All those of us who love Ruskin Bond know one thing for sure- nature is omnipresent in all his works. His books, short stories, musings and non-fiction features all exude an inherent love for nature. Words From The Hills captures the essence of a lifetime of great writing, and crystallizes it into few interspersed sentences. These appear on the exquisitely illustrated pages of this journal.
What immediately entices the reader are the lyrical watercolour paintings and illustrations by Ahlawat Gunjan that appear throughout this journal. Again centred around the theme of nature, they are mesmerizing to say the least. The falling of leaves from deodar trees, moments of love and loss, beautiful flowers, gentle skies, few isolated objects and shapes, buzzing dragonflies, stained and torn pages of forgotten notebooks…these are just some of the multifarious pictures that you will see in the journal. Amidst these images are simple but deeply meaningful lines and musings from Bond- in true Bond-style! Words From The Hills consists of many blank lined pages for the reader to fill in.
It is indeed a collector’s edition. Use it the way you will. The format adapts itself to different uses by a varied age group. You can pen your thoughts in journal-style. Take inspiration from Ruskin Bond’s words and the colourful illustrations. It could work like a planner as well. Man, woman, adult, child- here is a book that will adapt to all. It is a journal that will gently entice you to stand and stare, recollect and ruminate.
Prolific is a term that describes Ruskin Bond well. He has written over 500 short stories and articles. He received the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1992, the Padma Shri in 1999 and the Padma Bhushan in 2014. He just celebrated his 83rd birthday this May and still has something exceptional to offer each time!
Developed around the life, works and philosophy of Ruskin Bond, Words From The Hills is one collector’s piece you cannot miss!
Words From The Hills by Ruskin Bond
Illustrated by Ahlawat Gunjan
Published by Penguin Random House India, 2017.
