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 guardians 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 ones 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 Rustys
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 ones mind at that age for eg, Rustys
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 adolescences 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 Bonds 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, Dehras natural beauty and the
characters connections with it, Rustys 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. Harrisons wifes brief appearances, Meena Kapoor-Rustys
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.
