Frontlist | Ruskin Bond reveals the secret behind his ‘so simple’ style of writing

Frontlist | Ruskin Bond reveals the secret behind his ‘so simple’ style of writing
on Sep 28, 2020

Iconic Indian novelist Ruskin Bond encourages young writers to try his ‘simple’ style of writing and not ‘make their readers toil and sweat’

Those who have grown up reading short stories and novels by Ruskin Bond can vouch for the escapism that his writings have provided in their simplicity, mountain based and solitude dripping style. With a career spanning over six decades, the writer of the Dehra hills is credited for his feel-good-factor and freshness in his writings coming from his enjoyment of his life of solitude, surrounded by nature, the hills and mountains that have a calming influence on the readers. While the award winning author is currently penning his next book which is a lockdown diary and might be titled ‘It is a Wonderful Life’, he gave an insight into why his style of writing is ‘so simple’. Sharing it as a quote of the day for fans on social media, the iconic Indian novelist reasoned that he was looking for clarity and does not want to “make readers toil and sweat”. He shared, “People often ask me why my style is so simple. It is, in fact, deceptively simple, for no two sentences are alike. It is clarity that I am striving to attain, not simplicity. Of course, some people want literature to be difficult and there are writers who like to make their readers toil and sweat. They hope to be taken more seriously that way.” Encouraging young writers to try his “simple” style of writing, Ruskin Bond added, “I have always tried to achieve a prose that is easy and conversational. And those who think this is simple should try it for themselves.”   Though it is an old statement made by the author of British descent, it served as a powerful reminder to fans who emptied their stash of love in the comments section and we are not surprised. The storyteller turned 86 years old this year and has been writing from Landour, a British India-era cantonment town just above Mussoorie, ever since 1964.