CONCEPT: 4/5
THEME: 4/5
ILLUSTRATIONS: 4/5
WRITING: 4.5/5
OVERALL: 4.5/5
“And what about old writers? Well, old writers never die – they simply go out of print. In print or out, we carry on writing. That is, if we are born writers – writers by nature, given to self-expression through the medium of the written word.”
– Ruskin Bond, Hold on to Your Dreams
I consider anything that comes out of Ruskin Bond’s pen to be pure gold, and so this year, on the occasion of Mr. Bond’s 90th birthday, I treated myself to two of his latest releases – Hold on To Your Dreams, published by Penguin India, and The Hill of Enchantment, published by Aleph Book Company.
This book, whose byline reads “A Letter to Young Friends,” is written for the young reader – people who are either in their teens or in their early twenties. While I do not belong to either of those groups, I could not help but be immersed in the book, and I must say that I truly loved the whole experience.
The Whole Aesthetic Vibe
Hold On to Your Dreams, at about 100 pages, is a treat to hold in your hands. Its design and the whole aesthetic appeal are a true beauty. The book comes with some beautiful illustrations of Mr. Bond, his cat Mimi, the mountains and the hills that surround him, and his reading and writing corners, among many other things.
Many of the quotes mentioned in the book are also illustrated in some impressive typography and fonts. The pages are made to look like handmade paper, which lends a personal touch to the overall reading experience.
What Is the Book All About?
It is like a long letter, a letter that consists of many things – from friendly guidance to glimpses of the author’s own past, from a sneak peek into his everyday activities to the memories of his books and writings, those he read, and those he wrote.
He talks at length about his love for nature, his long tryst with loving and living with it, his long walks in his heydays when he went looking for stories and people, his many adventures from his childhood and as a young adult, and many more such things.
The Best Part
My favorite parts of the book are those where Mr. Bond shares his wisdom earned from his rich life experiences. What particularly appealed to me were the parts where he specifically spoke about his writing and reading. There are many quotes from the book that hold a special place in my heart, and I am sharing some of them here:
“Never despair, but if you do, then work on in despair.”
“Listen to the sound of silence.”
“Do I tire of writing? No, these words are my lifeblood. They have made it possible for me to live the life I wanted to live.”
And when he says this about writing, he makes my heart melt because it is just so true and relatable:
“Make no mistake, writing is a solitary art, a lonely profession, whichever way you look at it. You are on your own… loneliness becomes a part of a writer’s being.”
The Way He Writes
There is a kind of simplicity in Mr. Bond’s writing that is difficult to imitate. To him, it comes naturally, while to others it may seem like a daunting task. Right from page one, he establishes a connection with the reader, an easy camaraderie that makes him seem more like a friend than a nonagenarian author.
His ability to talk about the biggest of his achievements with absolute humility and his self-deprecating humour is something that easily endears him to the reader.
In the end, Hold on to Your Dreams is a beautiful book, one that you will keep coming back to like you would visit an old friend. This book has a comforting feel like garam pakoras on a rainy evening or a hot cup of coffee on a freezing cold morning. A highly recommended read to all his fans, but also to those who love reading and writing and everything bookish.
Can’t wait to read it? You can buy your copy of Hold on to Your Dreams using the link below.