THE ROOM ON THE ROOF

Ruskin Bond is a well-known Indian author who has written many books, stories and poems. He was born on May 19, 1934 in Kasauli a small hill station in India.Ruskin Bond is famous for his simple and beautiful writing which often reflects the natural beauty of the Himalayan region especially the places where he has lived like Mussoorie and Dehradun.His love for nature wildlife, and the peaceful life of the hills is evident in many of his works. Ruskin Bond’s stories are often about the lives of common people children,animals and the bond between humans and nature. His writing is easy to read making it loved by readers of all ages.Ruskin Bond’s career as an author began when he was quite young. His first book“The Room on the Roof” was published when he was just 17 years old. The bookwas a huge success and won him the John Llewellyn Rhys Prize in 1957. Since then he has written many novels short stories, essays and children’s books. Some of his famous books include “The Blue Umbrella” “A Flight of Pigeons” and “The Adventures of Rusty” which feature a young boy named Rusty and his experiences in the hills.
Ruskin Bond’s writing is often described as being heartwarming nostalgic and simple. He has a special ability to tell stories that make readers feel calm and happy like they are sitting by the hills or walking through a forest. He has also written many stories about animals which show his deep respect and love for nature. His work has been translated into several languages and is loved by readersall over the world.In recognition of his contributions to literature Ruskin Bond has received many Awards including the Padma Bhushan, one of the highest civilian awards in India.He has also been honored with the Sahitya Akademi Award and the Bal Sahitya Puraskar for his contribution to children’s literature.Overall Ruskin Bond is a writer who has captured the hearts of millions with his simple yet profound storytelling and his works continue to inspire and entertain readers of all generations.

BOOK REVIEW :
His first love too. Now Rusty’s last source of confidence and hope has gone away and his lonely days return. Rusty spends his sad days looking out at the window and once again, plans to run away. He decides to go back to England but before doing so he wants to say a last goodbye to his friends and finds Kishen who convinces him to change his mind about returning to the UK. Instead the two walk away
together to form their own new world and life without worrying about anything else.
What I like about the book:
I like this book because it was written from a teenager’s perspective. The author was seventeen when he wrote this and the story was inspired by his own experiences when he lived in Dehra. He wrote this story because he too was feeling some of the emotions that Rusty was feeling in the story. And for that reason he decided that he would never make any revisions so readers could understand how it feels to be seventeen. It was a great read because it has a lot of different emotions and I like the way Ruskin Bond has written it: a simple story made into such a touching and sad book.
There were a few funny descriptions such as when Ruskin Bond described a situation as: ‘When a butterfly landed on the missionary’s wife’s palatial bosom….’ I laughed a lot and when my mum read it she also laughed. After reading Room on The Roof I am looking forward to reading a few of Ruskin Bond’s other stories. I wonder why children of my generation don’t read more of his books. Here are some books I am interested in reading from his collection: Panther’s Moon and Other Stories The Hidden Pool and Rusty goes to London. I think the author has explained an important message in this book. Rusty’s guardian seems to be a little racist who chooses to live in India but not mix with the people there. I think if people live in a country they should mix with the people and appreciate their culture.The lesson in this story for me is to remain open as Rusty was and to follow my instincts. If Rusty had not becomes friends with the people of the bazaar he would never have had all the wonderful experiences in the story. Ruskin Bond reminds me of Roald Dahl because they both use interesting language and really funny phrases to describe their characters and their stories. They both write simple but wonderful stories. Even though, Roald Dahl is more fantastical and Ruskin Bond’s stories feel like memoirs but presented as a story.

BASAVKIRAN H KARAJANAGI, Second Year, Computer Science, Sinhgad Academy of Engineering, Kondhwa bk. Pune

THE ROOM ON THE ROOF
1. Title of the book: The Room on the Roof by Ruskin Bond.
2. Subject/Story/Information: The story in this book is about an orphaned boy named Rusty. He is a sad and lonely boy, living with his guardian, Mr. Harrison. Rusty, in his search for an identity, dares to venture out of the house and ends up making new friends. He is finally left homeless by Harrison and this is when he realises what it means to be an orphan in the truest sense. Rusty’s friend comes to his rescue when he lands Rusty a job to teach English. Things are fine for a while, after which a strange sequence of events occur and Rusty ends up homeless again. This time he is on the verge of leaving for England, when his student, Kishen, stops him and together they decide to begin life afresh on a new note.
The story about the Anglo Indian teenager, Rusty, bears a striking resemblance to its writer, Ruskin Bond’s life. Despite Ruskin’s pain at his parents’ separation and a lonely childhood, he developed an optimistic outlook on life much like Rusty does in the story. It is this search for freedom, identity and friends by a teenager, that creates the context and the plot for the story.
3. Language/style/Presentation: Rusbond has a certain poetic style of writing. His choice of words and Bond has a certain poetic style of writing. His choice of words and placement of imagery provide for an interesting, yet lucid read. Particularly fascinating is the narrative when the boy finds himself in a dilemma over living in India or England. Ruskin is very descriptive and hence uses many adjectives to support his writing which make his works delightful to read. He has also cleverly conveyed in the novel how strangers can become a part and parcel of one’s life by being kind and warm in our interactions with people. Rusty, the central character in the novel, uses this same idea to make friends for life.
4. Benefit/Message: I love this book because of its simple style and the picture it paints of a young teenage boy that I can relate to because we are of the same generation. I also like the multiple emotions depicted beautifully by the author in this piece. The book shares a beautiful message to have an open mind and embrace the uncertainties in life. These experiences will help one understand the world better.