruskin Bond makes the world a better place. The books are always there to cheer me up whenever I feel down in life. As soothing and relaxing as a warm hug, Ruskin Bond's books can uplift your mood, calm your mind.
and enable you to enjoy solitude and silence.

You can refer to this book as having stories inspired by entries from his diary. His gentle observations about his father, writing, walks in nature, windows with views, birds, favorite sounds, fragrant leaves, stamp collection, perfect windows or typewriters, books, cherry trees, and about living in various cities were soothing and meditative and filled with wit and wisdom.

In his book, there are three chapters that I find absolutely fascinating. They are, remember this day, a year with Suzie, and the typewriter.

His love of books is evident in his stories, such as thoughts on reaching 75, reading and getting well, and a book lover's lifelong search. While he has said many times that he could not live without books, he has also written that there are other things only a bibliophile can understand, such as the charm of books. We all feel the same way about his books. Furthermore, it motivates you to write more and more and to read a lot, since nothing compares to the pleasure of reading.

Cheers!

[Kirti Upreti · Rating 4 out of 5]

A pure sensory delight. ♥️
The words make you feel the warmth of sunlight spreading across your body. They make you hear the sound of rain pattering on the corrugated roofs. I could listen to the sounds of crows, mynahs, owls and crickets. I could breathe in the fragrance of roses, marigolds, and earth after the first downpour. Much more than these, I could feel a strange pang of nostalgia which flew me back to the time when I was walking down the road holding my parent's hands. I could recall the refreshing smell of night blooming jasmines that I used to collect upon waking up at 4 am decades ago. Those early morning breezes. Those simple days before technology bombarded our lives.

Reading this book felt like meditating while Ruskin Bond contemplated on my behalf. May be this is what they call magic.

[Upasana Ray · Rating 5 out of 5]

Re-reading this book always helps calm my mind, enabling me to enjoy my solitude and silence. The stories here are picked at random from Ruskin Bond’s collection, hence one of the best experiences this book offers is in walking in the author’s shoes at various different stages of his life - at 17 while he’s a struggling young dreamer in England, at late 20s when he’s gained a few meaningful insights into the art of living, and at 75 as he reflects upon the simple little joys that helped him navigate a wholesome and challenging life.

[Nargles · Rating 4 out of 5]

When you read this book, you definitely feel the wisdom of a man who has lived 75 years, even if all the stories weren't written by him at 75. The attention he pays to the little details is probably what is the reason behind his healthy heart at 75. This book reminds you to appreciate the little things in life, to look outside and observe life for a bit. Because there is a lot of beauty around you to look at and adore.

In a day and age where we are all so caught up with the work and grind of life, it's nice to read books like these that remind you to take a breather.

[Manish · Rating 4 out of 5]

"It seems to me that most people are scared of solitude, for almost everything is carried out on a crowded scale. Clubs, wedding parties, sporting events, political meetings, victory parades, protests, religious events, melas, even prayer meetings- the bigger the crowd, the more successful the event! Let a man be seen walking about the hills or the countryside alone, and he will be labelled an eccentric; for to most people loneliness is wrongly linked to unhappiness. Their minds are not deep enough to appreciate the sweetness and balm of solitude; they are afraid of life itself, of coming face to face with themselves."

This small excerpt from a chapter called Solitude resonates with the reader. As an Indian, I feel proud to have lived in the age of Ruskin Bond, who has had his fair share of impact on the world through his words.

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely wonderful !! My first Ruskin Bond book and what an introduction it's been!

Notes from a Small Room could have been a diary that Ruskin Bond maintained and he's sharing excerpts from it for our pleasure. All those descriptions of nature and childhood memories brought a smile to my face.

[Sayantani Dasgupta · Rating 5 out of 5]

Charming, moving, and soothing like the words of a friend. I don’t say this lightly...it’s easy to see why Ruskin Bond remains one of India’s most beloved writers. This book contains essays about his father, writing, walks in nature, windows with views, birds, favorite sounds, fragrant leaves, stamp collection, cherry trees, of living in various cities, so on and so forth. Each one is a delight.

[Fernanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This collection is intimate and nostalgic. Ruskin Bond shares memories and reflections on his life, made of bigger and smaller events and a profound relationship with nature. I got particularly touched by the short story about his father and the very last one, which sounds like a sort of testament.

[K_reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ruskin Bond will be the end of me. His words awaken a longing for a softer, slower life—where morning light dances across the walls, tiny garden visitors become companions, and the gentle hum of pigeons outside the window feels like a lullaby. I don’t just want to read his world; I want to live in it, breathe it in, feel it settle quietly into my bones.

[Megha Kumar · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best medicine for when you're sick in bed and need some soothing. A collection of articles which sings to your soul and makes you appreciate all the small things around you, be it, the chirping of the birds or, the tiny stream of moonbeam through your window.

[Kezang · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ruskin Bond’s writing for me is so therapeutic. It’s like one of those ASMR videos we see on instagram. Reading through this collection was an absolute delight. ❤️ it reminds us to live in the moment and inspires us to see the beauty in everyday life.

[Aruna Kumar Gadepalli · Rating 5 out of 5]

This anthology with 38 write-ups from the author known for his simple words, writings on his observations on hills, small towns.

[Kanmani · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful!!!

[Gurjeet · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nostalgic and lovely