Book Review - A Murder In Mussoorie And Other Tales by Ruskin Bond

Ruskin Bond is one author to whom I keep returning time and again and never get disappointed. His simple narratives, vivid description of the places he lived in and the characters that he met and brings to life through his stories make him one of the best writers of the age. 

A Murder In Mussoorie And Other Tales is a collection of ten short stories mostly centered in small towns. There is the story of a mysterious murder in Mussoorie that has stayed unsolved till date.  There are stories based on places where Rudyard Kipling is said to have lived during his stay in India. Through these stories, you get a view of India like it was when Ruskin was a child, a teen and a young man, the India that only lives in his memories now.

Ruskin's vivid description of the places brings them to life in front of the reader. There is his beloved Dehra where, Ruskin says, the trees are a match for man. There is the lonely and isolated town Shamli where you won't find any civilisation for miles. There is beautiful Shimla about which Ruskin has shared Rudyard Kipling's beautiful ode in his work Kim. A fair land - a most beautiful land is this of Hind - and the land of the Five Rivers is fairer than all. Into it I will go again...  Once gone, who shall find me? Look, Hajji, is yonder the city of Simla? What a city!"

The characters that Ruskin introduces in his stories are unforgettable with their unique and quirky personalities. Be it the gardener, the tonga-driver, the double bent beggar, the girl swaying on the swing, the bewitching ladies who invoke the romantic in the author - every character is memorable and will stay in your mind long after you finish reading the book. 

Ruskin's books recommend themselves and like every book, every story he has written, this one too is a must-read.