3. ABOUT THE AUTHOR
o The first in this series is ‘The Room On The Roof‘ which Bond himself wrote when he
was only 17 years old.
o It was the story that got him fame and won him the John Llewellyn Rhys
Memorial Prize. While the entire series is promoted as predominantly children fiction,
anyone can read the books as they are simple and refreshing and not merely
childish.
o His first book was Sketches by Boz in 1836, a collection of the short pieces he had
been writing for the Monthly Magazine and the Evening Chronicle.
4. OPINION
o This summer vacation visit your childhood days again. Simply
delve into the worlds of Rusty and his gang of friends in the
famous Rusty series penned by our very own, lovable-Ruskin
Bond.
o They can take you back to your fun filled adolescence and leave
you touched by its thoughtfulness.
5. SUMMARY OF THE STORY
o The Room On The Roof‘ revolves around Rusty who at the start is a lonely
boy of 16 who loves to take aimless walks in the forests of Dehradun.
o He is under the guardianship of Mr. John Harrison, a strict, intimidating
British fellow who has only contempt for everything around him-Rusty,
the Indian side of the town, nature, his wife even etc..
o By coincidence he meets two very friendly and warm Indian kids -Somi
and Ranbir- on one of his many walks. They quickly become friends and
indulge in the ‘masti’ of childhood-from riding their cycles, to their daily
visits to the popular chaat shops etc, to playing Holi etc.
o Tired of the restrictive atmosphere of his guardian’s home and the
European side of the town, Rusty runs away in a moment of madness
and fury to be with his Indian friends. He only later realises the gravity of
his decision and what it means to be living on one’s own.
o The story then takes a turn from its playfulness to a more serious tone as
Rusty grapples with his new situation with the help of Somi and Ranbir.
6. SUMMARY OF THE STORY-2o The best part of ‘The Room On The Roof‘ is that Bond very lovingly sketches
the development of Rusty’s personality.
o Bond thus makes the story not simply about the unbridled, pure and
innocent joys of adolescence but also about the certain issues that rack one’s
mind at that age for eg, Rusty’s loneliness, his adolescent love, his insecurity
etc.. The story is also meditative as Rusty ponders over his ‘insignificance’ and
purpose of life.
o So dismissing the novel as simply a childish one would be wrong. It may not
proffer profound truths about the world but it does provide an adolescence’s
point of view of such abstract aspects which also attests to the fact that the
adolescent stage is not only one of frivolous frolic and time pass.
o It is quite commendable that Bond wrote this when he himself was only 17.
Such sort of maturity in writing is not seen today from teenage authors
anymore.
o Many aspects of the novel are also Bond’s own and perhaps the reflective
tone of the story stems from his know meditations at that time.
7. SUMMARY OF THE STORY-3
Another feature that stands out is the true, minute depictions of Indian
life whether it is the European part of Dehra, the buzzing bazaar, the
simple toys, the smoky chaat shop and its delicacies,the intoxicated
playing of Holi, the myriad Indian railway, Dehra’s natural beauty and
the characters connections with it, Rusty’s room on the roof etc.
While many of them may seem cliched like the cows on the streets and
the beggars, they are life like nonetheless and attest to a way of life that
is fast disappearing.
Even the characters whether it is Rusty’ friends, Mr. Harrison’s wife’s brief
appearances, Meena Kapoor-Rusty’s employer, her husband-Mr.
Kapoor etc are all complex and have a story to their lives that make
them full, rounded people with personalities and not just one sided
characters.
8. CONCLUSION ON THIS STORY
A story of growing up, friendship,
love and responsibilities,’The
Room On The Roof‘ is a charming
little novel that will regale all
children and even adults. It will
make you slow down, think and
appreciate the small things of life.
