by Vibha Sharma
Title: A Book of Simple Living
Author: Ruskin Bond
Publisher: Speaking Tiger Books
Year of Publishing: 2015
Start reading the first paragraph and one embarks on a journey into a world where time is no longer a constraining factor and where Nature guides everything. Ruskin Bond offers a sneak peek into his routine, letting one see the beauty in simplicity. The way he describes his room and the window which opens into three different worlds – the mountains, the sky, and the road – is fascinating. At least for the time when one is reading his words, one gets transported to the same room amidst the same surroundings – the never changing hills, the full-of-movement road and the author’s preferred view, the sky. Ruskin Bond feels the sky is never the same; it is always filled with beautiful hues from the divine palette.
As the much-acclaimed author pays befitting tribute to nature, he subtly draws the readers to acknowledge the presence of co-inhabitants of our mother Earth, admiring their uniqueness and paying obeisance to the natural scheme of things. Through his well-crafted essays, he shows us that side of the world and life which, amidst our fast, time-bound schedules, we are rapidly losing touch with. He talks about various flora and fauna that fill his life with colour, fragrance, music and liveliness. He has ample time – to listen to every natural sound, to drink in the scent of wild flowers and leaves and to observe tiny creatures minding their business.
‘Live close to nature and your spirit will not be easily broken, for you learn something of patience and resilience. You will not grow restless and you will never feel lonely.’
He then talks about various other things – vicissitudes of life, his writings, the way a new topic comes knocking at his door or through his window, the reassurance that one looks for at certain times and the many memorable moments spent in the lap of Nature. The narrative is abound with characters like cicadas, magpies, field mice, spiders, swallows, maidenhair fern, geraniums, marigolds, chrysanthemums, pines, oaks, walnut trees, tall deodars, maple, chestnut and many more. There is a constant background hum in the narrative which is sometimes a bubbling mountain river or an orchestra of crickets or simply, the rustling of leaves. The landscape keeps changing colours from pristine snow white to verdant green to a riot of fall colours.
The simplicity of his life, the simplicity and honesty in his writing are just fascinating and one needs to read it to feel it, because he writes to connect. In his words, ‘I want my readers to feel what I feel, to see what I see, and big words and big sentences come in the way of this sharing. It is clarity and honesty that I am striving to attain; there can be no lasting connection with my readers without these. And to be clear and open is to be simple.’ This is the reason why readers tend to effortlessly connect with his writings.
The book tries to convey one message very subtly – Don’t let the beauty of Nature pass by unnoticed, unacknowledged and unregistered because it is the simplest and purest form of beauty. Let it tickle every sensory nerve of one’s being.
Beautiful! Ruskin Bond always had a special place in my heart. I have actually grown up on his writing. And he created such enchanting worlds with his words that are immortal and which I visit with his writing even today. His writing will live on and shower love and happiness to people of all age and times. Regards.